syn·es·the·sia

The Synesthesia poetry books are an ongoing collection of her poetry.  Each volume follows a theme; Darkness, Depression, Experimental, and the latest volume – Nature.  These poems have been written over the course of Little Alice’s life, and she continues to create new poems today.

Poetry is something that flows out of Alice like water.  She does not sit down and plan out her writings.  They simply happen, like a sudden bolt of inspiration.  At first glance it seems madness has gripped her as she writes frantically to get the words out as quickly as they come to her mind.  These sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.  The current count is over 300 poems written.

The Darkness volume showcases Alice’s most dark and twisted poetry.  This is the stuff of her nightmares, literally.  Alice suffers from chronic nightmares and often writes about the frightening things she sees.  Artwork created by Alice completes the terrible vision.  Claws, eyes, and teeth leer at the reader in the shadowy charcoal paintings.  This poetry book is not for the faint of heart as the creepiest corners of her mind are brought to light.

The Depression volume shares the intimacy of Alice’s clinical depression.  These poems were created in the darkest depths of her bad days, which she refers to as “The Abyss”.  Alice shares the pain and numbness she feels through these poems in the hopes of reaching understanding with readers who do not suffer from depression, and comfort from those that do.  Photography by co-editor Bryan Thompson of Graffiti Photography completes the vision of desolation and despair.  These images were taken while Bryan worked as an air traffic controller on a military base in Afghanistan.  He was particularly fascinated by the number dead birds he would find on a daily basis.  A caution to readers as this volume can be a trigger.

The Experimental volume takes a delightful turn from the first two, as this is the most whimsical of Alice’s writing.  The Experimental poetry is the most freeform and seeped in her synesthesia.  She writes purely for the sound of the words, the vivid colours, and the tastes they make.  Much of the poems are nonsensical, but make perfect sense to Alice.  The poems also challenge form in that some poems are written in ways that challenge the physical line formatting.  The photography is again by Bryan.  He was fascinated by the concrete structures around the Afghanistan military base, which adds the abstract visuals to this roost turvy book.  This volume is perfect for an afternoon of fun!

The Nature volume is the latest installment of the ongoing poetry series.  These poems are nearly all exclusively haiku, a favourite format for Alice.  These poems also feature Asian themes, showcasing Alice’s fascination with the Japanese and Chinese cultures.  The photos were taken by Alice while on relaxing summer walks through her local cemetery in Chicago, which features a large nature preserve.  This volume is perfect for a quiet and cheery afternoon of reading.

All four volumes are currently available on Amazon.  Alice is constantly writing new poetry.  Stay tuned for more insider looks on the art and the word of Cloud Orchid Publishing!