Atlanta-based poet B. Sonenreich is releasing her debut poetry collection on Jan. 23.
“You’re Only Crazy If You Answer” investigates themes of love, grief, and sobriety, according to a press release. In an emailed statement, Sonenreich said she originally started the book in order to process her own grief and addiction.
“However, with its pending release date, I have been stressed out about what my family, my employer, or my coworkers might think if they get their hands on a copy,” Sonenreich said. “What’s helped the most is this idea that it might actually benefit others to read through what it takes to soberly face their demons; that there is, in fact, poetry within pain and growth in failure.”
The collection has already received praise nationally.
“’You’re Only Crazy if You Answer’ is a hauntingly visceral and raw collection of poems that encapsulate the human experience of longing of grief of sobriety,” said Crystal Villarreal, assistant op-ed editor of the Los Angeles Times, in the press release. “Sonenreich was able to capture a certain quiet and nuanced vulnerability in so few words but that say so much about how we experience the world and our relationships. The poems moved from the pages of this book and stayed with me long after reading.”
“You’re Only Crazy If You Answer” is available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.