book reviews
Reviews of the best poetry books, collections and anthologies; discover poems and up-and-coming poets across all cultures, genres and themes.
The Last Vote
Ethan Clarke’s hands trembled as he gripped the cold metal railing of his balcony. Below, the streets buzzed with the fading cheers from his election rally. At twenty-eight, he was the youngest provincial assembly member ever elected from his district — a victory that surprised even his closest supporters.
By Arshad khan7 months ago in Poets
When Life Blocks Your Words, Punch Back with Poetry
Have you ever felt like life just steals your creativity? That’s been me lately. Bills stacking up, endless work calls, family stuff, and somehow, my brain just… shuts down. The words I used to love pouring out now feel stuck, like they’re trapped behind an invisible wall.
By Shafi Ullah Darwesh7 months ago in Poets
Grief’s Canvas
Painting Through Pain I stood in a cramped basement gallery last month, staring at a canvas by Perla Santiago, a contributor to Salt in the Wound. The painting was raw—swirls of crimson and ash gray, a figure clawing upward from a scorched earth, its face half-formed but screaming life. It wasn’t just art; it was a wound laid bare, a howl of grief turned into color. Perla, a Chilean artist who lost her brother in the 2019 protests, painted it during a blackout, using scavenged pigments mixed with tears. In Salt in the Wound, a zine collecting dispatches from artists in crisis, visual art like Perla’s holds beauty and pain in the same breath. This is the story of how artists paint through grief, transforming loss into something that refuses to be forgotten.
By Shohel Rana7 months ago in Poets
The Zine Rebellion
Why DIY Art Still Matters I found my first zine in the summer of 2020, tucked under a pile of flyers at a protest in Brooklyn. It was a stapled stack of photocopied pages, rough-edged and smudged, screaming with hand-drawn skulls and furious poetry about police brutality. It wasn’t polished or pretty, but it hit like a fist. That zine—called No Quiet Surrender—felt alive, a piece of someone’s soul pressed into my hands. In a world drowned by algorithms and corporate noise, zines like Salt in the Wound are making a comeback, raw and unfiltered, giving voice to those the mainstream ignores. They’re not just art—they’re acts of rebellion, proof that DIY culture still burns bright.
By Shohel Rana7 months ago in Poets
No Face
I’m a man with no name No face My mind disconnected My heart lost in space A fantastic phantom animating atoms Thank you for reading my work. If you enjoyed this story, there’s more below. Please hit the like and subscribe button, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @AtomicHistorian. To help me create more content, leave a tip or become a pledged subscriber. I also make stickers, t-shirts, etc here.
By Atomic Historian7 months ago in Poets
