"These poems don’t merely ask you to read them, sightsee with them, or relax with them: these poems demand you to grasp the world, not only as a place, but as a metaphor for being fully human. These poems are the spectrum of emotions. La Serenissima is real."

—Donald Ryan, Novelist and Host of Book Club
Without a Club

"Poems about late night Uber rides, snorkeling adventures, and sad polar bears. You can’t help but smile. All this to say: La Serenissima freaking rules."

—Shawn Berman, Editor of The Daily Drunk

"In these detail-rich, immersive poetic travelogues, Barker declares himself an openhearted student, a risk-taking pilgrim, and a wide-wake observer of the world's beauty, grit, and wonders."

—Cyrus Cassells, 2021 Poet Laureate of Texas