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[Dis]Connected: Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise, Volume 2
This highly-anticipated second volume of poetry and short stories combines the forces of some of the most popular poets of 2019.
[Dis]Connected presents poems and short stories about connection wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other; offering their poetry to the next person who tells a story based on the concept presented to them. With poetry, stories, and art, this is a one-of-a-kind presentation of connection and collaboration by Alicia Cook, Tyler Knott Gregson, Courtney Peppernell, Noah Milligan, Komal Kapoor, N.L. Shompole, Caitlyn Siehl, K.Y. Robinson, Raquel Franco, and Wilder Poetry.
[Dis]Connected presents poems and short stories about connection wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other; offering their poetry to the next person who tells a story based on the concept presented to them. With poetry, stories, and art, this is a one-of-a-kind presentation of connection and collaboration by Alicia Cook, Tyler Knott Gregson, Courtney Peppernell, Noah Milligan, Komal Kapoor, N.L. Shompole, Caitlyn Siehl, K.Y. Robinson, Raquel Franco, and Wilder Poetry.
- GenresPoetryShort Stories
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 25, 2019
Editor and publisher Michelle Halket showcases work from ten poets in [Dis]Connected: Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise Volume 2. Each of the ten poets submitted three poems, which are interspersed between short stories from the same writers. Halket chose a specific order, then asked that the short stories reference a line or two in the poem just before them. She uses this as just one way to illustrate connection and disconnection, the collection’s main themes. It’s an interesting conceit and challenge to the writers.
There are breakups, deaths, disappearances, and families in crisis. These stories are definitely not about unicorns and rainbows, which serves to make them more powerful. And the authors each bring a unique perspective to these themes. Halo, for example, has supernatural aspects, and Strangers Tomorrow is a more science fiction take. And others, like What the Wild Gave Me, are just plain real-life difficulties.
The poetry selections are both modern poetry and prose poetry. Most of them ache with longing, rather than offering hope.
My conclusions
Most of the stories truly drew me into their milieu, with compelling premises. In The Fourth Saturday, Alicia Cook crafts a fine story about the death of a family member with addiction. Raquel Franco writes emotionally in Get Up about teenager Reese, who loses her mother’s attention and care because of addiction, if not losing her physical presence.
Family relationship realities continue with two other mother and child focused entries. They offer different slants on a universal topic. Whether it’s a child in Make Choices a Bit Crooked or a teen in Beyond the Tree Line, these stories engage the parent-child connection effectively.
I also appreciated the stories of romantic relationships lost and found, especially Stay with Me, set in fictional Willowdale, Colorado from Courtney Peppernell. The themes of mourning and morning are strong here. Plus, it has a twist that caught me unaware. I’m not much for love triangle stories, but K.Y. Robinson’s entry, Ghosted, is well-drawn and engaging.
Komal Kapoor offers Wrapped in Distance, a story of sibling connections, as well as the connection between homeland and new home cultures. Priya and her brother have different takes on being second-generation Indian immigrants. The conflicts this creates between them, and with their parents is palpable in this brief story.
I recommend these short stories and poems. They will tweak your heart and engage your brain. It’s definitely a well done contemporary collection. 3.5 stars
Pair with Ask Again, Yes or Chasing the Scream for other books about connections.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and Michelle Halket of Central Avenue Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this collection, in exchange for my honest review.
Originally published on my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
There are breakups, deaths, disappearances, and families in crisis. These stories are definitely not about unicorns and rainbows, which serves to make them more powerful. And the authors each bring a unique perspective to these themes. Halo, for example, has supernatural aspects, and Strangers Tomorrow is a more science fiction take. And others, like What the Wild Gave Me, are just plain real-life difficulties.
The poetry selections are both modern poetry and prose poetry. Most of them ache with longing, rather than offering hope.
My conclusions
Most of the stories truly drew me into their milieu, with compelling premises. In The Fourth Saturday, Alicia Cook crafts a fine story about the death of a family member with addiction. Raquel Franco writes emotionally in Get Up about teenager Reese, who loses her mother’s attention and care because of addiction, if not losing her physical presence.
Family relationship realities continue with two other mother and child focused entries. They offer different slants on a universal topic. Whether it’s a child in Make Choices a Bit Crooked or a teen in Beyond the Tree Line, these stories engage the parent-child connection effectively.
I also appreciated the stories of romantic relationships lost and found, especially Stay with Me, set in fictional Willowdale, Colorado from Courtney Peppernell. The themes of mourning and morning are strong here. Plus, it has a twist that caught me unaware. I’m not much for love triangle stories, but K.Y. Robinson’s entry, Ghosted, is well-drawn and engaging.
Komal Kapoor offers Wrapped in Distance, a story of sibling connections, as well as the connection between homeland and new home cultures. Priya and her brother have different takes on being second-generation Indian immigrants. The conflicts this creates between them, and with their parents is palpable in this brief story.
I recommend these short stories and poems. They will tweak your heart and engage your brain. It’s definitely a well done contemporary collection. 3.5 stars
Pair with Ask Again, Yes or Chasing the Scream for other books about connections.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and Michelle Halket of Central Avenue Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this collection, in exchange for my honest review.
Originally published on my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
August 31, 2019
I'm sadly very underwhelmed with this. I enjoyed the first volume, it wasn't a favorite but a lot of the stories and just the format alone were good. It's a shame because this started off really strong with the first short story which was honestly a five stars for me, but the following two just drew me out completely. I also didn't connect with the poetry, which is pretty rare for me. I just found it very boring and pointless honestly. I really wanted to love this,but I just couldn't even finish it.
June 17, 2020
I don't read many anthologies, so when I went into this one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was so pleasantly surprised. The first story really took me away to another world, and the rest of the stories after kept me there. I was so entranced by each and every story- they all had so much pain, so much emotion behind them. A couple of them felt a little too similar to me, which is why I knocked off a star, but overall it was incredibly beautiful.
I've actually never read any prose by poets whose work I've read before, so I really loved the concept for this collection. I am very familiar with many of the poets in this, so it was exciting to see their writing in another form. I definitely want to read the first volume of this now- it has really grabbed my attention.
The stories are all very dark- many are about death/grief, addiction, familial relationships, and more. I am personally a HUGE fan of books that deal with deep, emotional subject matter, but be wary when going into this. Some topics may be triggering.
Overall, if you're a fan of beautiful, flowery, poetic writing, this one is a must.
I've actually never read any prose by poets whose work I've read before, so I really loved the concept for this collection. I am very familiar with many of the poets in this, so it was exciting to see their writing in another form. I definitely want to read the first volume of this now- it has really grabbed my attention.
The stories are all very dark- many are about death/grief, addiction, familial relationships, and more. I am personally a HUGE fan of books that deal with deep, emotional subject matter, but be wary when going into this. Some topics may be triggering.
Overall, if you're a fan of beautiful, flowery, poetic writing, this one is a must.
Read
September 11, 2021[Dis]Connected presents poems and short stories about connection wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other; offering their poetry to the next person who tells a story based on the concept presented to them. With poetry, stories, and art, this is a one-of-a-kind presentation of connection and collaboration by Alicia Cook, Tyler Knott Gregson, Courtney Peppernell, Noah Milligan, Komal Kapoor, N.L. Shompole, Caitlyn Siehl, K.Y. Robinson, Raquel Franco, and Wilder Poetry.
A very moving collection, overall!
*received from NetGalley in exchange for review*
A very moving collection, overall!
*received from NetGalley in exchange for review*
July 29, 2019
I really liked the premise for this collection, which was that one poet wrote something, and then another poet would write something inspired by the first piece, and so on. The poets featured are eclectic, with a god mix of style and subject matter, and I can definitely say that I will be coming back to this collection again and again - there are some real gems that I am already looking forward to rereading.
NOTE: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2019
The concept behind this collection intrigues me, and I loved reading the connected stories and poems by different writers.
I love the premise behind Michelle Halket creating this collection as well and her passion for it shines through.
I enjoyed reading it, and I recommend to poetry and short story lovers!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.
I love the premise behind Michelle Halket creating this collection as well and her passion for it shines through.
I enjoyed reading it, and I recommend to poetry and short story lovers!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.
February 24, 2020
Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC of this book for an honest review.
This book is full of brilliant authors that I only ever knew as poets but in this anthology that changed. I thought the idea behind this book was genius. Each author wrote a poem and then all there names were put in a hat or something similar. The name they picked out the hat they would use there poem to create a short story. The results were amazing. If I could have I would have read this in one sitting.
They poems were all great but the creativity that the author took from each poem to create mind blowing short stories just really made this book a 5 star read for me. The range of topics covered is huge and I love how people from all across the world can come together to create works of art.
Due to the formatting of the ARC it was hard to know who wrote what and the title of each story but my favourite stories have to be the one about River in San Juan and the one about Skylar and Norah! They were all so different yet all hit me. The twists and turns kept me reading. Grief, culture, parenthood, childhood and so much more.
I definitely recommend everybody to read this book and I intend to buy the first one and a hard copy of this one too!
Amy x
This book is full of brilliant authors that I only ever knew as poets but in this anthology that changed. I thought the idea behind this book was genius. Each author wrote a poem and then all there names were put in a hat or something similar. The name they picked out the hat they would use there poem to create a short story. The results were amazing. If I could have I would have read this in one sitting.
They poems were all great but the creativity that the author took from each poem to create mind blowing short stories just really made this book a 5 star read for me. The range of topics covered is huge and I love how people from all across the world can come together to create works of art.
Due to the formatting of the ARC it was hard to know who wrote what and the title of each story but my favourite stories have to be the one about River in San Juan and the one about Skylar and Norah! They were all so different yet all hit me. The twists and turns kept me reading. Grief, culture, parenthood, childhood and so much more.
I definitely recommend everybody to read this book and I intend to buy the first one and a hard copy of this one too!
Amy x
September 29, 2019
Refreshing.
This is the word that comes to mind once I have finished reading the poems and short stories contained within this book.
Are they connected? Disconnected? They are and they are not. At some point I felt like the stories I had read at that point were each so far apart from each other than possibly could be. But then, in the end, it is all about human experience, how it hits us and how we deal with it depending on where we stand, where we are coming from, where we are headed towards.
Quite a few of the short stories shared deal with grief, loss, death. They also talk about relationships, of family, mother, father, parents, siblings, lovers, grand parents, friends. There is such a wide variety of relating to each other. With quite a few of the short stories I came across life experience I never had thought about before, and that means widening my own horizon of understanding, and for that I love these stories.
As I am currently looking to find a way to read more poetry and getting into reading short stories, this book was fantastic. I loved all the poems I found there and certainly will check the authors further out, short bibliographies can be found at the end of the book. As regards the short stories, some were okay, some really gripped me and drew me right in, left me nearly breathless until I made it to the end.
This review refers to an eARC I received from the publisher via Netgalley in return of an honest review.
This is the word that comes to mind once I have finished reading the poems and short stories contained within this book.
Are they connected? Disconnected? They are and they are not. At some point I felt like the stories I had read at that point were each so far apart from each other than possibly could be. But then, in the end, it is all about human experience, how it hits us and how we deal with it depending on where we stand, where we are coming from, where we are headed towards.
Quite a few of the short stories shared deal with grief, loss, death. They also talk about relationships, of family, mother, father, parents, siblings, lovers, grand parents, friends. There is such a wide variety of relating to each other. With quite a few of the short stories I came across life experience I never had thought about before, and that means widening my own horizon of understanding, and for that I love these stories.
As I am currently looking to find a way to read more poetry and getting into reading short stories, this book was fantastic. I loved all the poems I found there and certainly will check the authors further out, short bibliographies can be found at the end of the book. As regards the short stories, some were okay, some really gripped me and drew me right in, left me nearly breathless until I made it to the end.
This review refers to an eARC I received from the publisher via Netgalley in return of an honest review.
September 21, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
[Dis]connected is chock-full of talented writers and is an interesting premise. Each of the authors writes a poem and a short story, the caveat is the short story is connected to the poem (by a different writer) before it. It’s really interesting and fun to see how each writer took the poem given to them and put their spin on what it meant or what it inspired them to write. This is such a fascinating writing experiment and I love how it turned out. I’m not familiar with all the names that were a part of this but I’ll definitely be adding them to my list of writers to keep an eye out for.
Overall I felt most of the stories had a very melancholy feel to them but the feelings were so real and deep and I may not have necessarily connected with them all I still felt them very deeply.
Definitely recommend to anyone looking to dip their toes in modern poetry and want to see what is on offer.
***
[Dis]connected is chock-full of talented writers and is an interesting premise. Each of the authors writes a poem and a short story, the caveat is the short story is connected to the poem (by a different writer) before it. It’s really interesting and fun to see how each writer took the poem given to them and put their spin on what it meant or what it inspired them to write. This is such a fascinating writing experiment and I love how it turned out. I’m not familiar with all the names that were a part of this but I’ll definitely be adding them to my list of writers to keep an eye out for.
Overall I felt most of the stories had a very melancholy feel to them but the feelings were so real and deep and I may not have necessarily connected with them all I still felt them very deeply.
Definitely recommend to anyone looking to dip their toes in modern poetry and want to see what is on offer.
November 25, 2019
The collection was incredible. All of the writers that were able to collaborate on this all produced such incredible poems and stories. I absolutely adored the concept, or "theme" of this collection, and thought it was masterfully executed. So, so well done. There are so many incredible talented writers featured in this book, and I can't wait to explore their future works.
August 28, 2019
It's a rare occasion that I read an anthology of poetry and so thoroughly love the written compilation that I find it difficult to close the book for breaks. But this was, surprisingly, the case for [Dis]Connected.
A devourable read from popular poets, this collection is bursting with poems and lines that dare to explore what it means to connect, to unplug, to attempt to fill the empty space between humans. All the works shared themes of love and loss, hurt and healing, but overall, the collection is eclectic and visceral, leaving open the opportunity for it to resonate with just about anyone.
Although I'm not the biggest fan of anthologies in general, I would recommend this collection simply because the messages are so important and the works are deeply touching. Each piece is woven into the next, making this collection a cohesive compilation of everything we all need to hear/know....and more.
A devourable read from popular poets, this collection is bursting with poems and lines that dare to explore what it means to connect, to unplug, to attempt to fill the empty space between humans. All the works shared themes of love and loss, hurt and healing, but overall, the collection is eclectic and visceral, leaving open the opportunity for it to resonate with just about anyone.
Although I'm not the biggest fan of anthologies in general, I would recommend this collection simply because the messages are so important and the works are deeply touching. Each piece is woven into the next, making this collection a cohesive compilation of everything we all need to hear/know....and more.
August 26, 2019
This was my first time reading one of these collections of short stories and poetry from different authors that was put together in this way. I completely enjoyed the premise behind this project and will need to go back and find Volume 1. There were some stories that I connected with more than others, but I think, as with any collection of stories, that is part of the point. They are meant to have a general them but not necessarily speak to each person in the same way.
And that new cover is gorgeous!
Thank you for the early copy. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys short story collections.
#Disconnected #NetGalley #CentralAvenuePublishing
And that new cover is gorgeous!
Thank you for the early copy. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys short story collections.
#Disconnected #NetGalley #CentralAvenuePublishing
June 22, 2019
This highly-anticipated second volume of poetry and short stories combines the forces of some of the most popular poets of 2019.
I love this series of books. How one writer can create an idea, and then another to come along read that idea and make something new from it makes for somerthing great and this book is certainly proof, straight from the beginning of the book. ‘Strangers Tomorrow’ by NL Shompole, will break your heart. Inspired by the work of Gregson before her in this book this story takes science fiction into how to deal with grief exquisitely and makes for a marvel in this book.
In combination with these stories, we have poems that connect the stories, taking lines from the poem to create the story. Poems by Noah Milligan like ‘Ghost Stories’ in this book are harrowing but important and make for perfect stops in between these stories. Jumping from ‘Ghost Stories’ we have ‘Ghosted’ which is the most honest and raw and tragic love story that just ends so well and I love it for it and thougn the two are so very different the way they use words to connect the two is done so well.
A book I asked for due to my love of the work of Tyler Knott Gregson, this book has opened my eyes to a whole new range of talented poets who I need to go and look up as soon as possible. If you love poems and like having your heartbroken in a literary sense, this is the book for you. Even the recommendations at the end of the book - Jade Homa’s ‘Athena’ at the back is a little treasure that ends this book beautifully.
(I received an ARC from Netgalley for review, thanks Netgalley, you did good!).
I love this series of books. How one writer can create an idea, and then another to come along read that idea and make something new from it makes for somerthing great and this book is certainly proof, straight from the beginning of the book. ‘Strangers Tomorrow’ by NL Shompole, will break your heart. Inspired by the work of Gregson before her in this book this story takes science fiction into how to deal with grief exquisitely and makes for a marvel in this book.
In combination with these stories, we have poems that connect the stories, taking lines from the poem to create the story. Poems by Noah Milligan like ‘Ghost Stories’ in this book are harrowing but important and make for perfect stops in between these stories. Jumping from ‘Ghost Stories’ we have ‘Ghosted’ which is the most honest and raw and tragic love story that just ends so well and I love it for it and thougn the two are so very different the way they use words to connect the two is done so well.
A book I asked for due to my love of the work of Tyler Knott Gregson, this book has opened my eyes to a whole new range of talented poets who I need to go and look up as soon as possible. If you love poems and like having your heartbroken in a literary sense, this is the book for you. Even the recommendations at the end of the book - Jade Homa’s ‘Athena’ at the back is a little treasure that ends this book beautifully.
(I received an ARC from Netgalley for review, thanks Netgalley, you did good!).
March 3, 2022
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. One afternoon at school, I played a game with my friends: one person would write a poem and the next person had to add to it. It was fun to see our different styles and interpretations. This anthology is somewhat similar. In [Dis]connected, each of the ten authors write a poem and another author writes a story based on it.
I liked this collection, though I think the latter half of the short stories was superior.
“Wrapped in Distance” by Komal Kapoor is the crown jewel of this anthology. The protagonist is relatable and dynamic.
I like the writing style of the majority of the poems and prose. Most of the protagonists are interesting. There’s a variety of genres here, from fantasy to magical realism to romance. Since part of the fun of anthology is not knowing what comes next, I won’t discuss the plot of any story in particular. But some of the themes include grief, gender roles, and disillusionment.
A few stories resemble first chapters of books. These feel incomplete because there’s no resolution or growth at the end. Interesting concepts and characters are squandered.
The weakest story of the collection is “What the Wild Gave Me” by Wilder. None of the characters are interesting. Despite the short length, this story dragged because of slow pacing and pointless scenes. The protagonist’s realization at the end of the story comes out of the blue, because her motivations are vague.
As a content warning, the story “Make Choices a Bit Crooked” by Noah Milligan contains a lengthy, detailed description of a medical procedure gone wrong.
Despite a few weaker offerings, the rest of the stories are of a high caliber. I recommend this anthology.
I liked this collection, though I think the latter half of the short stories was superior.
“Wrapped in Distance” by Komal Kapoor is the crown jewel of this anthology. The protagonist is relatable and dynamic.
I like the writing style of the majority of the poems and prose. Most of the protagonists are interesting. There’s a variety of genres here, from fantasy to magical realism to romance. Since part of the fun of anthology is not knowing what comes next, I won’t discuss the plot of any story in particular. But some of the themes include grief, gender roles, and disillusionment.
A few stories resemble first chapters of books. These feel incomplete because there’s no resolution or growth at the end. Interesting concepts and characters are squandered.
The weakest story of the collection is “What the Wild Gave Me” by Wilder. None of the characters are interesting. Despite the short length, this story dragged because of slow pacing and pointless scenes. The protagonist’s realization at the end of the story comes out of the blue, because her motivations are vague.
As a content warning, the story “Make Choices a Bit Crooked” by Noah Milligan contains a lengthy, detailed description of a medical procedure gone wrong.
Despite a few weaker offerings, the rest of the stories are of a high caliber. I recommend this anthology.
August 16, 2019
A collection of short stories and poems from twelve poets/authors. Each writes using a line from the others poem/story. Themes of loss and love crop up more than once but yet the general subject matter is rather eclectic as are the different approaches and style, it is nice to see how just how they can vary. Very emotional at times and certain ones made me stop and reflect.
A nice collection to dip in and out of around my books.
A nice collection to dip in and out of around my books.
September 11, 2019
This was an engaging collection of poetry and short stories. I liked how they all connected in some way. A couple of the short stories left me wanting to know more about the people in the story. I haven't read the first book in this collection but after reading this one, I do want to.
***Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
***Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2020
ARC Given by NetGalley for Honest Review
This collection of short stories was neither here nor there for me. In fairness this is an uncorrected ARC but some of the flow through stories felt choppy and (no pun intended) disconnected. On the positive side, the stories were overwhelmingly interesting to read and some really made me wish that I'd have a whole novel to pore over! For example the story about the character who goes into people's memories and removes the painful ones to bring peace was incredibly visceral and something a lot of people can relate to. I wanted to know more about this character and really connected with the emotions of that story. Overall a book I'd like to introduce to young people but not something I'd go back to personally.
This collection of short stories was neither here nor there for me. In fairness this is an uncorrected ARC but some of the flow through stories felt choppy and (no pun intended) disconnected. On the positive side, the stories were overwhelmingly interesting to read and some really made me wish that I'd have a whole novel to pore over! For example the story about the character who goes into people's memories and removes the painful ones to bring peace was incredibly visceral and something a lot of people can relate to. I wanted to know more about this character and really connected with the emotions of that story. Overall a book I'd like to introduce to young people but not something I'd go back to personally.
June 21, 2019
This collection of short stories and poems made my heart ache, but in the best way possible. All of the pieces were so emotional and many touched on devastating loss in a way that I haven’t found much elsewhere; which is something I’ve looked for in many books I’ve read since losing my best friend. When you’ve experienced something so deep and personal as loss/grief and then find stories that can so beautifully express your own feelings, it really reminds you why reading is so important. No matter what you’re dealing with, you’re never alone.
Though I originally wanted to read this book because I already follow (and love) Alicia Cook, Courtney Peppernell and Tyler Knott Gregson, I honestly loved every story. Now I plan on looking into more of the other contributors’ work!
Though I originally wanted to read this book because I already follow (and love) Alicia Cook, Courtney Peppernell and Tyler Knott Gregson, I honestly loved every story. Now I plan on looking into more of the other contributors’ work!
June 21, 2019
This collection of short stories and poems made my heart ache, but in the best way possible. All of the pieces were so emotional and many touched on devastating loss in a way that I haven’t found much elsewhere; which is something I’ve looked for in many books I’ve read since losing my best friend. When you’ve experienced something so deep and personal as loss/grief and then find stories that can so beautifully express your own feelings, it really reminds you why reading is so important. No matter what you’re dealing with, you’re never alone.
Though I originally wanted to read this book because I already follow (and love) Alicia Cook, Courtney Peppernell and Tyler Knott Gregson, I honestly loved every story. Now I plan on looking into more of the other contributors’ work!
Though I originally wanted to read this book because I already follow (and love) Alicia Cook, Courtney Peppernell and Tyler Knott Gregson, I honestly loved every story. Now I plan on looking into more of the other contributors’ work!
July 14, 2019
This is a Volume 2 follow-up of last year's experiment where a group of current poets each summit a poem based on our connectedness or disconnectedness, and another poet writes a short story based on a line or feeling from the poem. It worked then and it works now.
I enjoyed this read for several reasons:
- it again proves that those with a way with words always carry their skill with them and can use it for other forms of written expression.
- I enjoyed seeding how the connection between poem and short story was carried out,
- I enjoyed the good poetry and short stories found in this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.
I enjoyed this read for several reasons:
- it again proves that those with a way with words always carry their skill with them and can use it for other forms of written expression.
- I enjoyed seeding how the connection between poem and short story was carried out,
- I enjoyed the good poetry and short stories found in this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.
May 12, 2019
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!
Courtney Peppernell is one of my "favorite" poets, so when I saw her name on this book, i was intrigued immediately.
This is a collection of short stories and poetry... It's the second book in the series. I personally haven't read book one yet, but you can read this one without the first of course.
there are so many beautiful things in this book.. I read it quickly in one day. You sh ould too!
Thanks NetGalley!
Courtney Peppernell is one of my "favorite" poets, so when I saw her name on this book, i was intrigued immediately.
This is a collection of short stories and poetry... It's the second book in the series. I personally haven't read book one yet, but you can read this one without the first of course.
there are so many beautiful things in this book.. I read it quickly in one day. You sh ould too!
June 10, 2019
In this collection, 12 writers contributed poems, and then each one wrote a story using a line from a different writer’s poem. The result is very uneven. None of the works particularly stand out, and the stories’ incorporations of lines from the poems—which are bolded in the stories—are forced and awkward. I’d rather have read more work from each author without the gimmicky structure of the collection.
July 3, 2019
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a collection of poems and short stories that are all connected. As expected with all anthologies there were some short stories and poems that I loved and others were just okay. I am really glad that I read it as the short stories that I loved will definitely stay with me.
June 10, 2019
Great poetry, great book! Than you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 6, 2020
Not what I was expecting. I thought it was poems but it was more short stories. Each one had great lessons; some were heartbreaking. Loved each of the stories.
October 30, 2019
Potential Trigger Warnings: Alcohol abuse, death of a sibling, child abuse
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the digital ARC of this book! Also thank you to Central Avenue Publishing for granting my wish to read this collection. All my opinions are my own.
"[Dis]Connected" is a poetry and short story anthology that I found to be so creative. Some of the most popular poets of this year came together and inspired each other's work, by writing a poem for another writer to create a short story inspired by that poem, as well as writing a poem for another writer to create a short story based of of theirs... etc. This collection came with art illustrations throughout the collection as well.
I loved this collection so much! Like I mentioned before, I found the way this collection was brought together to be so creative and original. It was such a good way to explore new writers, as well as to find new material from authors I recognized and enjoyed, such as Caitlyn Siehl and Alicia Cook for me. This collection was cohesive and worked well together, but several stories stood out from one another, taking on loss, grief, strength, healing, and more, and I enjoyed them so much. Not all stories and poems stood out for me, but most of them did, and they were all very original, and I wished some of them were full-length novels when I finished reading. Something that I was really impressed with was that all of the authors managed to make me care about their characters immediately, which I loved. I wasn't sure if I would end up liking the entire book, just because there are so many authors, and I hadn't read previous work by most of them, but I was pleasantly surprised.
These stories, as well as the authors, were full of diversity, another part of this collection I loved! "Stay With Me" by Courtney Peppernell was about a young woman mourning her girlfriend, and maybe finding new love. "Wrapped in Distance" by Komal Kapoor was a story of a young woman's family getting ready for meeting her brother's potential new bride, and how she felt that she was probably not the Indian daughter her parents wanted. These were some of my favourite stories in this collection. I enjoyed reading about these character's lives, and learning a little bit about them.
I had so many favourites in this collection. "What The Wild Gave Me" by Wilder, "Halo" by Caitlyn Siehl, "The Fourth Saturday" by Alicia Cook, and "Get Up" by Raquel Franco, as well as the stories I mentioned before were the highlights of the collection for me. I typically found that the poetry did not really stick out for me, not because I didn't like them, but because they were typically only one or two pages long, sitting at intervals between the short stories, which were much longer in comparison.
Overall, I loved this incredibly diverse, original, emotional collection so much. Even though I found the poetry could get lost easily in the short stories, I enjoyed pretty much everything I read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the digital ARC of this book! Also thank you to Central Avenue Publishing for granting my wish to read this collection. All my opinions are my own.
"[Dis]Connected" is a poetry and short story anthology that I found to be so creative. Some of the most popular poets of this year came together and inspired each other's work, by writing a poem for another writer to create a short story inspired by that poem, as well as writing a poem for another writer to create a short story based of of theirs... etc. This collection came with art illustrations throughout the collection as well.
I loved this collection so much! Like I mentioned before, I found the way this collection was brought together to be so creative and original. It was such a good way to explore new writers, as well as to find new material from authors I recognized and enjoyed, such as Caitlyn Siehl and Alicia Cook for me. This collection was cohesive and worked well together, but several stories stood out from one another, taking on loss, grief, strength, healing, and more, and I enjoyed them so much. Not all stories and poems stood out for me, but most of them did, and they were all very original, and I wished some of them were full-length novels when I finished reading. Something that I was really impressed with was that all of the authors managed to make me care about their characters immediately, which I loved. I wasn't sure if I would end up liking the entire book, just because there are so many authors, and I hadn't read previous work by most of them, but I was pleasantly surprised.
These stories, as well as the authors, were full of diversity, another part of this collection I loved! "Stay With Me" by Courtney Peppernell was about a young woman mourning her girlfriend, and maybe finding new love. "Wrapped in Distance" by Komal Kapoor was a story of a young woman's family getting ready for meeting her brother's potential new bride, and how she felt that she was probably not the Indian daughter her parents wanted. These were some of my favourite stories in this collection. I enjoyed reading about these character's lives, and learning a little bit about them.
I had so many favourites in this collection. "What The Wild Gave Me" by Wilder, "Halo" by Caitlyn Siehl, "The Fourth Saturday" by Alicia Cook, and "Get Up" by Raquel Franco, as well as the stories I mentioned before were the highlights of the collection for me. I typically found that the poetry did not really stick out for me, not because I didn't like them, but because they were typically only one or two pages long, sitting at intervals between the short stories, which were much longer in comparison.
Overall, I loved this incredibly diverse, original, emotional collection so much. Even though I found the poetry could get lost easily in the short stories, I enjoyed pretty much everything I read.
March 26, 2020
Poets submit 3 poems. Poems are drawn and a different author writes a short story that incorporates a line or part of the poem.
The Fiber Between Things by Tyler Knot Gregson & Strangers Tomorrow by NL Shompole. - main concept is that fiber so gossamer connect us all. A witch like girl absorbs the memories of people who come to a memory removal company. The clients go willingly and want to forget lost love or sadness in their lives. She is left with the haunting memories though.
Notes on How to Take Flight by NL Shompole & What the Wild Gave Me by Wilder- a broken heart leads River to rejuvenate herself in San Juan Island. When her ex fiancée begs her to return he sees a psychic who recites What the Wild Gave Me poem and helps her make peace with her decision and break up.
The Thing About Time by Wilder & The Fourth Saturday by Alicia Cook
The main idea is about growing up and loss. The short story describes losing a twin sister to drugs.
I’m (Not) Fine by Alicia Cook. Make Choices a Bit Crooked by Noah Milligan - A poem about pretending you are ok when you are really broken - a mosaic woman. The story of an orphan girl traveling with her grandfather turns into a single mom losing all her money. Depressing mood and loss of hope.
Ghost Stories by Noah Milligan & Ghosted by KY Robinson -Poem could be interpreted a few ways- family. (Memories are fluid) A romance for high school and up about a girl getting ghosted by someone she loved. Story comes full circle and teaches a life lesson that sometimes lost love is a good thing.
Skin Hunger by KY Robinson & Halo by Caitlyn Siehl
A one sided romance with the daughter of weather controlling parents is depicted in this story about the rain never touching her b/c of the rain Halo. Lost love
Every Room by Caitlyn Siehl & Get Up by Raquel Franco
A strong gorgeous mother teaches her daughter to not cry, make a man work for you and be tough. On her death bed from alcohol the daughter missed her mom and thinks she’s never been taught how to live without her. (Time lapse ages 8-24)
Less is not Always More by Raquel Franco & Stay With Me by Courtney Peppernell
Finding a way to get over the death of a girlfriend at her uncles ranch, love and hope bloom again.
A Thousand Miles Away by Courtney Peppernell & Wrapped I’m Distance by Kona’s Kapoor
An Indian girl has to play her role and pleased her family while living in American culture. The facade she and her brothers possible bride put on are to please their parents, but not true.
Someone I May Still Love by Kona’s Kapoor & Beyond the Tree Line by Tyler Knott Gregson
A mother’s letter to her son who went missing. She has faith he chose to leave and was not taken or broken.
I really liked the concept of this book. Great idea to partner write/read. The content is for high school or adult readers.
The Fiber Between Things by Tyler Knot Gregson & Strangers Tomorrow by NL Shompole. - main concept is that fiber so gossamer connect us all. A witch like girl absorbs the memories of people who come to a memory removal company. The clients go willingly and want to forget lost love or sadness in their lives. She is left with the haunting memories though.
Notes on How to Take Flight by NL Shompole & What the Wild Gave Me by Wilder- a broken heart leads River to rejuvenate herself in San Juan Island. When her ex fiancée begs her to return he sees a psychic who recites What the Wild Gave Me poem and helps her make peace with her decision and break up.
The Thing About Time by Wilder & The Fourth Saturday by Alicia Cook
The main idea is about growing up and loss. The short story describes losing a twin sister to drugs.
I’m (Not) Fine by Alicia Cook. Make Choices a Bit Crooked by Noah Milligan - A poem about pretending you are ok when you are really broken - a mosaic woman. The story of an orphan girl traveling with her grandfather turns into a single mom losing all her money. Depressing mood and loss of hope.
Ghost Stories by Noah Milligan & Ghosted by KY Robinson -Poem could be interpreted a few ways- family. (Memories are fluid) A romance for high school and up about a girl getting ghosted by someone she loved. Story comes full circle and teaches a life lesson that sometimes lost love is a good thing.
Skin Hunger by KY Robinson & Halo by Caitlyn Siehl
A one sided romance with the daughter of weather controlling parents is depicted in this story about the rain never touching her b/c of the rain Halo. Lost love
Every Room by Caitlyn Siehl & Get Up by Raquel Franco
A strong gorgeous mother teaches her daughter to not cry, make a man work for you and be tough. On her death bed from alcohol the daughter missed her mom and thinks she’s never been taught how to live without her. (Time lapse ages 8-24)
Less is not Always More by Raquel Franco & Stay With Me by Courtney Peppernell
Finding a way to get over the death of a girlfriend at her uncles ranch, love and hope bloom again.
A Thousand Miles Away by Courtney Peppernell & Wrapped I’m Distance by Kona’s Kapoor
An Indian girl has to play her role and pleased her family while living in American culture. The facade she and her brothers possible bride put on are to please their parents, but not true.
Someone I May Still Love by Kona’s Kapoor & Beyond the Tree Line by Tyler Knott Gregson
A mother’s letter to her son who went missing. She has faith he chose to leave and was not taken or broken.
I really liked the concept of this book. Great idea to partner write/read. The content is for high school or adult readers.
Read
October 8, 2020[Dis]Connected is an experiment in writing. Have a poet write a poem then have another poet read it and write a short fiction inspired in some way by that poem. That inspiration can be on a theme or even a single line of the poem. Then that poet starts another cycle for someone else. In the second Volume of [Dis]Connected Michelle Halket chooses ten young poets for the project. The "dis" and the "connected" come into play as poets base their prose on a poem. There can be a strong connection to the poem's theme or a disconnection by going in another direction. Themes of love, loss, and dating run strong through the collection. Tyler Knott Gregson establishes the trend with the opening lines of the first poem:
Sometimes I can see the fibers between things,
The threads that connect us,
Tie us all together. I can see the light
As it passes over them, as it moves,
The fibers link the verse and prose throughout. The prose is excellent and Wilder's "What The Wild Game Me" is superb and inspired by N. L. Shompole's prose poem "Notes on How to Take Flight." There is a wide range of emotions flowing through both the poems and the prose. The emotions run deep in the collection from overwhelming loss in Alicia Cook's "The Fourth Saturday" to being found in "Stay With Me" by Courtney Peppernell. Another excellent collection showing the magic poets can create.
Sometimes I can see the fibers between things,
The threads that connect us,
Tie us all together. I can see the light
As it passes over them, as it moves,
The fibers link the verse and prose throughout. The prose is excellent and Wilder's "What The Wild Game Me" is superb and inspired by N. L. Shompole's prose poem "Notes on How to Take Flight." There is a wide range of emotions flowing through both the poems and the prose. The emotions run deep in the collection from overwhelming loss in Alicia Cook's "The Fourth Saturday" to being found in "Stay With Me" by Courtney Peppernell. Another excellent collection showing the magic poets can create.
March 10, 2024
I'm gonna honestly say, the magic that felt like it was in the first installment of this creative collaboration really felt absent to me in this one.
The title of the book shows that it's meant to be about connections and otherwise. It's a good premise, and broad which is good when you set about a task of publishing a collection of poetry and the short stories other authors have been inspired to write based on those.
This anthology does show stories of connection, whether it's a professional relationship, one between a daughter and a mother, multiple stories of lovers in various stages, sisters, and death and its aftermath.
The problem for me was that, unlike in the first collection, I didn't really feel as though these short stories had any specific link to the poems that immediately preceded them. Oh, a line was used here or there that was the same or similar, but the themes that seemed present in the poems often just didn't seem to translate across into the prose.
This was especially disappointing when it came to the spectacular and stand out poem by Alicia Cook.
The title of the book shows that it's meant to be about connections and otherwise. It's a good premise, and broad which is good when you set about a task of publishing a collection of poetry and the short stories other authors have been inspired to write based on those.
This anthology does show stories of connection, whether it's a professional relationship, one between a daughter and a mother, multiple stories of lovers in various stages, sisters, and death and its aftermath.
The problem for me was that, unlike in the first collection, I didn't really feel as though these short stories had any specific link to the poems that immediately preceded them. Oh, a line was used here or there that was the same or similar, but the themes that seemed present in the poems often just didn't seem to translate across into the prose.
This was especially disappointing when it came to the spectacular and stand out poem by Alicia Cook.
October 23, 2019
Dis]Connected
Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise Volume 2
by Courtney Peppernell; Tyler Knott Gregson; Noah Milligan; Caitlyn Siehl; Raquel Franco; Wilder; Alicia Cook; Komal Kapoor; KY Robinson; NL Shompole
Central Avenue Publishing
General Fiction (Adult) , Poetry
Pub Date 01 Oct 2019
I am reviewing a copy of (Dis)Connected: Poems and Stories of Connection and Otherwise Volume Two:
In this highly anticipated second volume of poetry and short stories combines some of the most popular poets of 2019. (Dis) Connected is a collection of poetry and short stories dealing with connections wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other, offering their poetry to the next person who then tells a story based on the concept presented to them.
I found the poems and Short Stories in this collection to be a unique and well written and therefore worthy of five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise Volume 2
by Courtney Peppernell; Tyler Knott Gregson; Noah Milligan; Caitlyn Siehl; Raquel Franco; Wilder; Alicia Cook; Komal Kapoor; KY Robinson; NL Shompole
Central Avenue Publishing
General Fiction (Adult) , Poetry
Pub Date 01 Oct 2019
I am reviewing a copy of (Dis)Connected: Poems and Stories of Connection and Otherwise Volume Two:
In this highly anticipated second volume of poetry and short stories combines some of the most popular poets of 2019. (Dis) Connected is a collection of poetry and short stories dealing with connections wrapped up in a most unique exercise in creative writing. Follow along as your favorite poets connect with each other, offering their poetry to the next person who then tells a story based on the concept presented to them.
I found the poems and Short Stories in this collection to be a unique and well written and therefore worthy of five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
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