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Exits
Winner of 31 literary awards, including the 2024 North Street Book Prize, Exits is a poetry collection readers call “breathtaking” and “brilliant.”
Exits by Stephen C. Pollock
What if every ending held the seed of a beginning?
We live our lives counting moments, those we hope will last forever, and those we fear. In Exits, award-winning poet Stephen C. Pollock transforms these moments into sublime and sensuous music. With language both intimate and powerful, he explores the beauty and fragility of life, the cycles of nature, and the mysteries of renewal that arise from even the darkest places.
Each poem is paired with evocative artwork, creating an immersive reading experience that lingers long after the final page. From myth to mourning, from dreams to decline, and from flora and fauna to the warming of our world, Exits reminds us that beauty is never far from loss, and that every departure leaves a door ajar.
Winner of the 2024 North Street Book Prize for Poetry and 30 other literary honors, Exits is a masterful collection for those who believe that poems should move you, stay with you, and change the way you look at life.
Step into these pages. Lose yourself in poetry that’s both technically exquisite and emotionally arresting. And discover why every exit is, in its own way, an entrance.
Exits by Stephen C. Pollock
What if every ending held the seed of a beginning?
We live our lives counting moments, those we hope will last forever, and those we fear. In Exits, award-winning poet Stephen C. Pollock transforms these moments into sublime and sensuous music. With language both intimate and powerful, he explores the beauty and fragility of life, the cycles of nature, and the mysteries of renewal that arise from even the darkest places.
Each poem is paired with evocative artwork, creating an immersive reading experience that lingers long after the final page. From myth to mourning, from dreams to decline, and from flora and fauna to the warming of our world, Exits reminds us that beauty is never far from loss, and that every departure leaves a door ajar.
Winner of the 2024 North Street Book Prize for Poetry and 30 other literary honors, Exits is a masterful collection for those who believe that poems should move you, stay with you, and change the way you look at life.
Step into these pages. Lose yourself in poetry that’s both technically exquisite and emotionally arresting. And discover why every exit is, in its own way, an entrance.
- GenresPoetryNonfiction
64 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2023
5 people are currently reading
4087 people want to read
About the author
Stephen C. Pollock
1 book11 followersStephen C. Pollock is a poet and a former associate professor at Duke University. His poems have appeared in a wide variety of literary journals, including “Blue Unicorn," "The Road Not Taken," and "Live Canon Anthology." His poetry collection "Exits" has been honored with an unprecedented 31 book awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
June 22, 2023
"I saw then that balloons are not at all round
but are shaped like tears,
that a dream is not so much
that scrap of rubber on the ground
as the breath that once filed it."
- Stephen C. Pollock (Exits)
A collection of asymmetrical poetries covering different aspects of life and death. The book conveys its thoughts on topics that usually people give little thought to. My favourite stanza is mentioned above. But I had 2 rhyming poetries that really touched me:
1. Seed
2. Ash
The book also had photographs/paintings created by different people, whose much-deserved mentions are listed in the back. The glossy paper and the signed sticker made it all the more valuable to be displayed on my shelf. 🤩
but are shaped like tears,
that a dream is not so much
that scrap of rubber on the ground
as the breath that once filed it."
- Stephen C. Pollock (Exits)
A collection of asymmetrical poetries covering different aspects of life and death. The book conveys its thoughts on topics that usually people give little thought to. My favourite stanza is mentioned above. But I had 2 rhyming poetries that really touched me:
1. Seed
2. Ash
The book also had photographs/paintings created by different people, whose much-deserved mentions are listed in the back. The glossy paper and the signed sticker made it all the more valuable to be displayed on my shelf. 🤩
April 21, 2023
It‘s beautifully written, but for me personally it was difficult to understand what every poem meant.
I don‘t read much poetry but hoping to get more into it.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc
I don‘t read much poetry but hoping to get more into it.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc
August 8, 2023
This collection reminds me so much of traditional poetry, and yet there is a modern sensibility as well. The first poem I was really struck by was "Leaves," a tribute to a woman who has passed away. In this five stanza poem, we learn everything about this woman and her life. It's stunning to be able to depict a life so beautifully. I loved (and grinned while reading) "Tube." I am one of those people who rolls the tube and attempts to get every bit of toothpaste out. I can just imagine my toothpaste tube is the one in this poem.
By far, my absolute favorite in this collection was "War Crimes." This stanza sums up so much in 10 lines...
I could not have known that day
of bodies burned, of lives lost,
or mused how cruelty and war
were seared in our DNA,
could not have seen what came before--
the camps, the gas, the Holocaust,
Tutsi corpses stacked in piles,
lynchings, like carnivals, greeted with grins,
the killing fields, the Salem trials,
a village bombed, a child's limb.
Sadly, but basically our world in a nutshell. I wish the beauty of words could change the world.
This gorgeous collection which, in the poet's words, "relates to one or more aspects of mortality..." is a must-read for any lover of poetry.
By far, my absolute favorite in this collection was "War Crimes." This stanza sums up so much in 10 lines...
I could not have known that day
of bodies burned, of lives lost,
or mused how cruelty and war
were seared in our DNA,
could not have seen what came before--
the camps, the gas, the Holocaust,
Tutsi corpses stacked in piles,
lynchings, like carnivals, greeted with grins,
the killing fields, the Salem trials,
a village bombed, a child's limb.
Sadly, but basically our world in a nutshell. I wish the beauty of words could change the world.
This gorgeous collection which, in the poet's words, "relates to one or more aspects of mortality..." is a must-read for any lover of poetry.
April 26, 2023
Exits by Stephen Pollock is a beautiful and elegant collection of poetry. While utilizing themes of life, illness, nature, and mythology, Pollock creates poems with interesting forms and a variety of literary devices. They beg to be read aloud, as there is a lyrical quality to most of the poems.
Pollock's poetry feels classical, but touches our modern lives. He can (and does) make a tube of toothpaste interesting and worthy of thought.
My only complaint are the illustrations - they don't have a cohesive look, so some of the feel a bit like google search results. They distract from the poems, which do not need visual accompaniments.
My favorite poems were the "Spine of Dorian Gray" and "Dung Beetles."
Pollock's poetry feels classical, but touches our modern lives. He can (and does) make a tube of toothpaste interesting and worthy of thought.
My only complaint are the illustrations - they don't have a cohesive look, so some of the feel a bit like google search results. They distract from the poems, which do not need visual accompaniments.
My favorite poems were the "Spine of Dorian Gray" and "Dung Beetles."
January 7, 2024
The 20 poems are:
- Arachnidæa: Line Drawings
- Seeds
- Leaves
- Syringe
- Locomotion
- Narcissus
- Nasal Biopsy
- Tube
- Metamorphosis
- (eclipse)
- Zombie Fires
- War Crimes
- Ash
- Spine of Dorian Gray
- Steve's Balloons
- Dung Beetles
- Waning Crescent
- Oak
- Cyclone Batsirai
- Flower Myth
The poems are simple and soft, despite the themes of mortality and death. These are told from nature's and human's points of view.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.
- Arachnidæa: Line Drawings
- Seeds
- Leaves
- Syringe
- Locomotion
- Narcissus
- Nasal Biopsy
- Tube
- Metamorphosis
- (eclipse)
- Zombie Fires
- War Crimes
- Ash
- Spine of Dorian Gray
- Steve's Balloons
- Dung Beetles
- Waning Crescent
- Oak
- Cyclone Batsirai
- Flower Myth
The poems are simple and soft, despite the themes of mortality and death. These are told from nature's and human's points of view.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.
April 11, 2023
"...that a dream is not so much
that scrap of rubber on the ground
as the breath that once filled it."
I wish I understood more of what these poems meant. I feel like his type of poetry is too advanced for me at this time, but he writes beautifully.
**Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for a review!**
that scrap of rubber on the ground
as the breath that once filled it."
I wish I understood more of what these poems meant. I feel like his type of poetry is too advanced for me at this time, but he writes beautifully.
**Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for a review!**
September 20, 2025
Stephen C. Pollock’s collection Exits: Selected Poems boasts both mesmerizing artwork and stunning formal and free verse pieces in conversation with one another. Two standouts in the collection were the very first piece, “Arachnidaea: Line Drawings,” and, further into the collection, a poem about the moon titled “Waxing Crescent.”
I love that a poem about spiders is what anchors this collection. I understand that not everyone likes poetic elements such as alliteration, “[t]hese haunts are hung haphazardly” make this poem lyrical and spiral in towards a deeper understanding of the spider we’re observing spin a web, devour other insects, and ultimately fade out to black as the spider’s life must finally end.
While spiders are not technically insects themselves, they do practice what Pollock calls “insecticide,” catching flies, beetles, moths, etc., leading us to ask what metaphors for violence look like in both the animal kingdom as well as our own. Pollock’s lens captures something regal in the spider, likening her web to “[e]xtravagance at dawn— / your finest threads are strung with pearls/ and you, a brooch with a clasp,” which conjures up visions of sartorial excellence such as fine taffetas, satins, or bejeweled brocades.
This poem is dark because nature is dark at times, but it makes a point to also include lively moments with the exuberance of color/motion with lines like “flash and snap in the sun” and indulgent yet perfectly capturing language, “votive offerings, each sucked dry; / paper mâché sarcophagi,/ cruel chrysalis for moth or butterfly.” The fifth section’s extended metaphor of the spider working as concert conductor is fantastic, with strong imagery and sound that crescendos and decrescendos masterfully.
In general, Pollock’s work tends toward the observational, particularly in his nature-based writing. Looking through the table of contents as a preview of what literary delights await, one sees titles such as “Seeds,” “Leaves,” “Narcissus,” “Metamorphosis,” and “Spine of Dorian Gray.” One can clearly see Pollock’s deep well of Greek mythology and canon literature, and these poems sport great diction, melody, and, in the case of form-based poems, excellent rhyme schemes that offer great surprise as well as satisfaction.
I greatly appreciate the variety of subjects that Pollock works with, because he truly does have something for every poetry lover in this book. His selections of included artwork help to set the mood and really lets you enter into each piece. Exits is a great piece of modern poetry!
I love that a poem about spiders is what anchors this collection. I understand that not everyone likes poetic elements such as alliteration, “[t]hese haunts are hung haphazardly” make this poem lyrical and spiral in towards a deeper understanding of the spider we’re observing spin a web, devour other insects, and ultimately fade out to black as the spider’s life must finally end.
While spiders are not technically insects themselves, they do practice what Pollock calls “insecticide,” catching flies, beetles, moths, etc., leading us to ask what metaphors for violence look like in both the animal kingdom as well as our own. Pollock’s lens captures something regal in the spider, likening her web to “[e]xtravagance at dawn— / your finest threads are strung with pearls/ and you, a brooch with a clasp,” which conjures up visions of sartorial excellence such as fine taffetas, satins, or bejeweled brocades.
This poem is dark because nature is dark at times, but it makes a point to also include lively moments with the exuberance of color/motion with lines like “flash and snap in the sun” and indulgent yet perfectly capturing language, “votive offerings, each sucked dry; / paper mâché sarcophagi,/ cruel chrysalis for moth or butterfly.” The fifth section’s extended metaphor of the spider working as concert conductor is fantastic, with strong imagery and sound that crescendos and decrescendos masterfully.
In general, Pollock’s work tends toward the observational, particularly in his nature-based writing. Looking through the table of contents as a preview of what literary delights await, one sees titles such as “Seeds,” “Leaves,” “Narcissus,” “Metamorphosis,” and “Spine of Dorian Gray.” One can clearly see Pollock’s deep well of Greek mythology and canon literature, and these poems sport great diction, melody, and, in the case of form-based poems, excellent rhyme schemes that offer great surprise as well as satisfaction.
I greatly appreciate the variety of subjects that Pollock works with, because he truly does have something for every poetry lover in this book. His selections of included artwork help to set the mood and really lets you enter into each piece. Exits is a great piece of modern poetry!
June 5, 2023
Exits by Stephen C. Pollock is a chapbook of nineteen poems which seeks to explore the state of the world, blighted by war, famine and disease, through experiments in poetic form. From traditional to hybrid works, with nature at the centre, Pollock invites the reader to reflect upon the minutiae as well as the transformative change occurring around us daily. Alongside each poem is also a piece of artwork, chosen by the poet, to accompany the written word.
Pollock’s poetry is brilliant – consistently employing succinct, sublime and evocative imagery to remind us of how often we can find ourselves in nature, and thus how we must seek to protect it, from the spider’s web, to the seeds scattered by a Goldfinch. The exploration of form is thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring as each choice, whether it be the use of a sonnet or shape, reflects Pollock’s subject matter, creating an immersive experience for the reader. The artworks, however, add little to Pollock’s genius, as the imagery is already so rich, these images felt redundant – page filler rather than anything which moves the reader beyond the written word.
Poems in Exits which expound the talent of Pollock are pieces like ‘War Crimes’, for how it spins childhood innocence into an indictment of the world we grow within, ‘Syringe’, as a masterful example of Pollock’s talent through the use of etymology and form, and ‘Arachnidea: Line Drawings’, a wonderfully evocative opening poem reflecting upon a myriad of spider webs.
This chapbook is for new and weathered poets as it prompts a studying and exploration of craft through its hybrid and succinct nature. Exits will also appeal to readers who enjoy poets who use the natural world as their stage for political, ecological and environmental comment. Many of Pollock’s pieces were reminiscent of Irish poets like Eavan Boland and Seamus Heaney, for this reason. Pollock’s work will undoubtedly prompt readers to reconsider their surroundings, how they live within them, and what the future holds as a result.
Pollock’s poetry is brilliant – consistently employing succinct, sublime and evocative imagery to remind us of how often we can find ourselves in nature, and thus how we must seek to protect it, from the spider’s web, to the seeds scattered by a Goldfinch. The exploration of form is thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring as each choice, whether it be the use of a sonnet or shape, reflects Pollock’s subject matter, creating an immersive experience for the reader. The artworks, however, add little to Pollock’s genius, as the imagery is already so rich, these images felt redundant – page filler rather than anything which moves the reader beyond the written word.
Poems in Exits which expound the talent of Pollock are pieces like ‘War Crimes’, for how it spins childhood innocence into an indictment of the world we grow within, ‘Syringe’, as a masterful example of Pollock’s talent through the use of etymology and form, and ‘Arachnidea: Line Drawings’, a wonderfully evocative opening poem reflecting upon a myriad of spider webs.
This chapbook is for new and weathered poets as it prompts a studying and exploration of craft through its hybrid and succinct nature. Exits will also appeal to readers who enjoy poets who use the natural world as their stage for political, ecological and environmental comment. Many of Pollock’s pieces were reminiscent of Irish poets like Eavan Boland and Seamus Heaney, for this reason. Pollock’s work will undoubtedly prompt readers to reconsider their surroundings, how they live within them, and what the future holds as a result.
September 3, 2025
Exits is a collection of poems that moves in and out of nature, memory, and mortality with a sharp eye and an unflinching voice. Pollock balances images of birds, leaves, storms, and insects with meditations on illness, grief, and human cruelty. Each poem feels like an opening and a closing at once, a gesture toward beauty that never ignores the shadows pressing in around it. The artwork paired with the text deepens the mood, giving the reader both a visual and lyrical way to linger with themes of death, decay, and renewal.
I found myself pulled into the tension between delicacy and brutality. The spider spinning its web, the butterfly pinned by a child’s cruel hand, the leaves clinging through winter, these images stayed with me. Pollock’s language is careful, yet it carries an undercurrent of urgency, as if each word knows it has little time left. Some poems made me pause and reread, not because they were obscure, but because they struck me with a sudden intensity. Others, like “Steve’s Balloons,” were so unexpected that I had to smile even while feeling the melancholy underneath.
At times, the heaviness of the book pressed down hard. Illness, biopsy, syringe, tube, the clinical intrudes often, and it brought me back to my own brushes with hospitals and fear. That familiarity made the reading even more raw, and I appreciated Pollock’s honesty. He doesn’t romanticize suffering, but he does find ways to trace light through it. There is also a musicality to his lines that reminded me of older poets, the kind whose rhythm stays in your body long after the words leave your mouth. That mix of craft and emotion gave the book both polish and heart.
I would recommend Exits to readers who like poetry that doesn’t look away. If you’re drawn to reflections on life and death, or if you find comfort in nature as a mirror for human experience, this book will speak to you. It’s not an easy read, but it’s a meaningful one, and I think anyone who values honesty wrapped in artful language will find something to hold onto here.
I found myself pulled into the tension between delicacy and brutality. The spider spinning its web, the butterfly pinned by a child’s cruel hand, the leaves clinging through winter, these images stayed with me. Pollock’s language is careful, yet it carries an undercurrent of urgency, as if each word knows it has little time left. Some poems made me pause and reread, not because they were obscure, but because they struck me with a sudden intensity. Others, like “Steve’s Balloons,” were so unexpected that I had to smile even while feeling the melancholy underneath.
At times, the heaviness of the book pressed down hard. Illness, biopsy, syringe, tube, the clinical intrudes often, and it brought me back to my own brushes with hospitals and fear. That familiarity made the reading even more raw, and I appreciated Pollock’s honesty. He doesn’t romanticize suffering, but he does find ways to trace light through it. There is also a musicality to his lines that reminded me of older poets, the kind whose rhythm stays in your body long after the words leave your mouth. That mix of craft and emotion gave the book both polish and heart.
I would recommend Exits to readers who like poetry that doesn’t look away. If you’re drawn to reflections on life and death, or if you find comfort in nature as a mirror for human experience, this book will speak to you. It’s not an easy read, but it’s a meaningful one, and I think anyone who values honesty wrapped in artful language will find something to hold onto here.
June 24, 2023
what grace it is to be alive!
this book is a collection of poems that revolve around the anxieties of death (especially with having to think about the eventual reality of it— both with one’s loved ones, and one’s own at the end of life) , as well as the universal, human search for meaning in this fleeting life.
i am at a point in time where my own mortality has almost always been at the back of my mind, especially as I continue with the grieving process for my departed loved ones.
this grief will never go away, i know, and i can only carry it with me through the years, but lately, literature has comforted me, and has aided me in growing around it.
this collection has felt cathartic to me in a way that it brought layers of my complicated emotions about life and death to the surface, then enabled me to pick these feelings apart in contemplation as i read through the poems.
my favourite one was ‘leaves’ as it perfectly captured the mundanity of life— how we go through the motions on the daily, until one moment it all just stops with our last breath.
how fleeting indeed is this life we have— do we even have time to be anxious about it?
on a personal note, i give 🌟🌟🌟🌟
p. s. i loved that every poem was paired with some form of art that enhanced its meaning through visual imagery— may it be with photographs or paintings. this then made the collection feel much more personal.
this book was written by stephen c. pollock, an award-winning writer who is currently battling multiple sclerosis, and it was a way for him to come to terms with his own mortality as well.
thank you so much to the author & his publicist for giving me a copy to read and review 🥰✨
this book is a collection of poems that revolve around the anxieties of death (especially with having to think about the eventual reality of it— both with one’s loved ones, and one’s own at the end of life) , as well as the universal, human search for meaning in this fleeting life.
i am at a point in time where my own mortality has almost always been at the back of my mind, especially as I continue with the grieving process for my departed loved ones.
this grief will never go away, i know, and i can only carry it with me through the years, but lately, literature has comforted me, and has aided me in growing around it.
this collection has felt cathartic to me in a way that it brought layers of my complicated emotions about life and death to the surface, then enabled me to pick these feelings apart in contemplation as i read through the poems.
my favourite one was ‘leaves’ as it perfectly captured the mundanity of life— how we go through the motions on the daily, until one moment it all just stops with our last breath.
how fleeting indeed is this life we have— do we even have time to be anxious about it?
on a personal note, i give 🌟🌟🌟🌟
p. s. i loved that every poem was paired with some form of art that enhanced its meaning through visual imagery— may it be with photographs or paintings. this then made the collection feel much more personal.
this book was written by stephen c. pollock, an award-winning writer who is currently battling multiple sclerosis, and it was a way for him to come to terms with his own mortality as well.
thank you so much to the author & his publicist for giving me a copy to read and review 🥰✨
April 9, 2023
Absolutely beautiful. During the first poem I was worried I wouldn't like this, that maybe the author was the type of poet who just writes poems to hear the sound of his own voice, but then by the end of the poem when it took what I felt was a sympathetic turn towards the spider I figured there might be something here, and boy am I glad I stuck with it.
My favorite poems in the collection are: Leaves (for Shinayo Matsumoto) (which was a beautiful memorial poem), Zombie Fires, War Crimes (which disturbed me greatly), Ash (simple yet beautiful), Spine of Dorian Gray, and Oak.
The photos and art accompanying the poems was special too but truly the voice and sensibility on display here and the lens through which Pollock chooses his subjects, what values, fears, and musings seem worth writing about to him, is the true specialty. There is something immensely relatable and nostalgic, maybe comforting, about his voice even when I think the subject matter is disturbing or ugly, there's a sensibility and vocabulary choice there I find really understandable, relatable, and immediately familiar.
Glad I picked this up. Thanks to NetGalley.
July 6, 2023
I highly recommend this book of selected poems. The depth of the themes, the turn of phrase, along with the careful poetic craftsmanship that explores a variety of forms was breathtaking. This is not the "usual" book of poetry that makes one feel good and offers platitudes along with the occasional insightful work. This carefully curated selection invites you to take your time and really delve into each poem more than once.
When I first began to read this poetry, I thought: " Hmmm..short 64 pages, I'll get through this in less than an hour." Then I read the first one, 'Arachnidea: Line Drawings," and I stopped at the end in sheer wonder. I realized these would be no simple poems. This was carefully constructed word by word. Every word, sound, alliteration, and meaning was purposeful. This was not dashed off in an hour or even a week. It was likely worked over and over to get exactly to what the poet wanted to say. And that was just the beginning.
Every poem reflects this same craftsmanship. Also each poem is accompanied by artwork that is reflective of the poem, its themes, and/or its subject. For me, I loved this art addition as it gave me one more piece of information. I have now read through these poems at least four times and expect I will do so again throughout the year. For anyone who truly loves poetry and wants to see a master at work, I highly recommend EXITS.
When I first began to read this poetry, I thought: " Hmmm..short 64 pages, I'll get through this in less than an hour." Then I read the first one, 'Arachnidea: Line Drawings," and I stopped at the end in sheer wonder. I realized these would be no simple poems. This was carefully constructed word by word. Every word, sound, alliteration, and meaning was purposeful. This was not dashed off in an hour or even a week. It was likely worked over and over to get exactly to what the poet wanted to say. And that was just the beginning.
Every poem reflects this same craftsmanship. Also each poem is accompanied by artwork that is reflective of the poem, its themes, and/or its subject. For me, I loved this art addition as it gave me one more piece of information. I have now read through these poems at least four times and expect I will do so again throughout the year. For anyone who truly loves poetry and wants to see a master at work, I highly recommend EXITS.
August 24, 2023
The Review
This was a compelling and moving read. The poetry was brilliant, each poem evoking a sense of powerful and gripping imagery that explores our connection to nature and our role in keeping it safe, while also delving into the idea of our own mortality and how the issues facing our world, such as war and disease, are impacting both nature and man’s mortality greatly.
The imagery and atmosphere the poems were able to achieve were greatly enhanced due to the author’s ability to infuse nature and the natural world as a whole into each poem, capturing the raw emotion and philosophical discussion that these themes bring out in us all. The passion and heart with which the author wrote these poems will speak to readers who not only enjoy poetry but poems that bring out the almost lyrical and relatable words we say and feel every day and yet rarely are able to put into practice.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, captivating, and engaging, author Stephen Pollock’s “Exits” is a must-read book of poetry. The succinct yet thoughtful approach to each poem and the moving words that brought this collection to life really will hit the reader in the heart, and the range of topics, from the passing of a loved one to toothpaste, will speak to both the mundane and valuable moments in life we take for granted, and yet need to remember.
This was a compelling and moving read. The poetry was brilliant, each poem evoking a sense of powerful and gripping imagery that explores our connection to nature and our role in keeping it safe, while also delving into the idea of our own mortality and how the issues facing our world, such as war and disease, are impacting both nature and man’s mortality greatly.
The imagery and atmosphere the poems were able to achieve were greatly enhanced due to the author’s ability to infuse nature and the natural world as a whole into each poem, capturing the raw emotion and philosophical discussion that these themes bring out in us all. The passion and heart with which the author wrote these poems will speak to readers who not only enjoy poetry but poems that bring out the almost lyrical and relatable words we say and feel every day and yet rarely are able to put into practice.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, captivating, and engaging, author Stephen Pollock’s “Exits” is a must-read book of poetry. The succinct yet thoughtful approach to each poem and the moving words that brought this collection to life really will hit the reader in the heart, and the range of topics, from the passing of a loved one to toothpaste, will speak to both the mundane and valuable moments in life we take for granted, and yet need to remember.
July 11, 2023
Exits by Stephen C. Pollock is a beautiful and moving collection of poetry alongside nature photography and art that captivated me from the start. There’s an artwork index at the end of the book giving credit to the artists and photographers, including the author himself. My favorite in this set was entitled Leaves. I really like the imagery and the way the poem flows.
The poems are about life and mortality, death and aging, with photography and artwork throughout for added effect. I liked that as I read I didn’t know what to expect next since the style of the poems varies. I enjoyed this collection and would recommend it to those who enjoy pensive and descriptive poetry. The snippet below is from another favorite poem in this collection.
“Sheets of rain sweep down increasingly,
beating in dim continuous torrents
that conform to the earth like close wet wings.”
– Cyclone Batsirai, Madagascar-Exits by Stephen C. Pollock
The poems are about life and mortality, death and aging, with photography and artwork throughout for added effect. I liked that as I read I didn’t know what to expect next since the style of the poems varies. I enjoyed this collection and would recommend it to those who enjoy pensive and descriptive poetry. The snippet below is from another favorite poem in this collection.
“Sheets of rain sweep down increasingly,
beating in dim continuous torrents
that conform to the earth like close wet wings.”
– Cyclone Batsirai, Madagascar-Exits by Stephen C. Pollock
November 21, 2025
Exits is a stunning meditation on the porous borders between ending and beginning. Stephen C. Pollock writes with the precision of a craftsman and the vulnerability of someone unafraid to stand close to the flame. These poems are intimate yet expansive, threading myth, nature, grief, and renewal into a tapestry that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. The pairing of verse with evocative artwork amplifies the emotional resonance, turning each page into a moment of stillness and reflection.
Pollock’s language is musical without excess, tender without sentimentality, and powerful in its quiet truths. This is the rare collection that lingers one you return to not for answers, but for the calm clarity it brings. Exits is a celebration of cycles, a soft reminder that even in darkness, a door is always opening somewhere. A breathtaking, award-winning work worthy of every accolade it has earned.
Pollock’s language is musical without excess, tender without sentimentality, and powerful in its quiet truths. This is the rare collection that lingers one you return to not for answers, but for the calm clarity it brings. Exits is a celebration of cycles, a soft reminder that even in darkness, a door is always opening somewhere. A breathtaking, award-winning work worthy of every accolade it has earned.
January 1, 2026
With the assurance and aplomb of a master poet, Stephen C. Pollock has written and curated an eclectic blend of poems reflecting the cyclical underpinnings and tenuousness of nature. In Exits he poeticizes just about everything human beings and living creatures experience in terms of the life cycle: birth, maturity, decline, and, ultimately, death. Carefully crafted with exquisitely constructed rhyming couplets dotting the poetic landscape, the essence of each poem is brought to life with interesting artwork peppered throughout this 61-page book. Short in page volume, long and strong in evocative meaning, Exits is sure to engage poetry lovers from the first poem to the last, making them contemplate powerful messages, some hidden, some not so hidden, encapsulated on each page. These poems are sure to enthrall, mesmerize, and ultimately lead readers down new aesthetic pathways they otherwise would never tread.
May 31, 2023
Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a copy of this publication. The following review contains my honest thoughts.
Stephen Pollock's collection of poetry is simply brilliant, a collection that you will want to read again and again. These are not the type of poems you typically find in mainstream collections and that adds a bit of nostalgia and classism to them.
Expertly exemplifying a number of different themes - everything from mortality, to nature, to grief, and to even a bit of mythology - Pollock amazingly conveys the fragility of human life, the anxieties over the unknown/death, and yet, how to still be present in modern times. Each piece is paired with a different work of art and it adds an extra layer of understanding and really does resonate with the writing.
My favorite writings were "Tube" and "War Crimes."
Stephen Pollock's collection of poetry is simply brilliant, a collection that you will want to read again and again. These are not the type of poems you typically find in mainstream collections and that adds a bit of nostalgia and classism to them.
Expertly exemplifying a number of different themes - everything from mortality, to nature, to grief, and to even a bit of mythology - Pollock amazingly conveys the fragility of human life, the anxieties over the unknown/death, and yet, how to still be present in modern times. Each piece is paired with a different work of art and it adds an extra layer of understanding and really does resonate with the writing.
My favorite writings were "Tube" and "War Crimes."
July 5, 2023
Exits: Selected Poems by Stephen C. Pollock is a collection of beautifully written poems that evoke vivid imagery that makes one think about the meaning of not only life but also death and the afterlife. Writing on bold and dark themes, the author had done a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere for each and every poem so distinctly that you could taste it on the tip of your tongue and can distinguish them accordingly with your eyes closed.
The writing is captivating, moving and at times very strong (in a good way, of course) and makes one reminisce after each and every piece. I would definitely recommend this poetry collection to all poetry readers and even to those who don't go for non-fiction/poetry books as their usual go-to genre, as this book has a lot to offer to its readers.
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You can also read this review on my book blog: www.thereadingbud.com
The writing is captivating, moving and at times very strong (in a good way, of course) and makes one reminisce after each and every piece. I would definitely recommend this poetry collection to all poetry readers and even to those who don't go for non-fiction/poetry books as their usual go-to genre, as this book has a lot to offer to its readers.
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You can also read this review on my book blog: www.thereadingbud.com
June 19, 2023
Strikingly beautiful, thought-provoking, and imaginative, Stephen C. Pollock's debut poetry collection, Exits, transcends time to explore mortality and our search for meaning during our short existence.
As Pollock blends nature, science, raw emotion, and stunning artwork within this collection's pages, we seek to find a deeper understanding of our humble existence in a world scarred by disease and unrest.
Several of these poems spoke to me. "Arachnidaea: Line Drawings," Leaves," "Nasal Biopsy," "Ash," and "Steve's Balloons" were special favorites. I found much that resonated for me.
This moving collection has a lyrical style that many will enjoy. No wonder Pollock's work has appeared in a wide variety of literary journals.
Highly recommended!
As Pollock blends nature, science, raw emotion, and stunning artwork within this collection's pages, we seek to find a deeper understanding of our humble existence in a world scarred by disease and unrest.
Several of these poems spoke to me. "Arachnidaea: Line Drawings," Leaves," "Nasal Biopsy," "Ash," and "Steve's Balloons" were special favorites. I found much that resonated for me.
This moving collection has a lyrical style that many will enjoy. No wonder Pollock's work has appeared in a wide variety of literary journals.
Highly recommended!
November 24, 2023
I enjoyed Exits by Stephen C. Pollock. It's a collection of profound poems "exploring the theme of mortality and responds to contemporary anxieties surrounding death and the universal search for meaning.". I was drawn to the title and cover art.
I'm not a poetry connoisseur, but found that I connected with several poems.
Each poem is accompanied by a stunning image of art. I appreciated those and felt that they added depth to each poem.
My appreciation to Stephen C. Pollock and Books Forward for the Goodreads Giveaways printed copy.
I'm not a poetry connoisseur, but found that I connected with several poems.
Each poem is accompanied by a stunning image of art. I appreciated those and felt that they added depth to each poem.
My appreciation to Stephen C. Pollock and Books Forward for the Goodreads Giveaways printed copy.
June 18, 2023
Exits by Stephen Pollock is one of the most beautifully written and thought-provoking poetry collections I've ever read. All of the poems relate in some way to the theme of mortality, a timely topic in today's world, yet there is an unmistakable timeless quality to many of the poems. I also was struck by the range of styles in which Pollock writes, from sonnets to free verse to invented forms. The vivid imagery, nature metaphors, and allusions to Greek mythology combine to create a meditation on the transience of life that's anything but dark. There are even touches of humor, as in the poem "Tube." Exits is a rare work of literary excellence and a masterclass in craft.
June 23, 2023
The first word that came out of my mouth when I set this book down after having finished it is "wow." That was the only thing I could say for a long while. Of all the poetry I have read in my 22 years on the planet, and there has been many, this is the only collection that has forced me to think, and I mean REALLY think afterward. Each piece paints death and mortality in a new perspective. I particularly enjoyed 'The Spine of Dorian Gray', a play on my favorite piece of classic literature. The poems are clever, heartfelt, and overall very enjoyable.
Thank you to Stephen C. Pollock, Books Forward, and Goodreads for the giveaway!
Thank you to Stephen C. Pollock, Books Forward, and Goodreads for the giveaway!
August 25, 2024
I had heard a lot about Stephen Pollock, I wanted so much for this to be a great book of poetry.
The book itself is filled with soulless drivel that makes absolutely no sense of feeling or place in time. It's as though all the words were plucked from the universe and put together in some ethereal way to sound educated and intellectual.
The audio version is even worse with a slow meter and a voice that sounds completely uninvolved in the work being read. Regardless of its content, poetry should strike your soul with an arrow straight through the heart down to the center of your very being. Poetry should never put you in a position of asking yourself why did I read this?
The book itself is filled with soulless drivel that makes absolutely no sense of feeling or place in time. It's as though all the words were plucked from the universe and put together in some ethereal way to sound educated and intellectual.
The audio version is even worse with a slow meter and a voice that sounds completely uninvolved in the work being read. Regardless of its content, poetry should strike your soul with an arrow straight through the heart down to the center of your very being. Poetry should never put you in a position of asking yourself why did I read this?
July 18, 2023
‘Exits’ explores the theme of mortality and the transient nature of human existence. It acknowledges that death is an inescapable part of life and highlights how this awareness shapes our perspectives on life and its meaning. The poems in the book touch on various aspects of mortality, including disease, decline, death, and remembrance, while drawing imagery and metaphors from nature. Each poem is accompanied by artwork, enhancing the reader's experience.
Read the complete review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
Read the complete review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
July 21, 2024
This is a beautiful book of poems. We are all born and we all will exit this world in some way or another. The author takes a part of life that we don't all like talking about and makes it beautiful. Some poems were a bit over my head but I think revisiting them will make it more clear. Everything happens when it is supposed to.
Thank you to the author and BookSprouts for allowing me to read and offer my honest review of this book.
Thank you to the author and BookSprouts for allowing me to read and offer my honest review of this book.
December 21, 2025
Exits is one of the best poetry books I’ve ever read. With impeccable craft,
the author explores the themes of mortality and renewal from a wide variety
of angles. The poems are accessible, musical, and at times, provocative. I
found the resurrection of formal elements to be particularly gratifying.
Readers who enjoy the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, and T. S.
Eliot will delight in reading Exits. It’s a sublime and timeless addition to the
literary landscape.
the author explores the themes of mortality and renewal from a wide variety
of angles. The poems are accessible, musical, and at times, provocative. I
found the resurrection of formal elements to be particularly gratifying.
Readers who enjoy the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, and T. S.
Eliot will delight in reading Exits. It’s a sublime and timeless addition to the
literary landscape.
April 19, 2023
I was absolutely blown away by Pollock's collection of poetry. It's clear from the very first page that he isn't only a talented poet, but also one that bears their soul. You could tell that he thought a lot the way he compiled his writing and matching imagery for this collection. I can tell that I will be thinking about this book for awhile
January 1, 2024
They have been dealing with the supernatural for centuries and yet something that was supposed to stay dead. Yet they are about to resurface and giving them problems. How can it be stopped? What will stop them? Can they stop it? See how they will get on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
September 2, 2024
Pollock's poetic focus on both the cloud of death and the bloom of nature artfully illuminates the infinite struggle we can all identify with: new growth/hope vs. inevitable decline. With richly depicted imagery spanning from the hidden beauty of insects to the harsh sterility of medicine, Pollock manages to capture the dichotomy of life itself. While Pollock's collection is titled Exits, it could equally have been called "Metamorphosis" (the name of one of his poems) as the nature of change and the change of nature lie at the core of each of his poems. A must-read.
April 24, 2023
The poems in Stephen's book made me think a lot not just about life and death, but the space between the two. My personal fav poem was Steve's Balloons. A quick read that lovers of poetry will really enjoy!
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