"Blaze Without Burning" is William May’s Daring and Inventive Debut

Poetry has long been a vessel for self-discovery, resilience, and reinvention, and William May’s debut chapbook, Blaze Without Burning, is a striking example of how language can illuminate the human experience. Set for release on May 30, 2025, through Finishing Line Press, this collection of poems is both a personal and artistic triumph for May, who has crafted a work that is as structurally inventive as it is emotionally resonant.

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https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/blaze-without-burning-by-william-may/

At the heart of Blaze Without Burning is its unique “twinned” format—each poem in the first section is paired with a corresponding “twin” in the second section, sharing the same title but offering a distinct perspective. This structure challenges the notion of singular meaning, instead presenting a layered and dynamic dialogue between the poems. It’s a concept that speaks to the fluidity of memory, emotion, and interpretation, allowing readers to experience the work from multiple vantage points. As in life, nothing is fixed in May’s poetry; every moment has its counterpart, every perspective its reflection.

Beyond its structural ingenuity, Blaze Without Burning is a deeply personal work that explores resilience, transformation, and the forces that shape us. May, who was diagnosed as neurodiverse at the age of seven, has spoken openly about his early struggles with reading—an experience that once led him to believe he would never master the written word. “I believed that I was just too stupid,” he recalls. Yet, once given the right support, he leaped from struggling with primers to devouring adult novels, discovering in literature not only a means of understanding the world but a way of forging his own place within it. That journey from self-doubt to self-expression informs every page of this collection.

The poems in Blaze Without Burning are suffused with a sense of discovery, as if May is inviting readers to explore language and meaning alongside him. His writing is precise yet lyrical, offering vivid imagery and introspective depth without veering into sentimentality. There’s an undeniable energy in his work—one that embraces contradiction, ambiguity, and the interplay between past and present. At times, his lines feel like incantations, invoking both struggle and triumph, making the chapbook’s title all the more fitting.

The phrase Blaze Without Burning suggests a paradox: a fire that does not consume, a transformation that does not destroy. This theme is mirrored in May’s poetic approach, where the intensity of emotion does not overwhelm but instead illuminates. His work captures the duality of pain and healing, loss and renewal, stasis and evolution. Whether writing about personal identity, relationships, or the broader human condition, he remains attuned to the ways in which every experience carries its shadow and its echo.

Visually, the book’s cover reinforces these themes. Featuring a watercolor painting by Richard Frank (1947–2014), known for his meticulous yet surreal depictions of the natural world, the artwork sets the tone for a collection that is at once grounded and dreamlike. Currently housed in the Museum of Art in Deland, Florida, Frank’s work is an inspired choice for Blaze Without Burning, reflecting the book’s preoccupation with transformation, perception, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.

May’s literary journey is as compelling as his work itself. A fourth-generation native of New York’s Greenwich Village, he began writing poetry at the age of nine while attending The Stephen Gaynor School, a pioneering institution in special education. It was there that he received the individualized support that helped him flourish academically, eventually leading him to New York City’s prestigious Collegiate School. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of North Carolina’s MFA program in creative writing, May has since shared his work through publications like SoFloPoJo, Chameleon Chimera: An Anthology of Florida Poets, and The Centifictionist. His podcast, Argh! Not Another Book Publishing Podcast, has further established him as a thoughtful voice in the literary world, offering insights into the creative process and the ever-changing landscape of independent publishing.

With Blaze Without Burning, May cements himself as a poet to watch. His ability to balance formal experimentation with raw emotional honesty makes this chapbook a compelling read, one that rewards multiple engagements. This is not a collection to be consumed passively—it invites participation, reflection, and reinterpretation. The twinned poems create a recursive reading experience, encouraging readers to revisit and reconsider earlier pieces in light of their counterparts.

For those who appreciate poetry that is both intellectually and emotionally engaging, Blaze Without Burning is a must-read. May has not only found his voice—he has created a space where others might find theirs as well.

With pre-publication sales running through April 4, 2025, and an official release date of May 30, Blaze Without Burning is already generating well-earned anticipation. Whether you are drawn to its inventive structure, its poignant themes, or the lyrical precision of May’s writing, this debut marks the arrival of a poet whose work is sure to resonate far beyond this first collection.

In the end, Blaze Without Burning is a book about survival—not just enduring, but growing, evolving, and finding meaning in the complexity of experience. It is a reminder that we can be shaped by our struggles without being consumed by them, that we can carry our past without being confined by it. And in the hands of a poet like William May, that message burns brightly.