Troubled applauded by Uptown

Troubled (Coach House Books), by Toronto's RM Vaughan, is a memoir, in verse, of a therapeutic relationship gone very bad. The protagonist seeks counselling from a psychiatrist, but the doctor is manipulative and controlling, and the two begin a sexual relationship.

Vaughan is brutally honest with himself ('Kitten stupid, I take the bait.') and scathing in describing his former doctor. Vaughan even includes redacted reproductions of his correspondence with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Featuring Vaughan's usual irreverence and eye for detail, Troubled is a powerful critique of asymmetrical relationships and a supposedly caring profession. It's sure to be one of the most important books of poetry of the year.