“[Black Observatory‘s] strikingly surreal imagery fashions situations that are by turns ridiculous and terrifying…Much of the verse feels dreamlike—or nightmarish…This collection is edgy fun.”

–Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)

“With…fantastical scenes, streams-of-consciousness, and absurdist associations, these poems encourage readers to process the complexity of emotion, experience, and the human condition…[Murray] seamlessly move[s] into worlds where readers may find themselves unable to unravel the real from the imagined.

–The West Review

“These sometimes absurd and even slightly surreal vignettes form a weird, witty, and engaging collection that often reads like well-crafted short stories. Murray has [written] an introspective work that remains clever while never taking itself too seriously.”

-New York Public Library’s “Best Books for Adults 2023”