Dangerous Sessions: The Black Room

by Gloria Jane

Dangerous The Black Room is a collection of poems that journey from dark to light. Themes of loneliness, frustration, lost love, and sadness are carved in the pages, taking the reader on a relatable emotional ride. Towards the end of the book, words of light begin to shine a path of hope.Enter the black room of my mind. A confession of dark poems written over a year in time. Let them take you on an emotional ride that will speak your name. The book pours out words that describe pain. Even though we hurt, a light eventually shines, the dark room collapses, and we come out the other side. From the past, we cannot hide, but we can choose to harness the light and come back to life.

195 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2023

Reviews

[Amber Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me closer in the more I read. I was quite sullen when I finished it because I had gotten so attached to the writing. That feeling of finishing a book being akin to saying goodbye to a dear friend? Yes. This book. On so many occasions, I’d been reading along all rhythmic and then BAM! …a line would hit me like a ton of bricks out of nowhere. Allow me to demonstrate…

”You want to bleed.
You want the world to see
how a scar is born.”
(—“The Birth of Scars”, page 146)

The wordplay in the collection is excellent, so many times I read a passage and thought, “Damn, Janie. In awe and envious.” It’s just so good. My absolute favorite poem was “6025 Village Way” (page 124), with the haunting and highly relatable ending,

“God,
I want to be him,
to trade places.
I want everything
that is bad for me tonight.”

Another amazing thing about this book is the beautiful layout. The pages alternate black and white, sometimes a page is half and half, sometimes they mesh, sometimes it’s a nice ombré fade. The topics in this collection drift into each other just like the ombré fade on the pages. This book is a brilliant work of art and nothing short of a masterpiece.

[Luke Bauman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerous Sessions: The Black Room is a poignant anthology of poetry that delves deep into the caverns of human emotion. The poems meticulously traverse the shadowy corridors of loneliness, frustration, lost love, and pervasive sadness, offering readers a mirror to their own inner turmoil. The author's adept use of language and metaphor invites the audience into the 'black room' of their mind, making each poem a personal confession that resonates with universal themes of human experience. As the collection progresses, a subtle yet powerful transformation unfolds, with the latter poems casting a hopeful glow against the backdrop of despair, suggesting a path forward from darkness to light.

The book's strength lies in its honest portrayal of emotional vulnerability and the journey towards healing and resilience. The transition from the engulfing shadows of pain to the promising light of recovery is handled with grace, making the reading experience both cathartic and uplifting. This collection stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, encouraging readers to confront their own 'black rooms' and find solace in the eventual emergence into light. "Dangerous Sessions: The Black Room" is more than just a collection of poems; it is a beacon of hope for those wandering in the dark, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, the potential for light remains.