In Toxicon & Arachne, McSweeney allows the lyric to course through her like a toxin producing a quiver of lyrics like poisoned arrows. Toxicon was written in anticipation of the birth of McSweeney's daughter, Arachne. But when Arachne was born sick, lived briefly, and then died, McSweeney unexpectedly endured a second inundation of lyricism, this time spun with grief. Toxicon & Arachne is the culmination of ten years of engagement with lyric under a regime of global and personal catastrophes.