TheLawofConservationisapoetrycollectionintenselyattunedtolandscape,bothgeographicandmetaphorical.Bordersblurredascitiescedetoruralland;thebodyasachangingplaceonanequallyunstablemap;thesubsoilofsexuality;theterrainofmemory,bothrichandpainful;newcountriestraveledandnewrootssetdownasanadult,navigatingdesire,loneliness,andlove.Inthecontextofgenderandsexualidentity,Spada’sworkpayssubtle,incisiveattentiontotheinextricablerelationshipbetweentransformationandconservation:transformationtowardtheexperienceofhonoringandprotectingourdeepestandmostabidingtruths.Atthesametime,herpoemsalsounsparinglyexploretheexternalshifts(inthespeaker’ssurroundingsandevenhermemories)thatmakeitsochallengingtoretainanunassailablesenseofself.
