the poet & the escape artist

By David Q. Hutcheson-Tipton

"...a sweeping, expansive narrative that still manages to hold a sense of tenderness and vulnerability in its discussion of faith, mental health, family, memory, silence, violence, and the many complications of / many facets of love and grief." --- Khadijah Queen, author of Anodyne There is something stark and unflinching about the way this book delves into memory and history. There are no sepia tones, nothing saccharine, or honey dipped in the manner of "looking back." The [Poet & the] Escape Artist examines a psychologically complex environment in which its speaker comes of age. On the surface, the book is a memoir in verse, a hybrid text, told largely chronologically from a single point of view. The material is quite heavy, for sure: the all consuming control the parents have over the speaker at the most vulnerable times of his formation, the very air at home being so thick with depression and anxiety, amidst the mother's tendencies for hoarding and agoraphobia, the speaker's involvement with Jehovah's Witness world views, etc. However, David has chosen a tone, largely created by the use of the present tense, that prevents the kind of morose heaviness from settling. The style of writing, too, avoids a suffocating sadness with the use of terse lines and sentences, as well as unadorned, matter of fact presentations of these childhood and adolescent scenes. As a close reader of this manuscript, I adore the ways David develops themes of enclosure and escape throughout the book. --- Carolina Ebeid, author of You Ask Me To Talk About The Interior In The Poet & the Escape Artist , David Q. Hutcheson-Tipton crafts a narrative of stark contrasts and haunting revelations. Dive into a world of raw, poetic emotion; where each page pulses with freedom amidst chaos. This evocative chapbook captures the essence of seeking-and-escaping, painted an unflinching flavor of honesty. Follow the journey of fractured souls navigating a landscape of occult wisdom, and existential dread in this mesmerizing collection.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DB5VNF3G
• ISBN13: 9798333588159
• Release Date: August 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 65 Pages
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.1" x 5.5"