Shay Baker—daughter, close friend, photographer—suddenly takes her own life, the ghosts of unanswered questions and unresolved feelings haunting those who survive her. Left in her wake is a series of mysterious photos and letters, some sent to key figures in her life, others to only passing relationships. One recipient, Royal, cannot square what he knew of Shay with her ultimate end, and resolves to stitch together insights from others chosen by her, setting off a sequence of revelations each more shocking than the last. Part mystery, part study of our shared lessons on desire, Baker's Dozen reveals and unravels grief, family history, and the ties that bind.

Dasha Kelly is a writer, performance artist, and creative change agent. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, and has authored award-winning poetry, essays, and fiction. She is a mainstage storyteller and host with The Moth, is an alum of HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and is Poet Laureate Emerita for both the City of Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin. Dasha was recently the anthology editor of poetry collection A Line Meant (Jaded Ibis Press), and is currently working on a tenth anniversary reprint of Almost Crimson (Curbside Splendor), which BuzzFeed named as one of the "16 of the Most Exciting Books of 2015 by Independent Publishers."

"Dasha pulls off the magic trick every writer chases: she makes you fall in love with her characters.... I write TV and features for a living, so I’m supposed to tell you to watch something—but forget streaming for a night. Treat yourself to Baker’s Dozen." —Freddie Gutierrez, screenwriter for That Girl Lay Lay and Young Dylan

“This book from Kelly is a poignant meditation on grief. From one central tragedy she builds a cast that you can’t help but root for. You’ll be thinking of them long after you close the book.” —Cree Myles, writer and curator of All Ways Black