In “Against the Evidence” Ralph Pordzik is found writing at his most memorable and bold. In a series of fresh, unflinching poems, the author delves into the self-doubts and self-tortures of one who severed the bond between himself and society, shaking loose from his wife and only child. By turns grave and playful, arresting and witty, these poems thoughtfully weigh each moment in the shifting relationship between a father and his son once marriage is over, transforming the drabness of solitude and abandonment into a state of emotional suspense and powerful transformation the poet explores with a restless imagination and extraordinary verbal range.