A theatre audience sees only the drama and the meaning of the performance on stage. The narrator of Alarum Within has a different tale to tell—not only of backstage encounters at a small college theatre, but of illness, addiction and identity. Over a decade in the writing, these poems reveal Beach’s fearless candour, tenderness, humour, and her eye for small shining details. “Alarum Within takes risks—it excels.”—Tim Lilburn, author of Kill-site