Luxury, Philip Schultz's luminous new book, is the most powerful yet from a poet whose work of four decades has stood among the finest in our time. Schultz hears music even in despair, and finds immense wonder in the everyday.In the title poem, Schultz descends into darkness in order to imagine the luxury of existence. This book is essential because it can save our lives. -- Grace Schulman His new book Luxury answers the plea from Philip Schultz's mother that he remember 'everything he lives for.' It's an appraisal that keeps him in mind of how his father had at last tired of 'suffering the illusion of success.' Wrought in humility, Schultz's book creates an 'industry of observation,' the affordances of which make for something very large. -- James McMichael In Philip Schultz's new collection, Luxury, a mature sense of selfhood rooted in compassion rises through a finely tuned daring.

Each poem is alive with tension, as it accrues, and the reader feels the lived knowing as it takes shape. A bold pleasure lurks in this book.Empathy resides at the nexus of Luxury. This poetry is not written to impress but to be shared--perfect for human consumption. Again and again, Philip Schultz surprises us. -- Yusef Komunyakaa.