  I theoretically investigate the response of bulk semiconductors to excitation
by twisted light below the energy bandgap. To this end, I modify a well-known
model of light-semiconductor interaction to account for the conservation of the
light's momentum. I show that the excited states can be thought of as a
superposition of slightly perturbed exciton states undergoing a complex
center-of-mass motion. In addition, the absorption would occur at a slightly
shifted energy (compared to plane waves) and would exhibit complex spatial
patterns in the polarization and current.
