Before recovery comes the preparation to recover. In City of Slow Dissolve, John Chávez takes readers through this journey—the "slow dissolve," the unpacking and re-packing of self that must take place before healing can begin. Fusing language poetry, lyric, and narrative, Chávez uses syntactical play, rhythm, and repetition of key words and lines to lend immediacy to emotions and actions. He tips words and images on their heads and invites readers to reexamine people and places that are at once familiar and utterly unfamiliar.