Fragments of the Past: Post-Traumatic Poetry is an exploration of the human psyche following trauma. It is a pandemic time capsule of processing fragile memories, wrapped up with a pretty bow in poetic structure. _____________________ ★★★★★ "I wasn't expecting the emotion that overtook me upon reading only the first few pages. This is a book that simply must exist." ★★★★★ "Samantha effortlessly describes the indescribable. I've never had a way of explaining certain feelings and now I do. Thank you so much for this work of art."

This is a visual description of the dark corners of my mind and soul. Everything written was only written once, I always kept writing, even if I messed up, these are all original pieces from my thoughts. I never planned or plotted any of these poems, I just wrote. This is a visual description of my past battles with PTSD, my recklessness & my love for violence. This is a visual description of me being buried alive, learning from loss, and the battles that take place within me every day. The loss of my father, fair weathered friends, PTSD, Hypervigilance syndrome, depression, anxiety, Agoraphobia, panic, Anger, insomnia, guilt, mistrust, nightmares, detachment and so on and so forth. Towards the end, I climb out of my hole, you can too! YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

A searing interrogation of identity, masculinity, and contemporary culture, Post Traumatic Hood Disorder's references range from Icarus to Sir Mix-A-Lot as the speaker assembles a bricolage self-portrait from the fractures of his past. Sliding between scholarly diction and slangy vernacular, Martinez's poems showcase a versatility of language and a wild-hearted poetic energy that is thoughtful, vulnerable, and distinctly American.

"From Trauma to Poem" is a compilation of poems written during a time of healing from childhood and adult abusive situations, as well as background information to give the reader a better understanding from whence the poems were written. I survived physical, mental, emotional, sexual (including being sex trafficked), spiritual and cult abuse as a child, and mental, emotional, sexual, spiritual and cult abuse as an adult. God saw to it that I survived and when it was right for me to do so, to write about the affects the trauma had on my life. It is my hope that this book helps other survivors as they read and hopefully journey their own path into healing. Some of these poems are of deep and dreadful times in my healing journey and others show the spiritual awakening that was going on within my soul. While others are glimpses into my inner being, seeing for myself what I had endured. Still others are reflections as a result the trauma had on my consciousness. This journey began with a questioning of my spiritual beliefs and trying to find myself at the age of forty-nine. In the midst of this spiritual query my life was turned upside down as my friend, Ida, aided in my seeing the abuse that was happening at that time in my life. While trying to understand and heal from that, I began having nightmares about that situation, but also about things I could not understand. Had my husband, Jim not been so supportive and understanding I don't think I would have made it through learning about them and consequences the traumas had on me as my life spun seemingly out of control. These poems are expressions of the anguish and freedoms I faced as I walked out the lies I had lived, as well as the truths I was having to face. I still struggle with my relationship with God, the truths of my past and things that trigger me now, taking me back to the traumas of yesteryear. There are several poems that could have gone into categories other than where I placed them, however I felt from the context of the poem that it was best suited where I put them. My hope is that as a reader, if you ever experienced violence as a child or adult, that my poems will help you to first, see you are not alone; and second that your experiences were/are real. Many are taught to deny the abuse or pretend that all is well in order to make the abuser look like a good person, or to protect the victim from further violence. I know that was the case for me and offer to you my expressions of sympathy, with insight as to your circumstances. Your story is your own, as is mine. Regardless of spiritual beliefs or convictions, my prayer is that God works to heal you as He has for me.

For decades, poetry therapy has been formally recognized as a valuable form of treatment, and it has been proven effective worldwide with a diverse group of clients. The second edition of Poetry Therapy, written by a pioneer and leader in the field, updates the only integrated poetry therapy practice model with a host of contemporary issues, including the use of social media and slam/performance poetry. It’s a truly invaluable resource for any serious practitioner, educator, or researcher interested in poetry therapy, bibliotherapy, writing, and healing, or the broader area of creative/expressive arts therapies.

As a concept, 'trauma' has attracted a great deal of interest in literary studies. A key term in psychoanalytic approaches to literary study, trauma theory represents a critical approach that enables new modes of reading and of listening. It is a leading concept of our time, applicable to individuals, cultures, and nations. This book traces how trauma theory has come to constitute a discrete but influential approach within literary criticism in recent decades. It offers an overview of the genesis and growth of literary trauma theory, recording the evolution of the concept of trauma in relation to literary studies. In twenty-one essays, covering the origins, development, and applications of trauma in literary studies, Trauma and Literature addresses the relevance and impact this concept has in the field.

"I write hungry sentences," Natalie Diaz once explained in an interview, "because they want more and more lyricism and imagery to satisfy them." This debut collection is a fast-paced tour of Mojave life and family narrative: A sister fights for or against a brother on meth, and everyone from Antigone, Houdini, Huitzilopochtli, and Jesus is invoked and invited to hash it out. These darkly humorous poems illuminate far corners of the heart, revealing teeth, tails, and more than a few dreams. I watched a lion eat a man like a piece of fruit, peel tendons from fascia like pith from rind, then lick the sweet meat from its hard core of bones. The man had earned this feast and his own deliciousness by ringing a stick against the lion's cage, calling out Here, Kitty Kitty, Meow! With one swipe of a paw much like a catcher's mitt with fangs, the lion pulled the man into the cage, rattling his skeleton against the metal bars. The lion didn't want to do it— He didn't want to eat the man like a piece of fruit and he told the crowd this: I only wanted some goddamn sleep . . . Natalie Diaz was born and raised on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation in Needles, California. After playing professional basketball for four years in Europe and Asia, Diaz returned to the states to complete her MFA at Old Dominion University. She lives in Surprise, Arizona, and is working to preserve the Mojave language.