books by RAW
Out Now!
33 FALLS: a memoir of poems
A memoir of poems that journey through the head, heart, and body of an embodied femme on a quest to accept the whole of her truths.
At thirty-three, poet and performer Rachel Aston Warren (RAW) turns a courageous eye on the literal and figurative falls that have shaped her life. In this intimate collection, she paints a vivid landscape of self-introspection, taking us on a voyage across the waters of her curious psyche. With her, we navigate the terrain of fallen dreams, falling from grace, and falling in love.
Fans of narrative, confessional, and queer poetry will find a voice here that is at once vulnerable and defiant, equal parts pain and pleasure, grit and grace.
For anyone who has lost their footing and gotten back up to breathe compassion into their own life, this book offers witness, understanding, and an invitation to explore what it is to fall and rise again.
Trigger warning: this collection contains mention of violence, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation.
Hear Yourself
Hear Yourself, the fourth collection of poetry out of Rachel Aston Warren, is a vulnerable journal of the author’s relationship with manic-depression. When depression took over in 2016 and 2017, she turned to the form of processing she knows best: poetry. The poems in Hear Yourself include riddles of self-study, classic haikus, and saddening alibis, all of which take us through the ups and downs of healing. Attempting to distinguish the difference between triggers and symptoms, and pondering if love is being healthily expressed are a few of the ways this poetry collection will challenge its readers, along with asking the most important question of all:
Do you hear yourself?
Humans: A Study
Humans: A Study is a psychological study on humans, depicted through poetry and prose, the third collection published by RAW. It is a linguistic photograph of human life on Earth, middle America; of connections had, or almost had. The study intends to start a conversation on universal experiences, welcoming inquiry, doubt, and compassionate support. Though it does not answer every question it asks, it tackles very real topics like mental health, friendship, possession, and inevitably, death. Humans: A Study proves not why we exist, but only, certainly, that we exist.
RAW: Poetry and Prose for the Queer, Sentient Being
RAW (Poetry and Prose for the Queer, Sentient Being) is the second collection of poetry from Rachel Aston Warren. It is a story of coming out: in sexuality and spirituality. A declaration, an assent, a womanifesto in every stage, RAW questions the current world while giving reminder to rejoice. It is bare and validating, yet playfully sexy.
The Cessation Of Love
The Cessation Of Love is the first published collection of poems from RAW. TCOL is, quite simply, poetry on love. It chronicles the different types of relationships had throughout the author's young adulthood, and how the definition of love changes. Contrary to what the title would suggest, The Cessation Of Love doesn't ever let love extinguish altogether; rather, portrays the ways in which love gets said, spent, and transformed.