The Never Was

by Tyler Knott Gregson

A poetic celebration embracing our unfinished, imperfect, and authentic selves.

The Never Was is a deeply personal return from bestselling poet Tyler Knott Gregson. Known for his intimate typewritten verse, Gregson turns inward with raw honesty, reflecting on identity, diagnosis, and the quiet beauty in the incomplete.  

Prompted by a late-in-life autism diagnosis, Gregson revisits a series of poetic fragments—unfinished lines once cast aside—that now reveal themselves as essential expressions of his neurodivergent experience. Interwoven with new poems, these pieces form a deeply human tapestry of vulnerability, self-discovery, and grace.

This is a book for anyone who has felt unseen, misunderstood, or like they didn’t quite fit. The Never Was is a celebration of the imperfect, a testament to the healing power of art, and a reminder that even the fragments can hold a whole world.

Genres: Poetry

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2025

About the author

Namasté.

I'm Tyler Knott Gregson.

I am Autistic.
I am a Poet.
Author.
Photographer.
Artist.
Buddhist.

Find Me.

Reviews

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Gregson’s poetry and admiring his photography for the better part of a decade now, so was excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of his latest book. It’s in-line with his previous works, introspective and filled with both longing and contentment. His photographs are stunning, and I’d definitely recommend getting a physical copy in order to better appreciate the mixed media in this volume.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Chanel Chapters]

fragmentary poems that honor neurodivergence, imperfection, and the quiet grace of simply being

Arc from NetGalley

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I wanted to like Tyler Knott Gregson’s The Never Was more than I actually did.

Poetry, unfortunately, can often be rather hit or miss for me. This one more easily fits into the miss category, though as I’ve dabbled a little in poetry—both reading and writing—it’s difficult for me to ascertain if the miss is because I just couldn’t find an emotional connection to most of the poems or because I disliked the format of them. Judging poetry often has felt like a subjective venture rather than an objective one, but that might be largely because I’m pretty unschooled in this particular piece of academia.

I can judge the writing of a novel far easier than I can judge the poetry of a poem, I guess.

All of that to be said, I just didn’t connect here. And this could be entirely a me problem. I think I was also just feeling rather meh about the fact that there’s not truly any particular theming that I could see to tie all of these poems together, thus it felt like there was a lack of cohesion. And then I suppose I was just hoping for something with a little more emotional oomph given the chosen title.

I dunno.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren Niewold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-catching pages filled with powerful words. Many poems spoke to me on a deep, personal level. I borrowed this one from my local library, but I'm going purchase it to add my home library so that I can re-read my favorites!

All this time
fighting
to prove you're
enough,

blind to already
being
brilliantly
beyond it.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one!
I got very excited to see how the next page looked, and what the poetry would be!
There are some shorter ones a bit longer ones, amazing pictures & i love how the pages look.
Some are a bit harder to read due to the page, but i really enjoyed it!

Thank you to everyone involved for the arc!

[xy | silas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of beautiful little snapshots - most poems only just or less than a page - touching on the core aspects of the human experience through a neurodivergent (late-diagnosed autistic) lens. Observing in introspective the self, the soul, where we stand in relation to others and the world, what it means to and how we move through and exist in it. Some of these poems may seem simple on the surface but still resonated deeeply within me. I'm not normally someone who's a fan of super short, one-sentence poems, but in this case they were often my favouites and it's where this collection shines. That's not to imply the longer pieces lack quality or poise, no, but there is a particular rawness to the shorter ones. The presentation is also very lovely, written in typewriter on old notebooks and scraps of paper, interposed by photographs, adding to the contemplative, intimate, and timeless nature of the poems.

I had never read Tyler Knott Gregson's poetry before but I will have to check out more of his work after this. A stellar work of poetry, offering a piece of quietude in the constant hum of 21st century living.

Arc much graciously provided by NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing. All opinions are my own.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is my first time reading any works by Tyler Knott Gregson and had no impressions before I just jumped right in. I loved it so much that I read it in one sitting!! There were at least poems that spoke to me personally and I think the author is one heck of a poet. Very talented and authentic, which that combo alone would be considered an auto buy author. I also enjoyed the photos throughout and the different paper being typed on. Stunning job, 5 ⭐️ all day!! I cannot wait for publishing day so I can share it with all my friends!! I’ve gotta get a physical copy as well so I can highlight and annotate like crazy. Thank you to NetGalley, the punisher, and the author/poet for a chance to read and review an eARC.

[Anastey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley, Central Avenue Publishing, and Tyler Knott Gregson for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This books is full of ephemeral thoughts and poems. Each one carefully typed out on a piece of old scrap paper. The words will call out to you, like a quiet echo.

I think the best way to describe it is finding an old shoebox full of poems and photos that you forgot about. You spend an hour or two reading them and happily digging through that old box of forgotten memories.

This one will haunt me for a long time.

[Estela · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review **

This was difficult to rate because I have found that with this kind of mixed media work, I always enjoy it a lot more when I have a physical copy in my hands — when I'm able to hold, look at, and fully appreciate the artwork, the choices in paper, the photographs, and every small detail of the way the book is composed. It's beautifully assembled from beginning to end, there's no denying that.

Now, I had never read Tyler Knott Gregson's poetry before this, but there were introspective pieces that I really enjoyed and resonated with. Which, sadly, brought me to my next problem: I know that poets often don't like to do it, but I really wish that the poems had had titles and that there had been an index, so that the reader could easily revisit their favourites. Yes, I know that it can mess with the artistry and that these are mainly fragments, but as a reader, I felt the lack of it and thought it to be a shame.

Beyond that, a few pieces here and there felt out of place with the theme that we're told to expect, but even then, I generally had a decent and often enjoyable time while reading this.

[Elliel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested and received this book from NetGalley.

The Never Was by Tyler Knott Gregson is a poetry collection that aslo feels like an art exhibit you can hold in your hands. (According to the blurb) These poems were initially discarded fragments deemed not good enough. However, with a new perspective the importance of these pieces was found. I believe this makes the combination of the poems typed on paper trash a more powerful statement. The composition pairs the chaos of writing when inspiration strikes with the meticulous nature of using a type writer(especially on scraps of paper.) It brings together second chances and self compassion

This is the first time I've read anything written by Tyler Knott Gregson. Overall I enjoyed this poetry collection. I didn't like every poem but I loved several of them. One such poem I feel beautifully represents this collection is typed on brownish yellow paper. The first two lines are "if you want more words it is more you shall have ".

[Andrea Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Tyler for allowing us to purchase personalized early copies.

I will say I have an extreme bias when it comes to Mr. Gregson. Not everyone will get this one, but that’s ok. Not everyone will understand this book. Not all of the poems are complete. Some feel full but others definitely leave you wanting more. The Never Was are the fragments that have never been seen. I did have moments when I found myself wanting some kind of theme, but being part of The Never Was was the theme.

A few of these hit me deep. I love his words and will gladly gobble up any that I can.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read any of Tyler's poetry before, but this was a lovely collection with something for everyone. The kind of poetry collection you can just dip in an out of and enjoy at leisure.

I would definitely recommend having a physical copy to better appreciate the layout of the book and I found the type font used a little difficult to read on a screen.

With thanks to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for this ARC.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a stunning collection of thoughts, poems, and prose on embracing your authentic self. I love that there was a balance of short and long pieces. The typed words on scraps of paper was a nice touch. The photographs were gorgeous, but I wish there were a few more photographs sprinkled throughout the book.

*Thank you, NetGalley, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

[H. Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice volume of work, I really like the texture and images with this one, the format adds a lot to the reading experience. I have to say, the poet excels at fragments and short verse. I like the questions raised, the unfinished feeling. The longer poems feel like they wander, want trimming. The love poems, as usual for this poet, are strong and lovely. I adore those! Well done.

[Melinda Wingate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already knew I would love this book, seeing as I own 4 other volumes of his poetry. But I was definitely not disappointed! I especially loved that some of them expressed how it feels to be autistic in a world not made for us. The photography throughout was just a splendid bonus! If you enjoy poetry, or want to, you should check this out!