i just found your channel recently and wanted to say thank u for creating such a safe and calming space - i love the way you talk about books and i've already found so many new reads i'd never heard of to add to my tbr, espeically queer/trans fiction. i really hope your move to japan gets a bit smoother from here on out, take care
Those final lines in Fizz seized me in such a visceral way...I could only gasp....*WOW*. I hope everything with your visa will be sorted as smoothly as possible, Willow. Thank you for sharing what is healing you during these stormy, stormy times. I truly hope the sun will break through the clouds soon for you. Sending some enby love your way ~ 💜
New sub here. I'm a lover of poetry as well as a poet. I'll be publishing my 4th poetry book next month and it's on the theme of spirituality. I'm so happy to discover your channel, thanks to RUclips's recommendation
With every word you share with us I cherish you more. Your vulnerability and brilliance makes me feel at home when I have found little home in this world. And the selections/recommendations you share provide a resource for home outside of your videos. Thank you for what you do and for sharing your journey, unapologetically and raw. I hope your visa is sorted and you are on your way soon. ❤️
These are such kind words, thank you! I'm not sure I'm worthy of them but this video felt like something I had to make. My journey to Japan is going more smoothly now, by the way :)
I discovered your channel a few weeks ago, and I really appreciate your passion and how you speak about the books you enjoy. Please take care of yourself. Sending you a spiritual hug, thanks for another wonderful video!
I'm going to be picking up Time is a Mother soon and I'm even more excited for it now! And I'll definitely be getting hold of Limbic now as well. As for other queer poets I'd recommend, here are some that spring to mind: Kae Tempest, Jericho Brown, Ollie Schminkey, Danez Smith, Jay Bernard, and Natasha T. Miller. I hope things are on the up for you soon; you deserve it 💛
I am an avid #MentalHealthAwareness advocate and spoken word performer, and I love this so much. I travel the country trying to bring that awareness on stages, in classrooms, hospitals, and on my RUclips channel, so I get excited when I see other advocates. 💙❤
I love “Crush” by Richard Siken so so much! I haven’t read a lot of poetry and English is not my first language, but “Crush” to me is exactly what you described “I don’t have to fully understand it but I feel it.” And its language flows like music. Also, love your channel! I just recently found it and love this space you created. Thank you and I hope everything is going well for you 🧡
Loved this video - I picked up a poetry collection of Fernando Pessoa several years ago, deeply loved it, and have been struggling to find my way in the world of poetry ever since! I think I will give both of these collections a go. And best of luck with the move to Japan! I'm sure it will work out eventually - take care of yourself, moving countries is one of the most stressful things I've ever voluntarily done! Japan is such a beautiful country, but I found queer connection to not be at all easy to find when I lived there - though it was in a more small town area. I hope the rest of this transition period is gentler on you.
I definitely need to pick up both of those! I loved Night sky with exit wounds. Ocean has such a lovely way of expressing himself that I was just happy to come along for a ride. I picked up Scalpello's previous poetry collection a few days ago from a small Glasgow coffee shop and it was impactful and well written. I feel that Scalpello is more like my train of thoughts and Voung is a carefully crafted letter. Looking forward to see how they developed.
Hi Willow. I am autistic and I am one of those readers who escape through reading, I get absorbed and nothing else exists around me. Especially if the writing style is very immersive. I get to visit new worlds and make new friendships. I mostly read classics, I should read more poetry (I greatly enjoyed the last book I have read, Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, a novel written in verse, so beautiful !) I love your videos so much! Your passion for books is contagious and you seem a very friendly person. Wishing you all the best !
Thanks so much, Sandy! I love that you're one of the rare people that get totally absorbed by what they're reading. I really enjoy Pushkin's poetry. I read a book of it during the first lockdown and found it so inspiring!
I started reading a lot of poetry my wife had on her bookshelf over lockdown, from Sylvia Plath to Seamus heaney , really kept me sane, I didn't have a clue about poetry, it doesn't matter, even if you know one poem and love it forever, so be it
I have been going back to poetry for such a long time. I had problems with reading and concentration after I moved, it was difficult time for me emotionally and physically. I was working and then going back on weekends to prepare stuff to move, there were also the medication I was taking. I started to listen to audiobooks while working (it's a type of activity that allows that). I got trough most of the Discworld like that, it was a huge help to get trough my reading blockage and distract me from my emotional turmoil.
Sounds like you went through a lot of the same things I’m going through right now! I can see myself turning to audiobooks before long; something I’ve always wanted to invest time in.
Time is A Mother listened on audiobook made me break down and cry but it was such beautiful poetry. It insinuated a mother dying from cancer and that topic was hitting a little close to home, not something I wanted to think about, so I will pick it up again another time.
I am right there with you! I've been dealing with a cancer diagnosis recently and poetry has been my salvation through this time! I've read a few novels but not near as many as I usually do. Poetry has been the thing that has kept me reading. I love that it often hits fast and deep and then other times it just washes over you. At its best, it sees you and recognizes the exact part of you that needs healing. So crazy that you are finding it to be helpful in a similar way! You should check out Danez Smith if you haven't yet. They are a queer, black, non-binary poet who is also HIV positive and punk AF. ;) Their poems are biting, sometimes angry, often hilarious but always emotionally impactful. Also Billy Ray Belcourt is similar to Ocean Vuong imo but he is a queer indigenous Canadian. Wishing you the best! Thanks for sharing!
I am so so sorry to hear about what you're going through right now. All my thoughts are with you 💜 And thank you for recommending Danez Smith, and for describing the healing power of poetry in just the most beautiful of ways!
Hi Willow, I hope you are feeling better soon💕it’s hard not to feel anxious these days with the way the world is. I went through a similar phase earlier in the year. My anxiety was really bad and I just didn’t have the brain power to focus on a book, I would read but nothing would stick, so I turned to anime. It took a couple months and now I can focus on reading again. I recently heard about a poetry collection called Swollening by Jason Purcell, it’s a debut collection by a queer Canadian poet (I believe he also owns a bookstore). I haven’t read it yet, but it is on my books to purchase list. Hope that helps. Take care💕
That is very true and very relatable. I've also been turning to anime and videos games as I've failed to read much. Things are finally looking up now though :) I actually recently heard about Swollening thanks to my friend Rick, who personally knows Jason and is a big fan! But thanks for reminding me to check out their poetry 💜
Akwaeke Emezi just came out with a poetry collection called Content Warning: Everything. Also you could check out Billy Rae-Belcourt who is a queer indigenous poet and Danez Smith as well if you haven't read them
I love Emezi's writing and their online presence, so I'll definitely check out their poetry. And I definitely heard of, but haven't read Danez Smith. I'll fix that asap, thanks!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these poetry collections. They sound amazing, and it's great to hear that they have saved and healed you. Over the past few months, I have also found poems and books to be healing, especially those by Dean Atta, as well as many children's books for different reasons. I'm curious to read poems by Andrea Abi-Karam, Linette Reeman, Chrysanthemum Tran, Jake Skeets, Justice Gains, Cristoso Apache, Lee Mokobe and other queer poets. Wishing you all the best with the move to Japan. I hope the poems you've enjoyed, and others yet to be enjoyed, continue to help provide healing over the coming months.
I'm not sure if her writing style will work for you but I recommend Ada Limon's poetry collections (especially The Carrying) 😊 My anxiety gripped me hard last year but her words offered me spaces to breathe and just be.
I’m not a poetry person but I do believe in the healing power of the arts. I’m glad you have found yours and to everyone there are so much diversity in the arts as there are in people I hope they find theirs as well.
These poems are wonderful. I feel like school did me a disservice when it comes to poetry by focusing on World War poems, which while not necessarily bad the whole Nationalism aspect of them was very offputting to me. I've realised that there's a lot out there that I'd probably enjoy if I gave it a chance. So I'll be checking these out
I admit that I really enjoyed a lot of the war poetry from school. Wilfred Owen remains a fave of mine. The more nationalistic stuff, no thank you, but the "war is hell" stuff, yes please.
@@WillowTalksBooks Wilfred Owen was the only poet I really enjoyed when studying. We didn't do anywhere near enough of the "war is hell" stuff. I'd have been less put off we did
I’m a fan of your channel and send you my warmest wishes and thanks. Vuong recorded the audio of his latest book, which you might enjoy (I personally love to listen to poetry audio books before I fall asleep). You might like to browse on the British Poetry Book Society site as their recommendations of contemporary poetry offer a window onto what young poets today are writing. That’s where I came across a book by Emily Berry called “Unexhausted Time” which I recommend, while not a queer writer (at least not that I am aware of) her use of pronouns brings me joy. Very warm regards to you and thank you for your wonderful channel.
i just found your channel recently and wanted to say thank u for creating such a safe and calming space - i love the way you talk about books and i've already found so many new reads i'd never heard of to add to my tbr, espeically queer/trans fiction. i really hope your move to japan gets a bit smoother from here on out, take care
I'm so so happy to hear that, thank you 💜 My move is actually back on track now, which is a big relief.
Those final lines in Fizz seized me in such a visceral way...I could only gasp....*WOW*. I hope everything with your visa will be sorted as smoothly as possible, Willow. Thank you for sharing what is healing you during these stormy, stormy times. I truly hope the sun will break through the clouds soon for you. Sending some enby love your way ~ 💜
Right? It's such a raw and gnarly poem! Since making this video my visa has made progress and I should be in Tokyo two weeks from now! 💜
New sub here. I'm a lover of poetry as well as a poet. I'll be publishing my 4th poetry book next month and it's on the theme of spirituality. I'm so happy to discover your channel, thanks to RUclips's recommendation
Oh congratulations! I’ll check it out happily!
@@WillowTalksBooks I'll be delighted 😊Now, I have to stick to your channel, lol.
I love escaping to your thoughtful, kind and calm corner of the internet.
That is the sweetest compliment, thank you 💜
With every word you share with us I cherish you more. Your vulnerability and brilliance makes me feel at home when I have found little home in this world. And the selections/recommendations you share provide a resource for home outside of your videos. Thank you for what you do and for sharing your journey, unapologetically and raw. I hope your visa is sorted and you are on your way soon. ❤️
These are such kind words, thank you! I'm not sure I'm worthy of them but this video felt like something I had to make. My journey to Japan is going more smoothly now, by the way :)
Limbic sounds fab! Thanks for sharing your experience. ❤
It really is! You're very welcome 💜
I discovered your channel a few weeks ago, and I really appreciate your passion and how you speak about the books you enjoy. Please take care of yourself. Sending you a spiritual hug, thanks for another wonderful video!
That's really so kind of you, thank you 💜
I'm going to be picking up Time is a Mother soon and I'm even more excited for it now! And I'll definitely be getting hold of Limbic now as well. As for other queer poets I'd recommend, here are some that spring to mind: Kae Tempest, Jericho Brown, Ollie Schminkey, Danez Smith, Jay Bernard, and Natasha T. Miller.
I hope things are on the up for you soon; you deserve it 💛
Ugh Kae Tempest, I love them so much 😭 And Danez Smith keeps coming up so I must read!
I am an avid #MentalHealthAwareness advocate and spoken word performer, and I love this so much. I travel the country trying to bring that awareness on stages, in classrooms, hospitals, and on my RUclips channel, so I get excited when I see other advocates. 💙❤
I love “Crush” by Richard Siken so so much! I haven’t read a lot of poetry and English is not my first language, but “Crush” to me is exactly what you described “I don’t have to fully understand it but I feel it.” And its language flows like music.
Also, love your channel! I just recently found it and love this space you created. Thank you and I hope everything is going well for you 🧡
You're the second person to recommend Crush so I'll be getting it immediately, thank you!
Loved this video - I picked up a poetry collection of Fernando Pessoa several years ago, deeply loved it, and have been struggling to find my way in the world of poetry ever since! I think I will give both of these collections a go.
And best of luck with the move to Japan! I'm sure it will work out eventually - take care of yourself, moving countries is one of the most stressful things I've ever voluntarily done!
Japan is such a beautiful country, but I found queer connection to not be at all easy to find when I lived there - though it was in a more small town area. I hope the rest of this transition period is gentler on you.
I definitely need to pick up both of those! I loved Night sky with exit wounds. Ocean has such a lovely way of expressing himself that I was just happy to come along for a ride. I picked up Scalpello's previous poetry collection a few days ago from a small Glasgow coffee shop and it was impactful and well written. I feel that Scalpello is more like my train of thoughts and Voung is a carefully crafted letter. Looking forward to see how they developed.
Hi Willow.
I am autistic and I am one of those readers who escape through reading, I get absorbed and nothing else exists around me. Especially if the writing style is very immersive. I get to visit new worlds and make new friendships. I mostly read classics, I should read more poetry (I greatly enjoyed the last book I have read, Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, a novel written in verse, so beautiful !) I love your videos so much! Your passion for books is contagious and you seem a very friendly person. Wishing you all the best !
Thanks so much, Sandy! I love that you're one of the rare people that get totally absorbed by what they're reading. I really enjoy Pushkin's poetry. I read a book of it during the first lockdown and found it so inspiring!
I started reading a lot of poetry my wife had on her bookshelf over lockdown, from Sylvia Plath to Seamus heaney , really kept me sane, I didn't have a clue about poetry, it doesn't matter, even if you know one poem and love it forever, so be it
"this is all i have" = Some beautiful white light that frames you well..
You should take up as much space as you want to. Write whatever you want, as as much as you want, and I hope it heals you.
@@WillowTalksBooks Im totally not sobbing my eyes out right now. Thank you
I have been going back to poetry for such a long time. I had problems with reading and concentration after I moved, it was difficult time for me emotionally and physically. I was working and then going back on weekends to prepare stuff to move, there were also the medication I was taking. I started to listen to audiobooks while working (it's a type of activity that allows that). I got trough most of the Discworld like that, it was a huge help to get trough my reading blockage and distract me from my emotional turmoil.
Sounds like you went through a lot of the same things I’m going through right now! I can see myself turning to audiobooks before long; something I’ve always wanted to invest time in.
Time is A Mother listened on audiobook made me break down and cry but it was such beautiful poetry. It insinuated a mother dying from cancer and that topic was hitting a little close to home, not something I wanted to think about, so I will pick it up again another time.
These are excellent recommendations! Thank you!
I'm glad you think so! You're very welcome :)
I am right there with you! I've been dealing with a cancer diagnosis recently and poetry has been my salvation through this time! I've read a few novels but not near as many as I usually do. Poetry has been the thing that has kept me reading. I love that it often hits fast and deep and then other times it just washes over you. At its best, it sees you and recognizes the exact part of you that needs healing. So crazy that you are finding it to be helpful in a similar way! You should check out Danez Smith if you haven't yet. They are a queer, black, non-binary poet who is also HIV positive and punk AF. ;) Their poems are biting, sometimes angry, often hilarious but always emotionally impactful. Also Billy Ray Belcourt is similar to Ocean Vuong imo but he is a queer indigenous Canadian. Wishing you the best! Thanks for sharing!
I am so so sorry to hear about what you're going through right now. All my thoughts are with you 💜 And thank you for recommending Danez Smith, and for describing the healing power of poetry in just the most beautiful of ways!
Hi Willow, I hope you are feeling better soon💕it’s hard not to feel anxious these days with the way the world is. I went through a similar phase earlier in the year. My anxiety was really bad and I just didn’t have the brain power to focus on a book, I would read but nothing would stick, so I turned to anime. It took a couple months and now I can focus on reading again.
I recently heard about a poetry collection called Swollening by Jason Purcell, it’s a debut collection by a queer Canadian poet (I believe he also owns a bookstore). I haven’t read it yet, but it is on my books to purchase list. Hope that helps. Take care💕
That is very true and very relatable. I've also been turning to anime and videos games as I've failed to read much. Things are finally looking up now though :)
I actually recently heard about Swollening thanks to my friend Rick, who personally knows Jason and is a big fan! But thanks for reminding me to check out their poetry 💜
Beautifully reviewed and discussed (as always). I hope your visa gets sorted soon and doesn't cause you any more stress.
Thank you. My visa is back in track now, at last :)
Akwaeke Emezi just came out with a poetry collection called Content Warning: Everything. Also you could check out Billy Rae-Belcourt who is a queer indigenous poet and Danez Smith as well if you haven't read them
I love Emezi's writing and their online presence, so I'll definitely check out their poetry. And I definitely heard of, but haven't read Danez Smith. I'll fix that asap, thanks!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these poetry collections. They sound amazing, and it's great to hear that they have saved and healed you. Over the past few months, I have also found poems and books to be healing, especially those by Dean Atta, as well as many children's books for different reasons. I'm curious to read poems by Andrea Abi-Karam, Linette Reeman, Chrysanthemum Tran, Jake Skeets, Justice Gains, Cristoso Apache, Lee Mokobe and other queer poets. Wishing you all the best with the move to Japan. I hope the poems you've enjoyed, and others yet to be enjoyed, continue to help provide healing over the coming months.
Wow, so many wonderful recommendations, thank you so much! I'll work through them one at a time :)
I'm not sure if her writing style will work for you but I recommend Ada Limon's poetry collections (especially The Carrying) 😊 My anxiety gripped me hard last year but her words offered me spaces to breathe and just be.
I’m not a poetry person but I do believe in the healing power of the arts. I’m glad you have found yours and to everyone there are so much diversity in the arts as there are in people I hope they find theirs as well.
I love and feel and believe in this sentiment 💜
I hope you get your visa soon and that you are able to read a lot more poetry that can help with your anxiety! Good luck! 💙
Thanks so much! 💜
I can imagine you'd write very good poetry yourself (you may already do so) you are so expressive and communicate well 🪷
That’s so sweet of you to say, thank you!
Poetry IS healing and I am glad you've found some... :) Take care of yourself!
Thank you so much! You too 💜
These poems are wonderful. I feel like school did me a disservice when it comes to poetry by focusing on World War poems, which while not necessarily bad the whole Nationalism aspect of them was very offputting to me. I've realised that there's a lot out there that I'd probably enjoy if I gave it a chance. So I'll be checking these out
I admit that I really enjoyed a lot of the war poetry from school. Wilfred Owen remains a fave of mine. The more nationalistic stuff, no thank you, but the "war is hell" stuff, yes please.
@@WillowTalksBooks Wilfred Owen was the only poet I really enjoyed when studying. We didn't do anywhere near enough of the "war is hell" stuff. I'd have been less put off we did
Fizz….damn, I felt that. 😮
Right? It's venomous and angry and gorgeous
@@WillowTalksBooks YES! It's so wonderfully raw
I’m a fan of your channel and send you my warmest wishes and thanks. Vuong recorded the audio of his latest book, which you might enjoy (I personally love to listen to poetry audio books before I fall asleep). You might like to browse on the British Poetry Book Society site as their recommendations of contemporary poetry offer a window onto what young poets today are writing. That’s where I came across a book by Emily Berry called “Unexhausted Time” which I recommend, while not a queer writer (at least not that I am aware of) her use of pronouns brings me joy. Very warm regards to you and thank you for your wonderful channel.
Thank you so much for recommending that resource and Emily Betty specifically!
This is a modern classic, but have you read "Crush" by Richard Siken?
I have not! I'll look it up
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Back at you 💜
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💜💜💜
On every book i search on youtube your name pop up i'm sick of your videos i need another human body to describe me them novels 😂
I'm also moving soon, and I've been reading almost exclusively trans books, which have been so healing for me 🏳️⚧️ Hope your visa comes through soon!
Oh good luck! Really hope your moves goes smoothly!
@@WillowTalksBooks Thank you, same to you!