Book Description

"Memory/Erasure is a volume comprised of largely autobiographical poetry. In the first section, Memory, the work focuses on my interpretation of memories, both familial and personal. The second section, titled Erasure, interprets how the memories in the first section impacted my life and my conception of self. Even though some of the poems in the second section are less autobiographical or more fantastic, they are all reflective of my identity, the pieces of my memory that I have re-imagined or buried. Memory/Erasure began years ago. Pieces of the volume have existed, in one form or another, for nearly five years. The work represents many aspects of my life, growing up Southern Baptist, having a mother who suffers from mental illness, a father who never quite understood me, and being a homosexual man. I believe that all of these elements are highly relatable to the reader, whoever that individual may be. Many of the pieces in the volume are experimental, playing with form and spacing. Poetry, as a genre, continues to grow in new and unexpected ways, and Memory/Erasure represents a fusion of more traditional forms and lines with experimental breaks and spacing. Throughout the work, there are many themes or motifs present. A large number of the poems deal heavily in religious imagery due to my Southern Baptist upbringing. These poems embody much of the struggle I faced when I came out. Another major motif of the work is water. Of course, water has plenty of ties to the Christian faith, including baptism. However, water also represents a catharsis for me, a means by which to collect scattered thoughts, to recover that which has been lost."--Abstract.