Other books that might interest you

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  You'll Never Be Anyone Else

  Rachael Clyne

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  Rachael Clyne's You'll Never Be Anyone Else presents a direct and assured voice, demanding that we think carefully about what it takes to reconcile being different. She advises the reader to 'Stop drinking the poison / labelled "Hate me." / It's that simple. I didn't say easy.' Clyne also has an alter-ego "Girl Golem" reminiscent of a superhero but based on the mythical man made from clay and spells to protect Jewish people from persecution. Through this empowering persona, Clyne opens up an exploration of Jewish and lesbian identity. Surveying attitudes in the present day and in the past, these poems explore migrant heritage, sexual identity, domestic violence and ageing.
  The stories of this collection are often poignant, like the retired tailor in 'Mr Shopping Trolley', who takes to shearing newspapers, so that his scissor fingers remain busy. Or in 'Leaving Odesa', the speaker revisits the prison where – under Tsarist law – her grandmother (even as an infant) had to serve out the remainder of her father's sentence after he died.Clyne's imagery is razor sharp in its precision, as she deftly weaves different poetic forms and wildly versatile subject matter, even interspersing Yiddish phrases, as part of her own unique poetic idiolect. Take the hilarious poem, 'Jew-a-lingo (Code-switching for Jews 1970 edition)' which emphasizes Jewish humour as a staple survival strategy. You'll Never Be Anyone Else offers a unique story of survival and empowerment told in spite of experiences of violence and prejudice – this from a poet who has spent a lifetime learning self-acceptance and as a psychotherapist helping others to do similar.  Treating even dark subjects with playful wit and colourful imagery, Clyne is a distinctive new voice with a powerful message about self-acceptance.
  "Rich, cinematic and sensuous." – Joelle Taylor
  'With its impressive scope, ranging from the Holocaust, nuclear fallout, and immigration to domestic life and childhood, Rachael Clyne's Girl Golem thoughtfully explores our tactics for survival: in resistance, in the imagination, in mutual care. In these evocative, spirited poems, Clyne implicitly argues for faith in our own humanity and for the richness of difference.' - Carrie Etter
  'Rachael Clyne's poetry, full of physicality and dramatic openness, accumulates a series of tensions within her Sixties free spirited identity and Jewish heritage. Attentive to narrative angle and migrant experience, she allows characters to emerge over generations showing how they mould into a new cultural identity. In its quiet and carefully crafted ways, Girl Golem shows the sweep of history and the importance of a tolerant county that offers salvation to those persecuted abroad.' - David Caddy
  'Clyne's poems inhabit a shadowy and uncomfortable space where all is not as it seems – people become pieces of furniture and rooms have sinister personalities. A complex work of many layers – these thought provoking and deftly crafted poems are a playful and powerful examination of identity, sexuality, heritage and family dynamic. Clyne skilfully conveys a sense of disquiet and alienation, a sense of being other, both within the dysfunctions of the family, but also within the context of the wider world.' - Julia Webb
  Rachael Clyne is a psychotherapist from Glastonbury. Her prizewinning collection Singing at the Bone Tree (Indigo Dreams) concerns human beings' relationship with nature, and she is a climate activist. Her pamphlet Girl Golem (4word) concerns her migrant background and sense of otherness. A frequent reader at poetry events and festivals, she has been published in magazines like Shearsman, The Rialto, and The Interpreter's House. 

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  The Ghost Sonata - A Drama In...

  August Strindberg

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  Enter the surreal world of August Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata," where a young student becomes entangled in the mysterious affairs of a haunted mansion. As he navigates its labyrinthine corridors, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters, including a mysterious old man who seems to have blackmail over everyone in the house, a woman who has begun to resemble a mummy after being locked away in a closet for years, a young girl who can't leave her hyacinth room,  and an ethereal milk maid who seems to hold the future of everyone involved delicately in her hands. This truly is one of the most bizarre and nihilistic works to ever come out of Strindberg's catalog, but also helped lay down the correct foundation for his final play, the Great Highway.

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  The Narrative Poetry - Listen to...

  William Shakespeare

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  Despite William Shakespeare being regarded as the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, relatively little is known about his early life and his later ‘lost years’.  Even the exact date of his birth is uncertain. 23rd April generally accepted to be the date of his birth, could be a scholarly mistake amplified by the coincidence of it also being the date of his death.  
   
  What is known for certain is that Shakespeare was born to middle class, but probably illiterate parents, John and Mary, in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565 and baptised there on the 26th April.  He was the third of eight children and the first and eldest surviving son of the remaining five.  
   
  It’s assumed he attended, King’s New School the nearby grammar school, but no records from the time still exist.  However, information on the standardised curriculum that did exist, introduced the young Shakespeare to the disciplines of mathematics, Greek, law, classical history and Latin which greatly influenced his writing. 
   
  At 18, in some haste, he married Anne Hathaway, his senior by 8 years and pregnant with their first child Susanna who was to be followed by the twins, Hamnet and Judith.   Little else is known until in 1590 Shakespeare probably comes to London as by 1592 he becomes relatively well known – first as an actor and then, of course, as a playwright despite some early criticism for having a writing style of his better educated contemporaries and not of his own lower status.  
   
  His iconic status now spans global literature and stems directly from the magnitude of his plays, both tragedies and comedies, and his poetry which is often cited as some of the greatest love poetry ever written.  His legacy endures despite the passing of centuries. 
   
  William Shakespeare died at Stratford-upon-Avon on the April 23rd, 1616.  He was 52. 
   
  01 - The Narrative Poetry of William Shakespeare - An Introduction 
  02 - Venus and Adonis - Part 1 by William Shakespeare 
  03 - Venus and Adonis - Part 2 by William Shakespeare 
  04 - A Lovers Complaint by William Shakespeare

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  Hold Tight & Reach Hard - Poetry...

  Darrell Kane

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  "If you've ever wished you could read an Edward Hopper painting, this is a book for you." 
  - Allison Larkin, Best Selling Author of The People We Keep and Home of The American Circus. 
  Hold Tight & Reach Hard: Poetry and Prose is a moving collection that explores the raw edges of life—where pain meets perseverance, where regret gives way to resilience, and where self-doubt is met with the quiet determination to push forward. 
  With an unfiltered, honest voice, Darrell Kane delivers poetry that is meant to be felt, not dissected. From the depths of struggle to the glimmers of hope, these poems navigate love, loss, addiction, mental health, and the everyday battles we fight within ourselves.  
  For readers who appreciate the emotional depth of Rupi Kaur, the raw vulnerability of Sabrina Benaim, and the quiet strength of Mary Oliver, this book is an invitation to hold on, to reach for more, and to find beauty in the struggle. 
  📖 Perfect for fans of: 
  ✔️ Emotional, accessible poetry 
  ✔️ Themes of resilience, self-discovery, and mental health 
  ✔️ Poets like Rupi Kaur, Atticus, and Courtney Peppernell 
  ✔️ A gift for anyone in need of encouragement and understanding

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  Kundalini The Energy Of Awakening

  Justin Wesenberg

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  Kundalini is a channeled poetry book about spiritual awakening and finding balance in our lives.  
  This poetry book is for those who are going through spiritual awakening and want to find their centre. 
  The kundalini energy 
  Is a powerful force 
  That will help you chart 
  A brand new course 
  Awakening you 
  To the power inside 
  Surrender to Spirit 
  Let it be your guide 
  Showing you 
  Through love and grace 
  How to transform 
  And create new space 
  For the beautiful life 
  That you want to live 
  Find love in your heart 
  And learn to give 
  This is the energy 
  That will awaken the Earth 
  And allow us to move 
  Through planetary rebirth 
  This channeled poetry book was inspired by my kundalini awakening experience, and my journey to find balance in life. 
  If you’re going through a kundalini awakening, and looking for answers, Kundalini The Energy Of Awakening will guide you back to balance!

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  Stumbling and other poems

  Laura Quinney

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  Most poets recollect or describe the present. In her third book of poems, Laura Quinney (whose “superbly spare meditations” Harold Bloom compared to the poetry of Paul Celan and Emily Dickinson) does something more uncanny: recalling what it once was like to anticipate the future, she remembers what she thought the past would look like from the present moment, and in so doing deepens the meaning of memory. This is her third book of poetry.

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