Poetry. Cultural Writing. Zontelli's second book of poetry, RED CROSS DOG, was a finalist for the National Poetry Series and the Akron Poetry Prize. Patricia Zontelli turns the personal narrative into uniquely American fairy tales written with urgency and care, as well as a stragely haunted playfulness which Kafka would have recognized. She can break your heart, but also knows how to mend it. It's the sort of skillful wisdom we always hope to find when we pick up a new book of poetry -- Jim Moore. [Zontelli's] poems are like the work of a skilled painter, each brushstroke made without waste or hesitation -- Louis Jenkins.