an intro

I have this tendency of getting lost in books. the moment I fold open the cover, I am entirely absorbed in the world created by the author. even as a kid, I could curl up in a chair with a book, in a room full of people, and just dive in, disappearing from the world around me.

so, it’s really no surprise that I ended up writing. it quickly became an important practice of expression that was separate from my artwork — though, for most of my childhood & schooling, reading and writing and art were just things I was good at, basically what I did in my spare time, not what I was going to do with my life.

but then, somewhere along the way, mostly due to a combination of support from my parents and family, grade school teachers, college professors, and friends, something clicked, & I declared my major in english with a concentration in creative writing. ever since then, I have ensured that writing has a place of priority in my routine, and before I knew it, I had a full on book of poems living on my laptop.

I wasn’t always into poetry, though — it wasn’t until college that I developed an affinity for it. originally, I figured that I’d stick with novels and short stories, and though I still love those avenues, poetry unexpectedly captured my heart. I was (and still am) drawn to the idea of knowing all the rules, & then breaking them, & of organizing language in a way that makes you think twice as you read it. so when it came time to choose a final seminar, I signed up for both fiction and poetry, because how could I possibly choose between the two? in the end, I ended up with a novella and a chapbook, and that is essentially the brackish birth story. in the four years following undergrad, I continued adding poems, recording my experiences in deconstructed stanzas. I didn’t expect much when I started sending the manuscript out, but, here was this thing I had finished, and it would be a waste not to, right?

the day I got the acceptance email from finishing line press, I quite literally freaked out. I opened the email fully expecting another easy rejection, and had to read it at least three times before I believed what my eyes were processing. from there, I ferociously began googling how on earth you market a book of poetry, and the most recommended avenue was starting a blog - so, here we are.

with all that said - hey! I’m nicole, the author of brackish, my first book of poetry, forthcoming from finishing line press in 2022. I live for sunrises and sunsets over the ocean, nights spent sleeping under the stars, days spent in my studio or exploring & generally being active, and watching law & order SVU. my work is heavily inspired by nature, as well as my personal experiences & relationships. for me, poetry functions as a venue for expression and as a lens for how I process everyday life. my intention for this space is to share more about myself as a writer, to give a behind the scenes perspective of my work, and ultimately to connect with fellow writers, poets, and readers! I plan to share book hauls and what I’ve been reading, poetry and quick-write prompts, and use this as an avenue for sharing and talking about my work.

if any or all of that sounds like something you’re into, I’d love it if you would sign up for my newsletter, which I’ll essentially just be using for updates on new posts, book-related events, and publication information. I promise not to send you an atrocious amount of emails.

that’s pretty much all I’ve got for now, but if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you have a great week!

catch ya later,
nicole