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Write Fully and Freely
Purple Summer, Gray Fall is an eclectic blend of poems ranging from themes of warmth, youth, and desire to introspection, loss, and renewal. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
Thank you! This book began as 1-2 poems and random thoughts I wrote during and after a particularly impactful romance. I didn’t plan for Purple Summer, Gray Fall to become a book, let alone a book that I would publish. Not long after this romance, I went through a huge emotional journey, including and most notably, the start of my writing career. I began writing and unpacking things, which led to more writing. Then, synchronistically, the title Purple Summer, Gray Fall came to me one day. That’s when I knew I had to create a book. This book allowed me to understand and process that time period, learn more about myself, and explore and expand creatively. I realized I had to publish this book because, as an artist, there is nothing more urgent than to share what moves you.
Were there any poets or other writers who influenced your work on this collection?
Absolutely. The late Nikki Giovanni is my favorite poet of all time. The late Toni Morrison is my favorite author, and I’m also a huge fan of poet Marie Howe. Collectively, they have inspired this book as their work is frank and sharp, full of imagery, emotion, connection, and courage. They are a source of strength and commitment for me to write fully and freely. I honestly can’t do justice to describe how influential these three women are to my work as a writer, but I’m glad I can pay homage to them here.
How do you approach writing about deeply personal or emotional topics?
It wasn’t easy initially, but it was much harder for me not to go deep with this book. Purple Summer, Gray Fall could have had a vastly different tone. I scrapped almost half of the original poems because they were ok and fit, but they didn’t feel authentic, and they didn’t make me proud. I made a choice and decided to write free of external pressure, and once I did, the rest of the book came together pretty quickly. It was very exciting. I knew the excitement and pride I felt from writing from a place of authenticity was and is the reason why I am a writer. I’m not aiming to be controversial or deeply personal, but I’m sticking to my decision to write for me and no one else, letting whatever needs to come out be free to do so.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Absolutely. Poetry is my favorite genre, and I’m working on my 2nd book now, no title available! I’ll share that the collection will explore my past relationships. But I also plan to write fiction, plays, and screenplays as I have started drafting quite a few projects. Stay tuned for updates by following me on Instagram @writeaway_selena.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Amazon
The Savior and the Shadow Queen: A Fantastical Tale Told Through Sequential Poems
The Savior and the Shadow Queen is a story told through poetry, unfolding in layers that mix fantasy and raw human emotion. It begins as a mythic tale of Eselli and Nabseatsi, two friends who set out to defeat a terrible enemy called the Shadow Queen. Their world feels ancient and mystical, full of prophecies, weapons, and dark magic. But as the story progresses, that fantasy begins to fade, and the truth emerges. Eselli is Leslie, a young woman living in the real world, grappling with grief, guilt, and the haunting weight of loss. The Shadow Queen becomes something much deeper than an external enemy; she is the darkness inside us all, the reflection of our pain and self-hatred.
McAfee writes with such openness that it’s hard not to feel what Leslie feels. Her pain, her confusion, her desperate hope for healing, it all comes through in the rhythm of the poems. The fantasy world works beautifully as a metaphor for mental illness and self-discovery. I loved how the story shifts from myth to memory, from sword and prophecy to hospital rooms and recovery. That transition hit me hard. The writing itself is simple, almost deceptively so, but it carries deep emotion. It’s the kind of poetry that doesn’t need fancy words to make you feel something, it just does. The pacing feels natural, the imagery vivid, and the emotions raw enough to make you pause and sit with them.
I could feel the compassion in McAfee’s voice. The book doesn’t wallow in sadness, even though it’s born from it. It offers forgiveness, for oneself, for others, for the past. I appreciated that McAfee didn’t sugarcoat the pain, yet she gave it meaning. The real-world sections are written with quiet strength. There’s hope tucked between every line, and I found myself rooting for Leslie as if she were someone I knew. The author’s choice to end the book with a direct message to the reader was perfect. It felt intimate, like a friend reaching out to say, “You’re not alone.”
I’d recommend The Savior and the Shadow Queen to readers who loved The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Both books explore inner transformation through journeys that seem external at first but reveal themselves as deeply personal. Like Santiago’s search for his treasure, Leslie’s quest to defeat the Shadow Queen becomes a metaphor for finding meaning after loss. But where Coelho’s story leans on destiny and spiritual discovery, McAfee’s feels more grounded in real emotion like grief, guilt, and the slow rebuilding of self-worth.
Pages: 102 | ASIN : B0CH411ZSP
Purple Summer, Gray Fall
Selena Mallory’s Purple Summer, Gray Fall is a tender, raw, and often startling collection of poems that drifts between sunlight and shadow. The book is divided into two sections: “Purple Summer,” which hums with warmth, youth, and desire, and “Gray Fall,” which cools into introspection, loss, and renewal. Across both halves, Mallory writes with a confessional edge that feels both intimate and unguarded. Her voice slips easily between humor and ache, sensuality and solitude, all while painting vivid slices of womanhood, memory, and self-discovery. The poems read like diary entries whispered aloud on quiet evenings, revealing a life lived in color and reflection.
What I liked most about Mallory’s writing is its honesty. She doesn’t shy away from the awkward, the lustful, or the mundane. In one breath, she’s talking about shaving her legs for a Tinder date, and in the next, she’s describing grief, faith, or mental fatigue. That range feels human in a way poetry often forgets to be. Her language is unpretentious, even conversational at times, and that makes the emotional moments hit harder. The transitions from lighthearted pieces like “Shiny Hiney” to weightier ones such as “Sweat(H)er” are seamless, showing how closely joy and despair live beside each other. The humor never undercuts the pain; it just reminds you that both belong.
The collection’s imagery also carries a quiet rhythm. I loved how the “Purple Summer” poems glow with heat and motion, fields, sun, and laughter, while “Gray Fall” settles into stillness and introspection. There’s an arc of growing up here, or maybe just growing deeper into oneself. Mallory has a knack for turning everyday details into metaphors that linger, like the simple act of baking brownies or watching a storm. Her poems invite you to slow down and notice small, beautiful things, even when they hurt. Sometimes the structure feels loose, even meandering, but that looseness matches the emotional truth of the work. It’s messy, alive, and personal.
I’d recommend Purple Summer, Gray Fall to readers who love poetry that feels like conversation rather than performance. It’s perfect for anyone who’s ever laughed through heartbreak or found comfort in small, domestic rituals.
Pages: 56 | ISBN: 978-16629604444
Reflections: Earth, Heart, Light, Dark
Reflections: Earth, Heart, Light, Dark is a mother-daughter collaboration that explores the intertwined themes of Earth, Heart, Light, and Dark through poetry. The book flows like a seasonal cycle, beginning with poems rooted in nature, moving through love and memory, then toward hope and illumination, and finally into grief, loss, and shadows. Each section feels distinct, yet they all circle back to a shared sense of searching for meaning in both beauty and pain.
Poems like Transition pulled me in with their intimacy, especially the image of a mother’s hands rebuilding a new world after a storm. It felt deeply personal but also universal, the kind of moment that made me stop and think about my own family. I’ll admit, Grandmama caught me off guard with its questions, “What thoughts did you have? Did you think them deserving?” and left me feeling both unsettled and comforted at the same time. That’s what I liked most, the poems didn’t tie everything up neatly. They lingered.
From Ash to Light carried a strong sense of resilience, and I couldn’t help but feel buoyed by its journey from despair to joy. It had this rhythm of stumbling and rising that felt human and raw. On the other hand, Dawn of Forty-Nine leaned more toward classic imagery, almost old-fashioned in its rhymes, which at first jarred me but eventually worked because it added texture to the collection. I found myself rereading those lines about waterfalls and winds, almost like I was letting the words wash over me instead of trying to decode them.
Then there’s the “Dark” section. This is where the book hit hardest for me. You Left Me was plainspoken, almost brutally so, and that stripped-down honesty made it sting. The Waves had this hypnotic pull with its repetition, “Rising above, wave after wave,” that felt like drowning in grief and memory. I could feel the authors letting themselves go to heavier places, and I appreciated that they didn’t shy away. It made the hopeful poems earlier in the book feel more earned, less naïve.
Reflections: Earth, Heart, Light, Dark is for readers who like their poetry to sit somewhere between personal diary and universal myth. It’s not heavy with academic wordplay, but it’s not fluff either. If you enjoy quiet evenings with a book that makes you pause, maybe even tear up, this one is a must-read. Personally, I closed it feeling like I had sat down with two voices who weren’t afraid to be vulnerable, and that’s something I’ll always admire in poetry.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0FFNGQ15P
Fists in the Eye that Blinks on a Pin
Dyson Russell’s Fists in the Eye that Blinks on a Pin is a collection of poetry that feels both raw and surreal, like wandering through a dream where images refuse to sit still. The book moves between moments of tenderness and moments of violence, never giving the reader a chance to feel completely safe. Themes of memory, loss, and fractured identity recur throughout, tied together by vivid and sometimes startling metaphors. It’s the kind of collection where one poem can feel like a quiet confession and the next like a scream across a darkened room.
I found myself both unsettled and deeply moved. Russell writes with a kind of reckless honesty that doesn’t apologize for being strange or uncomfortable. Sometimes the words tripped me up, and I had to pause and reread, but I didn’t mind. The language has teeth, and that’s part of its pull. What I admired most was the way the poems manage to be experimental without drifting into nonsense. Even in their most chaotic moments, they circle back to something recognizable and relatable, like grief that feels both personal and universal.
The repetition of despair, loss, and fractured imagery can weigh heavily after a while. Still, I can’t deny that the intensity is part of what makes this book what it is. Russell doesn’t water anything down, and that kind of boldness is rare. It felt like stepping into someone else’s storm and just staying there until the clouds passed.
I would recommend this book to readers who crave poetry that doesn’t play it safe. If you like writing that feels visceral, experimental, and emotionally unfiltered, this collection will stay with you long after you put it down. It’s not for someone looking for light verse or easy comfort, but if you want to wrestle with language and feel something real, Fists in the Eye that Blinks on a Pin is worth your time.
Pages: 110 | ISBN : 1763820602
Emotional Timing
Resonance of the Soul – Flowers and Harmonics is a heartfelt and unfiltered collection of poems that dives into the human condition, exploring themes of love, identity, culture, struggle, healing, and faith. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
I was inspired by a love story—one that stirred memories of what truly matters in life. That experience, along with moments spent with patients nearing the end of their lives in hospice, reminded me how fragile and sacred our time is. A mentor also nudged me to complete my writing, reminding me that unfinished words can become unfinished healing. This collection became a way to honor those stories, those lives, and the emotional truths that often go unspoken.
Did you write these poems with a specific audience in mind, or was it a more personal endeavor?
I wrote for those without a voice—those caught in the throes of indecision, those marginalized by circumstance, and even those who seem entitled or indifferent but are quietly searching for meaning. While the journey began as personal, it quickly became communal. I wanted these poems to reach anyone who’s ever felt unseen, unheard, or underestimated. It’s a companion for the lonely, the faithful, and the quietly resilient.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this poetry collection?
Time. Not just the literal hours needed to write and revise, but the emotional timing—knowing when I was ready to revisit certain memories, and when the world might be ready to receive them. Balancing my clinical responsibilities with the vulnerability required to write was also a challenge. But I learned that when something truly matters, you make time for it.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
I’ve come to appreciate the effort and emotional discipline it takes to create something meaningful. Writing this book taught me that poetry isn’t just about language—it’s about listening, about honoring silence, and about crafting space for others to feel seen. I learned that my voice carries weight not because it’s loud, but because it’s rooted in truth. And I discovered that healing—whether clinical or poetic—requires presence, patience, and grace.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Each poem reflects the delicate interplay of life’s harmonics—the highs and lows, struggles and triumphs—capturing its essence with thought-provoking depth and emotional resonance. With a voice that is both evocative and intimate, the anthology invites readers to embark on a transformative journey through the intricate beauty and complexity of existence.
“Resonance of the Soul – Flowers and Harmonics” showcases Dr. Edwards’ ability to infuse profound truths into his work, creating moments of reflection and celebration that resonate universally. It is a collection that bridges the personal and the universal, making it an unforgettable literary experience.
Resonance of the Soul -Flowers and Harmonics
Dr. Ivan Edwards’ Resonance of the Soul – Flowers and Harmonics is a heartfelt and unfiltered collection of poems that dives into love, identity, culture, struggle, healing, and faith. Each section is like a room in a house built on raw emotion and lived experience. The poems weave together the intimate and the universal, from first love lost too soon to biting political commentary, from cultural pride to spiritual survival. It’s a spiritual map made of pain, joy, humor, and truth, written with a clarity that cuts and a tenderness that soothes.
Reading this book made me feel a range of things. Hopeful, angry, nostalgic, and sometimes just quiet. I loved the groundedness of it. Edwards doesn’t pretend to float above reality. He rolls around in it. His words hit you because they come from somewhere real. The poem about the mango, for example, starts sweet and ends as a bitter lament for what greed and corruption can destroy. There’s beauty, but also a sharp awareness that beauty is fragile. I was especially moved by “My Lioness,” which read like a love song with teeth. He writes women with deep reverence, and that matters. Some poems could feel a bit sermon-like, but even when he preaches, it’s from a place that feels earned, not lofty.
I also found his writing incredibly rhythmic and easy to feel, even when the topics were hard to face. The language is warm, clear, and full of music. No line feels accidental. He plays with structure, short bursts, long breaths, and questions that hang in the air. Sometimes it’s angry, sometimes forgiving. Sometimes it’s tired, then suddenly it’s dancing. There’s wisdom here, not just in ideas but in form. His poems about disability and struggle are some of the most honest I’ve read this year.
If you’ve ever loved someone deeply, if you’ve ever lost your way, if you’ve ever been underestimated, or if you just like poetry that speaks from the gut, this book is for you. It’s good for people who want their reading to feel like conversation, prayer, and protest all in one. I’d give this to artists, parents, students, wanderers, or anyone looking to feel seen.
Pages: 122 | ASIN : B0FJ8KLFTQ
Writing in the Moment
Always Something Heartfelt: Life, Love, and Heartbreak is a raw, vulnerable, and deeply personal collection of poetry and reflective prose exploring a myriad of human experiences. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
Every piece in this collection was hand-stitched with everything I was feeling inside at the time of its inception. Growing up, it felt like the only time I was allowed to be sad, disappointed, hurt, etc. was at funerals. I started journaling when I was 17. It was a newfound outlet to what started to feel like a form of freedom to be able to communicate my raw emotions. Then, one near-fatal curveball in life, in the form of a car accident that physically propelled me from a vehicle, pushed me to open up to the world because life wasn’t promised. I gained the confidence to boldly articulate things I felt. Life became too short to be anything other than authentic. Through performing at spoken word events, I got feedback that showed me that my expressions were relatable. When I chose the poems from my collection to put together Always Something Heartfelt, I focused on providing my most genuine expressions. The goal was to expound on the notion that my experiences, though deeply personal, were relatable to others.
How do you approach writing about deeply personal or emotional topics?
I write what I feel in the moment with as much honesty as I can manage. I approach emotion the way I used to approach music—as therapy. Whether I’m hurting, reflecting, or just trying to understand something, I let the pen run freely. Free verse gives me the room to speak plainly and honestly, without worrying about form getting in the way of truth. I aim for clarity, and I hope that clarity resonates with people who’ve felt something similar.
Do you have a favorite poem in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
I do not have one particular favorite, but there are some poems I really like. That list includes poems like “She trusted Me”, “TV Failed Me”, “Maybe I never loved her”, “Windows”, “The next guy”, “Temporary insanity”, “I really wanted to”, and “Like you”. These are poems that are pivotal spaces and times in my life. To me, it’s like going through the pages of your life and marking them with a highlighter.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
Writing this book showed me that authentic emotions, though deeply personal, are very relatable beyond just the community that I’ve shared my expressions with over the years. These poems represent universal concepts that express how we all can feel at any given moment in life. That notion encourages me to keep writing and count myself as blessed to even have experiences to share. Though considered fleeting and temporary, emotions provide substance to your experiences and help you set, change, or stay the course in life.
LITERARY TITAN 