Previously, I've written about working with poetry for grief, healing and growth. The poetry collections of Kevin Young can help you to delve deeper into your own healing process and can be an important part of your collection. He is an established and published poet, who finds inspiration from seeming unlikely sources such as jazz and blues. He's written and edited several collections, and was a finalist for the National Book Aware for his collection "Jelly Roll" . His collection "Dear Darkness" was named one of the Best Books of 2008 by NPR's All Things Considered
NPR explains how Kevin sought out a collection of poems that might help him to handle the death of his own father. Unfortunately, he was unable to find a suitable collection, but this inspired him to write his own.
His yearning for a collection of poetry that actually dealt with grief and regret is where the "Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing" was born. The "Art of Losing" contains sections of poetry on various topics, including recovery, regret, remembrance and ritual. It also spans an ecclectic group of poets from contemporary to historical.
"I listen to the blues to feel better, not worse—it transforms us as listeners, takes our troubles away not by pretending they don't exist (like much other early pop music) but by naming them." ~ Kevin Young, interview with Bold Type
Resources:
Kevin reading poems from Jelly Roll
Kevin reading poems from The Art of Losing

