The poems in Mouthfuls of Space offer a dissociative journey through the life of a once homeless recovering drug addict and victim of childhood sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. Tom Prime's debut solo collection was written under the haze of antipsychotics later discovered to have caused many of his symptoms. His hypnotic, surreal voice reveals his transition from the street into the low-paying menial labour of factory work. There is beauty here too, and deeply dark comedy: a sprite-like being imagines his hallucinations as a deeper reality, where indescribable creatures coexist with "hyenas dressed as real estate agents" and those who march in "the skeleton parade. " Mouthfuls of Space explores trauma and the dehumanizing enterprise of factory work with sensitivity but also desperation. The voice in these poems struggles to breathe but finds a certain comfort in "the mother-shadow of trees, the old light of vibrating stars. "

Tom Prime is the author or co-author of five poetry chapbooks, including A Strange Hospital (Proper Tales Press) and Gravitynipplemilkplanet Anthroposcenesters (above/ground press), as well as A Cemetery for Holes, with Gary Barwin (Gordon Hill Press). His poems have appeared in Brave New Word, Carousel, Ditch, Fjords Review, The Northern Testicle Review, The Rusty Toque, Lana Turner, periodicityjournal, Vallum, and Watch Your Head. His song albums include Time to Die and Gold Medallion. Tom has an MFA in Creative Writing from University of Victoria and is working on his PhD at Western University in London, Ontario.