In Available Surfaces, T. R. Hummer explores the art of making both poetry and music, and of the concept of "making" itself. He draws on childhood experiences and experiences as an adult, as a poet, and as an explorer of unworldly spaces to examine that "something ineffable about the process of making of which the poem is the exemplary artifact."

Hummer grew up in the deep South, and spent many of his high school years playing saxophone in various rock and roll bands before he met poetry. This musical influence is visible in his work: he often discusses poetry together with music, or music with poetry, and his career has included both writing and performance.

T. R. Hummer is Professor of Creative Writing at Arizona State University and author of twelve books of poetry and prose, most recently Ephemeron and The Infinity Sessions: Poems.

"Hummer's ability to create turns of phrase and images makes every piece in the collection interesting . . . . The whole is about as finely shaped as one might hope for when poets apply their craft to prose; it's entertaining and meaningful."
—John Griswold, Inside Higher Ed