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Header: Hughes, Sexton, Baudelaire

All images via Wikipedia

Poetry has seen a surge in popularity during these uncertain times we find ourselves facing—a worldwide pandemic, fluctuating financial markets, and never-ending military conflicts, to name a few—and quite often crises of any kind, whether on a global or personal scale, create catalysts within an individual to become more introspective about their place in the world and their very own existence.

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Original image via Tim Mossholder

Without a great hook, a boxer will never be a champion. Without a great hook, your narrative won’t grab readers from the start, and you run the risk of them bailing on your story. Trust me, they have plenty of books on their TBR pile, and if you don’t get them hooked from the start, some of them will opt to close your book and move away from it. That’s why we’re talking about beginnings today. Yes, I’m aware of how hard they are.

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Halloween is right around the corner, and as you continue to craft and work your way through your TBR list this month, I want to make sure that horror poetry is front and center in your mind. Over the last few years, we’ve seen speculative poetry bring out its claws as it slashed its way into our hearts…only to leave us bleeding and crying, desperate for more. As such, I’ve compiled a list of five must-read collections (both new and old) that will be sure to keep you up all night and have you screaming well into the day. 

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Why do we still talk about The Shining? Why did someone make a documentary about off-the-wall Shining theories in 2012, almost 25 years after the movie’s release, and 35 years after the book came out? Why can you still buy pajamas patterned after the rug in The Shining?

Why don’t we talk about The Long Walk this way? Why hasn’t Slither become the movie that’s referred to time and again?

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Images via Jordan Benton & Ketut Subiyanto

I’ve been a full-time author since February of 2013. I remember the day I quit my teaching job in the middle of the week. It was a Thursday. I walked outside the school no longer employed. I had no idea how I was going to make it work. The air smelled fresher, colors were brighter, and I remember the song that was playing on the radio as I drove away.