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About Time
Neil Hilborn returns with the poignant and profound collection About Time. Balancing between devastation and perseverance, About Time shares the struggle to maintain mental health during the recent global crises.
With his distinctly conversational tone and dark humor, Hilborn breaks down the cycle of mental illness—small improvements, setbacks, and the process of recovery. This collection fights against itself as the poems try to find a place for hope, love, and goodness in a lonely, terrifying world—ultimately, inspiring belief in and connection to all the small joys that we can find.
Fans new and old will be stunned by Hilborn’s third collection. Continuing in the legacy of his previous works, About Time is hot soup for the troubled soul and absolutely cannot be missed.
With his distinctly conversational tone and dark humor, Hilborn breaks down the cycle of mental illness—small improvements, setbacks, and the process of recovery. This collection fights against itself as the poems try to find a place for hope, love, and goodness in a lonely, terrifying world—ultimately, inspiring belief in and connection to all the small joys that we can find.
Fans new and old will be stunned by Hilborn’s third collection. Continuing in the legacy of his previous works, About Time is hot soup for the troubled soul and absolutely cannot be missed.
- GenresPoetryMental Health
112 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2024
27 people are currently reading
2363 people want to read
About the author
Neil Hilborn
9 books866 followersNeil Hilborn is a College National Poetry Slam Champion, and a 2011 graduate with honors from Macalester College with a degree in Creative Writing. Neil was a member of the 2011 Macalester Poetry Slam team, which ranked first in the nation. He co-coached the 2012 Macalester team, leading them to a second place finish nationally. He was also a member of the Minneapolis adult National Poetry Slam team in 2011, which placed 5th out of 80 teams from cities across the country at the adult National Poetry Slam. In August of 2013, his poem "OCD" went viral, garnering over 7 million views to date, making it one of the most-viewed poems on YouTube.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 17, 2024
i’m probably biased because i watched so many of these poems be written for the first time but i would love it just as much even jf i hadn’t. this is neil’s best work! made me want to love and forgive myself for the things my brain does to me, which is no small feat. nowhere to go but chicago. <3
March 29, 2025
5 stars to any poetry collection that includes an Opportunity Mars Rover passage that brings me to tears
February 5, 2026
Felt like coming home after a particularly long and difficult day. Neil Hilborn's poetry will never cease to move me. Arguably the best modern poet.
November 21, 2024
Ugh. Big feelings and big thoughts all around always with Neil Hilbourn. Was it because I saw him perform half the book live? Was it because he unlocks a teen and college student in love with his work for speech? Maybe.
Either way, always a great joy and pleasure. Amazing to see him at it again!
Either way, always a great joy and pleasure. Amazing to see him at it again!
January 8, 2025
In a perfect world, every morning there would be a new Neil Hilborn book to read.
August 6, 2025
TW: SI
Neil does it again! He’s my favorite poet with Button Poetry. He got me hooked with his OCD and Joey poems, and I’m so glad I’ve continued to stick with him. Everything he writes has a purpose and a message behind it, no matter how random it might seem. I appreciate poets who are direct about mental health, not trying to sugarcoat it, while also not being triggering. I never knew that a poem using Oppy (NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity) as a metaphor would almost make me cry. That poem (“Opportunity, Wake Up!) was so amazing and powerful, yet hilarious and I really loved that. This particular book has a lot more optimism than I’ve seen in his prior ones! My only wish is that it were longer (of course that’s always my wish for his books).
“I’m so full that every part of me is now structurally integral. Remove any brick and the whole house will explode.”
The vanishing pharmacopeia (or, ballad for an escape)
“This one, the new psychiatrist says, is gonna be magic. And here’s the thing- I believe her, or I’m willing to; I want to be better and I’m willing to believe that this is part of how to get better… I’m ready to believe in magic. Give me an elephant and all the right mirrors. Give me a bullet suddenly cradled in the palm. Something has to disappear, please let it not be me.”
“Not all hard times turn you into a better person. Sometimes you go through something that undoes all the work you did before, all the yoga and therapy the “being mindful”, and all that good shit just falls apart.”
“I always thought I could never truly be good unless I sprinted unthinking into a forest or dragged a child from fire into darkness, how dumb is that, thinking that my immediate reactions define who I am. My brain thinks all kinds of shit that comes from me but isn’t all of me. I am not my thoughts. I am a person and I have thoughts. I am the whole engine, not just the gasoline. To be good, all you have to do is try to be good. You might mess up everything you try, but you still have to, you know. You still have to try.”
“All I had to do was nothing. It’s the easiest thing in the world not to swim. The water is warm enough to be confused for arms. The bubbles swimming last could be taken for planets. I don’t have to be here, but I want to. I want every day more life. When my breath catches and I’m drawn downward and the light begins to fade, I cut myself free, and I swim.”
Neil does it again! He’s my favorite poet with Button Poetry. He got me hooked with his OCD and Joey poems, and I’m so glad I’ve continued to stick with him. Everything he writes has a purpose and a message behind it, no matter how random it might seem. I appreciate poets who are direct about mental health, not trying to sugarcoat it, while also not being triggering. I never knew that a poem using Oppy (NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity) as a metaphor would almost make me cry. That poem (“Opportunity, Wake Up!) was so amazing and powerful, yet hilarious and I really loved that. This particular book has a lot more optimism than I’ve seen in his prior ones! My only wish is that it were longer (of course that’s always my wish for his books).
“I’m so full that every part of me is now structurally integral. Remove any brick and the whole house will explode.”
The vanishing pharmacopeia (or, ballad for an escape)
“This one, the new psychiatrist says, is gonna be magic. And here’s the thing- I believe her, or I’m willing to; I want to be better and I’m willing to believe that this is part of how to get better… I’m ready to believe in magic. Give me an elephant and all the right mirrors. Give me a bullet suddenly cradled in the palm. Something has to disappear, please let it not be me.”
“Not all hard times turn you into a better person. Sometimes you go through something that undoes all the work you did before, all the yoga and therapy the “being mindful”, and all that good shit just falls apart.”
“I always thought I could never truly be good unless I sprinted unthinking into a forest or dragged a child from fire into darkness, how dumb is that, thinking that my immediate reactions define who I am. My brain thinks all kinds of shit that comes from me but isn’t all of me. I am not my thoughts. I am a person and I have thoughts. I am the whole engine, not just the gasoline. To be good, all you have to do is try to be good. You might mess up everything you try, but you still have to, you know. You still have to try.”
“All I had to do was nothing. It’s the easiest thing in the world not to swim. The water is warm enough to be confused for arms. The bubbles swimming last could be taken for planets. I don’t have to be here, but I want to. I want every day more life. When my breath catches and I’m drawn downward and the light begins to fade, I cut myself free, and I swim.”
November 30, 2025
More like 4.5.
Neil Hilborn is a wonderful person. He runs workshops and the poetry slam at my favorite local bookstore. He’s a mental health advocate. All of that aside, he’s also a great writer. I remember seeing his OCD poem performance on Button Poetry back in the day, and thinking, wow, I’m sure I’m going to read more of his work.
If you want to read something that makes you feel like you aren’t alone, this is a good book to do that with. Hilborn has this ability to make being not okay okay, like it’s part of being human. Which it is. There are some truly heartrending poems in here and also some that will make you giggle. Definitely worth the read.
Some quotes:
“A tree is growing inside me because otherwise I’m in pain for no reason.”
“Not all hard times turn you
into a better person. Sometimes you go
through something that undoes
all the work you did before, all the
yoga and therapy and ‘being mindful,’
all that good shit just falls apart
like a broken wheel, spokes leaping
into the darkened row of hedges. Sometimes
you’re in pain, but you don’t learn a thing.”
Neil Hilborn is a wonderful person. He runs workshops and the poetry slam at my favorite local bookstore. He’s a mental health advocate. All of that aside, he’s also a great writer. I remember seeing his OCD poem performance on Button Poetry back in the day, and thinking, wow, I’m sure I’m going to read more of his work.
If you want to read something that makes you feel like you aren’t alone, this is a good book to do that with. Hilborn has this ability to make being not okay okay, like it’s part of being human. Which it is. There are some truly heartrending poems in here and also some that will make you giggle. Definitely worth the read.
Some quotes:
“A tree is growing inside me because otherwise I’m in pain for no reason.”
“Not all hard times turn you
into a better person. Sometimes you go
through something that undoes
all the work you did before, all the
yoga and therapy and ‘being mindful,’
all that good shit just falls apart
like a broken wheel, spokes leaping
into the darkened row of hedges. Sometimes
you’re in pain, but you don’t learn a thing.”
October 16, 2024
I received About Time from a Goodreads giveaway. Expected publication date November 5, 2024
Neil Hilborn's About Time explores love, loss, and the complexities of relationships through personal experience and introspection. Hilborn delivers a collection that is deeply personal and relatable.
These poems have honesty and emotional depth. Hilborn reflects on moments of joy and heartache drawing the reader into his world with vivid imagery and compelling narratives. The way he captures fleeting moments of mundane experiences that shape our lives resonates, inviting readers to pause and reflect on their own experiences.
One of the standout elements of About Time is Hilborn's ability to balance humor with sorrow. His wit often lightens heavier themes, keeping you engaged while provoking thought.
Hilborn's skillful use of language and rhythm is impressive. His background in performance poetry is evident. Many poems feel like they were meant to be spoken aloud. You can feel the sincerity behind each word.
Neil Hilborn's About Time explores love, loss, and the complexities of relationships through personal experience and introspection. Hilborn delivers a collection that is deeply personal and relatable.
These poems have honesty and emotional depth. Hilborn reflects on moments of joy and heartache drawing the reader into his world with vivid imagery and compelling narratives. The way he captures fleeting moments of mundane experiences that shape our lives resonates, inviting readers to pause and reflect on their own experiences.
One of the standout elements of About Time is Hilborn's ability to balance humor with sorrow. His wit often lightens heavier themes, keeping you engaged while provoking thought.
Hilborn's skillful use of language and rhythm is impressive. His background in performance poetry is evident. Many poems feel like they were meant to be spoken aloud. You can feel the sincerity behind each word.
December 4, 2024
I own every book Neil has written.
His cadence and way of writing is impeccable. Nobody can make me cry writing about a robot, but Neil did in this book. He writes in the poem Opportunity, Wake Up! “Her: the NASA engineers called the rover her, affectionately referred to her as Oppy. Oppy, this little robot so far from home, was only supposed to last for two months, and here she was fifteen years later.” A poem about the rover Oppy who lived a longer than expected life, but ultimately did not last.
Not all of Neil’s poems are quite as tragic as this, but all have his stylistic writing and prose. I highly recommend this book and any of his other books to anyone who enjoys poetry or great writing in general.
His cadence and way of writing is impeccable. Nobody can make me cry writing about a robot, but Neil did in this book. He writes in the poem Opportunity, Wake Up! “Her: the NASA engineers called the rover her, affectionately referred to her as Oppy. Oppy, this little robot so far from home, was only supposed to last for two months, and here she was fifteen years later.” A poem about the rover Oppy who lived a longer than expected life, but ultimately did not last.
Not all of Neil’s poems are quite as tragic as this, but all have his stylistic writing and prose. I highly recommend this book and any of his other books to anyone who enjoys poetry or great writing in general.
November 23, 2024
Neil is always so relatable. I love how he finds poetry in the most common and mundane of things. He transforms an everyday thing into a lesson on the self. His dark, self-deprecating humor always gets to me, in the best kind of way. His openness about mental health and his struggle to stay alive resonates with my soul. "And isn't it so me to romanticize what is trying to kill me. Ain't it so me to depend on something to save me now knowing it will send me to hell later. "
March 8, 2025
I sat and read this in one go, but I know the book will be heavily weathered with the referencing in the years to come. Few artists have made me feel as seen and understood as Neil Hilborn. This is probably a great compliment and an underlying referral to the psychiatrists office. I would read this man’s grocery lists if it was the only art he made.
August 17, 2025
It's no secret that Neil is one of my favorite poets of all time. His words really speak to me and make me feel so seen. He's so good at balancing honest emotions and mental illness with hope. I've loved every collection he's released and About Time will be going on my favorites shelf right along the others.
October 12, 2025
~Thank you to Button Poetry for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review~
A heartfelt collection of poetry that explores mental health. I really enjoyed Neil Hilborn's witty sense of humor, creative premises, and diverse use of form throughout this collection. My favorites include "Alcoholism Screening Questionaire," "Jackets," "Opportunity, Wake Up!," and "The Earl Of" <3
A heartfelt collection of poetry that explores mental health. I really enjoyed Neil Hilborn's witty sense of humor, creative premises, and diverse use of form throughout this collection. My favorites include "Alcoholism Screening Questionaire," "Jackets," "Opportunity, Wake Up!," and "The Earl Of" <3
December 6, 2024
I've followed Neil's poetry for years and loved it. This work is no exception.
Sad that the kindle version isn't playing nice with goodreads, so I can't share my highlights and notes, but I'd like it known that there are many and I love them dearly.
Sad that the kindle version isn't playing nice with goodreads, so I can't share my highlights and notes, but I'd like it known that there are many and I love them dearly.
February 16, 2026
Neil is one of my favorite poets of all time. He makes you feel as if you aren’t alone in this world! Truly appreciate his mix of cynical humor and genuine vulnerability in this book. Seeing him perform some of the poems live was also truly amazing.
October 17, 2024
I'll never miss a Neil poetry book. Not my favorite of his but still so much good stuff in here. I smiled, I chuckled to myself, I got sad. It has it all.
May 31, 2025
I'm a fellow OCD sufferer. I felt so many of these poems deep in my bone marrow. thank you, Neil.
August 12, 2025
King of Poetry, if I shall say so.
October 12, 2025
As always, full of gems. I laughed and cried. Hilborn is poignant and silly and deft with words about everything from love to OCD to mortality to having a dog.
March 17, 2025
Here I am...in the year of our lord 2025...crying over a poem called "Dick Shark." Thanks, Neil.
December 5, 2025
lucky to live in a universe where there is a neil hilborn
January 21, 2025
Every single time, Neil hits it out of the park.
I fell in love with his poetry, as a lot of people did, when his spoken word poem OCD went viral. Since then, I own most (if not all) of his poetry books and have read them multiple times, and I've seen him perform live once, which was an experience that I'll never forget. Every time I read, a different line stands out and resonates with me.
This collection of poems felt right off the bat that it was meant to be read aloud, and so I, like a nerd, read the entire book out loud to myself alone in my home. But it added such a depth to the experience, and despite my mouth being dry as hell even though I broke my reading experience up into four days, I really am glad that I did it.
If you can only read one poem from this book, I recommend Opportunity, Wake Up! -- it had me sobbing on my couch, barely able to make it through. "If a thousand years from now an object flies overhead snapping pictures, what is the right message to scrawl in the dirt? WWhat SOS will say I was here, I was here and I tried so hard to be here?" If you told me a week ago that I'd have bawled my eyes out over a piece of metal singing herself happy birthday, I'd have laughed in your face.
Four stars.
I fell in love with his poetry, as a lot of people did, when his spoken word poem OCD went viral. Since then, I own most (if not all) of his poetry books and have read them multiple times, and I've seen him perform live once, which was an experience that I'll never forget. Every time I read, a different line stands out and resonates with me.
This collection of poems felt right off the bat that it was meant to be read aloud, and so I, like a nerd, read the entire book out loud to myself alone in my home. But it added such a depth to the experience, and despite my mouth being dry as hell even though I broke my reading experience up into four days, I really am glad that I did it.
If you can only read one poem from this book, I recommend Opportunity, Wake Up! -- it had me sobbing on my couch, barely able to make it through. "If a thousand years from now an object flies overhead snapping pictures, what is the right message to scrawl in the dirt? WWhat SOS will say I was here, I was here and I tried so hard to be here?" If you told me a week ago that I'd have bawled my eyes out over a piece of metal singing herself happy birthday, I'd have laughed in your face.
Four stars.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews