In the inti­mate address of ​“Axel Avákar,” the black humor of ​“Quar­to,” and the under­ground jour­ney of ​“Pow­ers of Recu­per­a­tion,” com­pressed lyrics flash among larg­er sce­nar­ios where images, dia­logues, blues, and song spi­ral into polit­i­cal visions. Adri­enne Rich has said, ​“I believe almost every­thing I know, have come to under­stand, is some­where in this book.”