The Russian poet Elena Sosnina calls her second book of poetry a winter book, as opposed to designating her first book of poems a fall book. The inspiration for the sequel stems from the colder months of winter, when scholarliness is in full bloom amidst a world of graph-paper, class schedules, and test preps. Within the varying poetic themes, such as a Russian Radio interview and a Marilyn Monroe biopic, the book "Mixed Feelings" is all about grading, finalizing, and summing up life's unique and sometimes ambiguous experiences.