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I Wrote This For You #1
I Wrote This for You, 2007-2017
I need you to understand something...
Ten years ago, I started writing this for you. I wrote it for you and only you. Since then, millions of other people have read it, but none have understood it the way you understand it. I set out to find you a long time ago and today, I'm so glad I finally have. Thank you for reading these words.
Ten years ago, I started writing this for you. I wrote it for you and only you. Since then, millions of other people have read it, but none have understood it the way you understand it. I set out to find you a long time ago and today, I'm so glad I finally have. Thank you for reading these words.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2017
234 people are currently reading
10556 people want to read
About the author
Iain S. Thomas
21 books1,445 followers"Iain S. Thomas is the #1 bestselling author of I Wrote This For You and Intentional Dissonance. He wrote his first book, Ignite, at the age of 23 for the Markham clothing store. It won the Grand Prix at the First Paper House Art Of Design Awards and the only craft prize awarded that year, in the design category, at the national design/advertising awards (The Loeries).
As a creative director, he’s a champion for innovative design and communication for his clients which have included Nike, Levi’s, Johnny Walker, The Design Indaba, MTN, apple and many more, from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town. His work has spanned everything from monuments to biodegradable posters.
In 2009, for his work as the author of the art/photography project “I Wrote This For You”, he was voted one of the top 5 finalists in the world in the “Best Blogger To Follow” category on mashable.com under his online pseudonym, pleasefindthis.
The project, which has proven incredibly popular across the world and gone on to become a best selling book, has also afforded him numerous exciting opportunities, including an invitation to dinner with the US Ambassador to South Africa, Donald Gipps as a consultant on digital development within South Africa, and a speaking spot at TEDx Johannesburg.
Through the project, he was also able to have skateboards delivered to The Uganda Skateboard Union on behalf of Stacy Peralta, director of Dogtown And Z-Boys and Riding Giants and he’s previously acted as a creative consultant to Brian Wayne Transeau or “BT” (whose previous collaborators include Peter Gabriel, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and David Bowie, amongst others) on his last album, If The Stars Are Eternal, So Are You And I.
His work has won numerous local and international awards and can be found in Communication Arts, Design Indaba Magazine, Ad Vantage Magazine, bestadsontv.com, Contagious Magazine, Archive, The University of Pretoria’s Permanent Design Collection, X-ings: Shaping Culture Through Design Exhibition, The United Nations Gallery of Sustainable Communication, TEDx, Heso Magazine (Japan) and http://www.inpursuitofelegance.com
Iain’s work focuses on non-traditional media in all its forms. He has never once really and truly enjoyed a long walk on a beach." - source
As a creative director, he’s a champion for innovative design and communication for his clients which have included Nike, Levi’s, Johnny Walker, The Design Indaba, MTN, apple and many more, from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town. His work has spanned everything from monuments to biodegradable posters.
In 2009, for his work as the author of the art/photography project “I Wrote This For You”, he was voted one of the top 5 finalists in the world in the “Best Blogger To Follow” category on mashable.com under his online pseudonym, pleasefindthis.
The project, which has proven incredibly popular across the world and gone on to become a best selling book, has also afforded him numerous exciting opportunities, including an invitation to dinner with the US Ambassador to South Africa, Donald Gipps as a consultant on digital development within South Africa, and a speaking spot at TEDx Johannesburg.
Through the project, he was also able to have skateboards delivered to The Uganda Skateboard Union on behalf of Stacy Peralta, director of Dogtown And Z-Boys and Riding Giants and he’s previously acted as a creative consultant to Brian Wayne Transeau or “BT” (whose previous collaborators include Peter Gabriel, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and David Bowie, amongst others) on his last album, If The Stars Are Eternal, So Are You And I.
His work has won numerous local and international awards and can be found in Communication Arts, Design Indaba Magazine, Ad Vantage Magazine, bestadsontv.com, Contagious Magazine, Archive, The University of Pretoria’s Permanent Design Collection, X-ings: Shaping Culture Through Design Exhibition, The United Nations Gallery of Sustainable Communication, TEDx, Heso Magazine (Japan) and http://www.inpursuitofelegance.com
Iain’s work focuses on non-traditional media in all its forms. He has never once really and truly enjoyed a long walk on a beach." - source
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
July 27, 2025
What if someone left their journal behind—pages soft with time, corners bent, each entry marked with a date and a whisper? fascinating right!?
I Wrote This For You feels like that lost journal. Like you weren’t supposed to find it, but it’s exactly what you needed to read.
A book that doesn't shout—it sighs.
A collection of black-and-white photographs paired with sparse, poignant poetry. And somehow, between the emptiness of the pages and the pauses between the words, it manages to say everything.
It's broken into sections—The Past, The Present, The Future, The Words, The Pictures—and each one feels like flipping through old letters you never sent.
There’s heartbreak here. Longing. Nostalgia.
A deep sense of something lost—and maybe never found again.
This book? It’s for the quiet 2 a.m. moments. For when your heart’s doing that thing where it hurts but doesn’t know why. For when you’re not ready to talk about it, but you need someone to get it anyway.
There’s a certain kind of ache here. The nostalgic kind. The kind that makes you feel 17 again, staring out of a train window, pretending your life is a movie. It’s that quiet ache of remembering something you never really had—but still miss.
This isn’t the kind of poetry you analyze. It’s the kind you feel—in your throat, in your chest, in the silence before sleep.
Page after page of untitled poems—short, aching, hauntingly vague—and paired with black-and-white photographs that look like they were pulled from a dream you half-remember.
-The book is structured into chapters that feel like emotional timelines:
🤍The Past
🤍The Present
🤍The Future
🤍The Words
🤍The Pictures
🤍The Heart
🤍The End
🤍Moments Of Truth
🤍Things Forgotten
🤍Things Remembered
🤍Things Left Unsaid
🤍Things You’ll Never Hear
🤍Hope Lives Here
The poems are short. Sometimes a sentence, sometimes a paragraph. And yet—somehow—they manage to say everything. Like someone cracked open your ribcage, peeked inside, and left you a note.Structured with minimalist prose and paired with moody, black-and-white photography, the book carves a unique reading experience. Each poem is untitled, untethered, and emotionally raw, often capturing fleeting feelings in under a paragraph. There’s heartbreak, yearning, memory, and hope all tangled in its short verses. And yet, its greatest strength lies in its universality. Whether you're aching, healing, or searching, there’s a page in this book that feels like a quiet companion.
There’s nostalgia in every line.
The kind that makes you want to revisit every almost-love, every what-if, every goodbye you never really said.
Some poems are like paper cuts—small, but they sting.
Others feel like someone held your hand in the dark and didn’t let go.
And yet... not every page leaves an imprint.
Some pieces float past you, too vague, too familiar.
You start to wonder—was this written for me, or could it be for anyone🤍
But then, maybe that’s its quiet magic.
It’s meant to be what you need it to be.
Not a story. A feeling.
📷 The black-and-white images? They aren’t just photos—they’re memories you forgot you had. Grainy, distant, cinematic.
~Read it when:
— you're homesick for a version of yourself that doesn’t exist anymore.
— you're soft and breakable and want to be understood without explanation.
— you want something that won’t fix you, but will sit with you while you fall apart.
~Final thoughts:
✨ Rating: 3.5 stars.
Not every poem will resonate, and some may feel too vague or abstract—but when I Wrote This For You hits, it cuts deep. It’s a book to revisit during quiet nights, heartbreaks, or transitions. Keep it on your shelf like a friend who never asks questions, just listens. At times, it felt like scrolling through beautiful captions rather than diving into a cohesive body of work.
But maybe that’s what makes it so real—it mirrors the messiness of our inner world.
I Wrote This For You feels like that lost journal. Like you weren’t supposed to find it, but it’s exactly what you needed to read.
A book that doesn't shout—it sighs.
A collection of black-and-white photographs paired with sparse, poignant poetry. And somehow, between the emptiness of the pages and the pauses between the words, it manages to say everything.
It's broken into sections—The Past, The Present, The Future, The Words, The Pictures—and each one feels like flipping through old letters you never sent.
There’s heartbreak here. Longing. Nostalgia.
A deep sense of something lost—and maybe never found again.
This book? It’s for the quiet 2 a.m. moments. For when your heart’s doing that thing where it hurts but doesn’t know why. For when you’re not ready to talk about it, but you need someone to get it anyway.
There’s a certain kind of ache here. The nostalgic kind. The kind that makes you feel 17 again, staring out of a train window, pretending your life is a movie. It’s that quiet ache of remembering something you never really had—but still miss.
This isn’t the kind of poetry you analyze. It’s the kind you feel—in your throat, in your chest, in the silence before sleep.
Page after page of untitled poems—short, aching, hauntingly vague—and paired with black-and-white photographs that look like they were pulled from a dream you half-remember.
-The book is structured into chapters that feel like emotional timelines:
🤍The Past
🤍The Present
🤍The Future
🤍The Words
🤍The Pictures
🤍The Heart
🤍The End
🤍Moments Of Truth
🤍Things Forgotten
🤍Things Remembered
🤍Things Left Unsaid
🤍Things You’ll Never Hear
🤍Hope Lives Here
The poems are short. Sometimes a sentence, sometimes a paragraph. And yet—somehow—they manage to say everything. Like someone cracked open your ribcage, peeked inside, and left you a note.Structured with minimalist prose and paired with moody, black-and-white photography, the book carves a unique reading experience. Each poem is untitled, untethered, and emotionally raw, often capturing fleeting feelings in under a paragraph. There’s heartbreak, yearning, memory, and hope all tangled in its short verses. And yet, its greatest strength lies in its universality. Whether you're aching, healing, or searching, there’s a page in this book that feels like a quiet companion.
There’s nostalgia in every line.
The kind that makes you want to revisit every almost-love, every what-if, every goodbye you never really said.
Some poems are like paper cuts—small, but they sting.
Others feel like someone held your hand in the dark and didn’t let go.
And yet... not every page leaves an imprint.
Some pieces float past you, too vague, too familiar.
You start to wonder—was this written for me, or could it be for anyone🤍
But then, maybe that’s its quiet magic.
It’s meant to be what you need it to be.
Not a story. A feeling.
📷 The black-and-white images? They aren’t just photos—they’re memories you forgot you had. Grainy, distant, cinematic.
~Read it when:
— you're homesick for a version of yourself that doesn’t exist anymore.
— you're soft and breakable and want to be understood without explanation.
— you want something that won’t fix you, but will sit with you while you fall apart.
~Final thoughts:
✨ Rating: 3.5 stars.
Not every poem will resonate, and some may feel too vague or abstract—but when I Wrote This For You hits, it cuts deep. It’s a book to revisit during quiet nights, heartbreaks, or transitions. Keep it on your shelf like a friend who never asks questions, just listens. At times, it felt like scrolling through beautiful captions rather than diving into a cohesive body of work.
But maybe that’s what makes it so real—it mirrors the messiness of our inner world.
August 19, 2017
I Wrote This For You: 2007 - 2017 !!! First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
Sitting here for the last few minutes, trying to figure out how to best put into words how much I loved this book.
Summary: I need you to understand something. Ten years ago, I started writing this for you. I wrote it for you and only you. Since then, millions of other people have read it, but none have understood it the way you understand it. I set out to find you a long time ago and today, I'm so glad I finally have. Thank you for reading these words.I Wrote This For You is a collaborative photography and prose project. (Almost) every day, the photographer sends the writer a new photograph from wherever he is in the world. The writer creates a poem or short piece of prose inspired by the photograph and focused on whoever might be reading the work, or "you." The writer and the photographer have never met.
This book, the collection of photographs and poems, is just too beautiful for words. So many of these poems tugged on every one of my heartstrings, made me feel all the things and made me really think. I love this. I seriously don't know how people can do that, make you feel all the things with just a few lines.
I highlightes so many of these poems that I wanna re-read whenever I need them. But also, overall, this is one of those books, that I wanna re-read a few times as a whole, cause it's so beautiful.
Sitting here for the last few minutes, trying to figure out how to best put into words how much I loved this book.
Summary: I need you to understand something. Ten years ago, I started writing this for you. I wrote it for you and only you. Since then, millions of other people have read it, but none have understood it the way you understand it. I set out to find you a long time ago and today, I'm so glad I finally have. Thank you for reading these words.I Wrote This For You is a collaborative photography and prose project. (Almost) every day, the photographer sends the writer a new photograph from wherever he is in the world. The writer creates a poem or short piece of prose inspired by the photograph and focused on whoever might be reading the work, or "you." The writer and the photographer have never met.
This book, the collection of photographs and poems, is just too beautiful for words. So many of these poems tugged on every one of my heartstrings, made me feel all the things and made me really think. I love this. I seriously don't know how people can do that, make you feel all the things with just a few lines.
I highlightes so many of these poems that I wanna re-read whenever I need them. But also, overall, this is one of those books, that I wanna re-read a few times as a whole, cause it's so beautiful.
August 1, 2018
If anyone asks me what the most beautiful book I own is, it’s this.
I don’t know about you but I like my poetry books pretty. And this book is exactly how I want them to be. I believe this edition can be considered as a coffee table book. It has the glossy paper, the beautiful pictures, and the excellent writing.
I have a confession to make. When I can’t sleep at night, I read poetry. And more often than not, I go to this author’s blog.
This book is a collection of the author’s works for over a decade. Since I’m a frequent visitor of his website and I read his previous work, I Wrote This For You, I am familiar with some of the entries. But most of them were new to me.
If you want to read this book, I have an advice for you: Do not read this in one sitting. Normally, I would finish a poetry or prose collection in a matter of hours. But this book is not meant for it. For one, it has soooo many entries and for another, it is meant to be devoured bit by bit. The entries have an overall feel and reading them in succession will feel like reading the same thing over and over again.
I admit that this collection is not perfect. There were entries — especially the short ones — which I felt were nothing special.
But there were also some that packed a punch in just a few lines.
Here are some of the other entries that I loved.
The Gentlest Reminders Dropped From Passing Planes
The Fearful Planet
The Day You Read This
The Life And Death Of Most Of Us
I believe this book is not for everyone and will only appeal to those who can relate to this kind of writing. If you are wondering on whether you should buy this or not, I suggest that you read the author's blog first and decide on whether the "you" they were talking about is really you.
Review can also be found on my blog.
I don’t know about you but I like my poetry books pretty. And this book is exactly how I want them to be. I believe this edition can be considered as a coffee table book. It has the glossy paper, the beautiful pictures, and the excellent writing.
I have a confession to make. When I can’t sleep at night, I read poetry. And more often than not, I go to this author’s blog.
This book is a collection of the author’s works for over a decade. Since I’m a frequent visitor of his website and I read his previous work, I Wrote This For You, I am familiar with some of the entries. But most of them were new to me.
If you want to read this book, I have an advice for you: Do not read this in one sitting. Normally, I would finish a poetry or prose collection in a matter of hours. But this book is not meant for it. For one, it has soooo many entries and for another, it is meant to be devoured bit by bit. The entries have an overall feel and reading them in succession will feel like reading the same thing over and over again.
I admit that this collection is not perfect. There were entries — especially the short ones — which I felt were nothing special.
The Excuse for Your Company
I was wondering if you had a second. To talk about anything at all.
But there were also some that packed a punch in just a few lines.
The Person You Are Is Better Than The Ghost You Were
If the person you wished existed doesn’t, then that is who you must become.
The Shop That Lets You Rent Happiness
“This is the one,” the universe assures me from behind the counter.
“But I thought you said the last one was the one,” I reply.
“No,” says the universe. “I sold you that one so you would know that this, this is the one.”
“Is there another one?” I ask the universe.
“I can’t tell you,” they reply. “It’d ruin the surprise.”
The Tour Of The Impenetrable Fortress
“What type of building is this? Why would you hide all the beautiful things inside where no one can see them? From the outside, all I see is pipes and bricks, broken and rusted scaffolding, dirt and grime. No one would want to enter this place.”
“Because I live inside. And other people, live outside.”
Here are some of the other entries that I loved.
The Gentlest Reminders Dropped From Passing Planes
The Fearful Planet
The Day You Read This
The Life And Death Of Most Of Us
I believe this book is not for everyone and will only appeal to those who can relate to this kind of writing. If you are wondering on whether you should buy this or not, I suggest that you read the author's blog first and decide on whether the "you" they were talking about is really you.
Review can also be found on my blog.
August 28, 2020
Rupi Kaur zaslužuje Nobelovu nagradu u poređenju s ovim. Ma dva Nobela zaslužuje žena.
Tragično je koliko je ovo loše. Neko 10 godina zapisuje pesmice od po nekoliko strofa i nikako da ubode nešto polu pristojno.
Takođe, koliko si ekstra od 0 do Ijan S. Tomas koji je svakoj pesmičici i misli osmislio naziv i zapisao tačan datum kad je to nastalo?
Upareno sa srednje žalosnim fotografijama, ova zbirka je kao tumblr neke depri tinejdžerke. Verovatno su one i davale ovoliko visoke ocene. Inače ima još nekoliko nastavaka ovoga, plašim se i da bacim letimičan pogled na to.
Evo nekoliko hajlajtova (malo parafraziram jer nemam nameru da se vraćam i prepisujem tačno od reči do reči):
"They asked me where it hurts, so I pointed at you."
"Most of us will ask our friends to stream mp3, and not ask our friend to play the guitar."
*Oasis - Wonderwall playing in the background*
Tragično je koliko je ovo loše. Neko 10 godina zapisuje pesmice od po nekoliko strofa i nikako da ubode nešto polu pristojno.
Takođe, koliko si ekstra od 0 do Ijan S. Tomas koji je svakoj pesmičici i misli osmislio naziv i zapisao tačan datum kad je to nastalo?
Upareno sa srednje žalosnim fotografijama, ova zbirka je kao tumblr neke depri tinejdžerke. Verovatno su one i davale ovoliko visoke ocene. Inače ima još nekoliko nastavaka ovoga, plašim se i da bacim letimičan pogled na to.
Evo nekoliko hajlajtova (malo parafraziram jer nemam nameru da se vraćam i prepisujem tačno od reči do reči):
"They asked me where it hurts, so I pointed at you."
"Most of us will ask our friends to stream mp3, and not ask our friend to play the guitar."
*Oasis - Wonderwall playing in the background*
October 30, 2017
Beautiful new pictures but lots of old poems
There were a lot of beautiful new pictures but lots of old poems. The poems from 2015-2017 were new but most of the others were old, just new pictures with them or handwritten instead of typed.
There were a lot of beautiful new pictures but lots of old poems. The poems from 2015-2017 were new but most of the others were old, just new pictures with them or handwritten instead of typed.
October 22, 2017
Beautiful, there is a poem in here for everyone and I definitely related to many. Some I even reread before turning the page, but certain poems I liked more than others. The visualizations of the photography really brought the words to life. You can absolutely tell that this book was written for you. Recommended to all poetry fans!
Thank you to the publisher & netgalley! Definitely enjoyed this book!
Thank you to the publisher & netgalley! Definitely enjoyed this book!
August 7, 2023
Review to come...
November 11, 2022
Beautiful photography omg
December 25, 2021
My love for I Wrote This For You is endless. This is a collection of poetry and photography with new work, and old stuff. If you loved the previous one, you'll love this too.
February 26, 2022
I need you to understand something. Ten years ago, I started writing this for you. I wrote it for you and only you. Since then, million other people have read it, but none have understood it the way you understand it. I set out to find you a long time ago and today, I'm so glad I finally have. Thanks you for reading these words —IAIN S. THOMAS
Every once in awhile, I come across a book that speaks to my heart of who I am, as though it was written specifically for me. That's how I feel about I Wrote This For You.
There is excellent work written inside this exquisite book. I wish I could mentioned all of them, but I did choose a few particular quotes that REALLY spoke to me the most which also describes different moments throughout my life. Either it was something was I dealing with or thinking about or felt at the time.
The Dark Words You Walk Down At Night
Tuesday September 25, 2012
This is why it hurts the way it hurts.
You have too many words in your head. There are too many ways to describe the way you feel. You will never have the luxury of a dull ache.
You must suffer through the intricacy of feeling too much
The Heart Outgrows The Chest
Wednesday February 12, 2014
The further inside you hide the hurt,
The more it hurts inside.
All wounds need air to heal
I Wrote This For You 2007-2017 is so wonderful and one of the most (honest) books I ever read this will forever be a personal favorite and holds a special piece of me this captivated me the moment I seen it But it was when I actually read those mesmerizing first words on the back which is shown above at the beginning of this review that I KNEW I WOULD LOVE IT and that it needed a home with my collection of books how wonderful it was for me to find this which was accidental but i'm kinda glad I haven't read his previous Poetry cause having a little of them all inside this special edition a decade of poems inside one perfect collection I truly enjoyed every bit of this book not just as a every day reader but always being a real lover of POETRY even as a kid there is guaranteed to be something in here for everyone This book is just that fascinating I also really like that there was dates & timelines added with photographs thinking does the photo describe what the words are saying or vice versa not alot words were use all the time or needed for the message to leave a lasting impression you still feel such a impact within these pages It's like the author was saying feel what i'm feeling and where i'm going and what i'm doing which I personally related to too many in this compilation The best way I can explain the amazingness in this collection of modern poems or at least how it made me feel
. . . Being in Love with life then being let down by that love with heartache then learning and dealing with the wrong people moving on living with the pain starting new relationships then our past coming back to haunt us losing hope while still dreaming and falling in love all over again I think this book is a little bit of everything wrap up brought to visual LIFE
The Parts We Keep
Wednesday January 11, 2017
Don't let them kill the parts of you that they don't like.
Keep all of you and never be afraid to be everything you are
The Ground Will Give Way
Monday November 16, 2009
The bad news is your choices and intentions, some people and places, those nights spent awake and all you've done, can lead you to the bottom of the pit.
The good news is, this wouldn't be the first time
someone's crawl, tooth and nail out of hell.
A WORK OF ART IS A WORLD IN ITSELF
I Wrote This For You 2007-2017 is a book that makes you feel like you were never alone like someone really understood This really felt like it was meant for you speaking to you and only you That you were suppose to find this book because maybe you needed to hear these words for encouragement or maybe to find peace or maybe this help you face some fears you might have his words takes you many places and demands to be felt he captures the essence of what it means to be human with his words I loved the feeling of freedom that this book gives you All these poems are kinda like 316 pages of Lost Love Letters I truly enjoyed what felt like a journey through life a emotional heart breaking but passionate and beautiful world that was uplifting and (always) meaningful this touched me deeply I mean it really hit me hard I even teared up a few times poetry is powerful sometime it's the only thing that speaks to us a certain part of who we are how a few chosen words can convey so many thoughts and feelings Iain S. Thomas heart & soul is felt on every page with his dynamic poetic words and themes throughout the book guided with stunning imagery and a UNIQUE style of his own
The Sun Will Freeze Before I Do
Tuesday February 7, 2012
I promised alot. But never that I wouldn't get back up
after being knocked down.
Never that my broken remains
wouldn't catch fire.
Never that I wouldn't burn through the ice
one more time.
And you can slam your glaciers into me, I will not go numb from the cold, I will look up at you and the world and whisper through bloody teeth.
More. . .
The Fragments Of Hope
Tuesday May 11, 2010
Dear Future You hold on. Please.
Love, Me
Dear Current You I'm holding on. But it hurts
Love, Me.
Dear Past You I held on. Thank you
Love, Me
The Place I'm In
Thursday April 12, 2009
Bring your death, your disease, your collapse economy it doesn't matter I have nothing left to lose and you cannot kill me here.
Bring your tears, and wails of grief or pain, bring your hate and bitterness and long worked hours, bring your love long sinse gone but you cannot kill me here.
Bring your sneers, your snide remarks and friendships never felt. For I may fall and I may fail but I will stand again each time, and you will find no satisfaction. Because You cannot kill me here.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
I've been through so much and seen so much and I'm just so tired of being tired. I look back on a life with more unpleasant memories than not unfortunately. However, as exhausting and painful as this road has been for me, I can honestly say I'm thankful for those life lessons and wouldn't trade any of my the experiences good or bad or all that I have learned along the way.
I absolutely love I Wrote This For You more than I could ever try to explain. As it's the most personal books I've ever read. this goes on my list of all time favorites. And no, thank you Iain S. Thomas for writing these words.
December 2, 2023
“I know you’re just the dream inside of a dream”
August 7, 2019
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As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Review also posted here.
Sometimes, poetry is the only thing that speaks to certain parts of our souls or minds or hearts. It can scrape past the superficial lines of who we are and touch on something deeply. I Wrote This For You is one of those collections that touches on something so raw and vulnerable, you often squirm from the way it makes you feel. This is my first experience in Iain S. Thomas' work but I can see what compels his fans to reach out and hope to touch the words he pens.
Life is full of so many complexities and like so many of his counterparts, he exposes parts of these traits in a way that makes readers feel attached to the very words he writes. It also lends a hand in exploring who we are as people--connecting our thoughts to his and then back again. When reading I Wrote This For You, you find yourself in the lines of a poem and suddenly, you're no longer completely alone. This is not something to be taken lightly; you will find yourself highlighting and tabbing many sections of the prose. It is the very type of collection you pick up and by the time you're finished, you are itching to submerge yourself in the pages once more.
You may be wondering why I didn't give the collection five stars--there were many moments in it that felt... oh, let's say, less powerful than others. This isn't a bad thing. Or uncommon. I had a section of I Wrote This For You stuck on loop in my mind for days after reading it--but there were some parts that were tedious in tone, too familiar and weak in comparison to the rest, that made a few parts slower to me. At the end of the day, this means nothing. For the work speaks to me on different levels than it will to the author or readers. And that's perfect.
I've said it before and I'll say it again--modern poetry has really taken a hit from the literary world in a way that makes me flinch in annoyance. They've forgotten what it means to be a poet. They've just decided what makes poetry appealing to them. I Wrote This For You is modern poetry at its rawest and there's nothing anyone can say that makes me feel differently about it. Something about it is so undeniably special and full of spark that you can't help but to be drawn by it. For writers, you pick it up and suddenly remember this is why you read and write to begin with. To feel something. I Wrote This For You does all of that and more. It reminds you to feel and to live all at once and that is the truest form of beauty.
There are parts of me that feel tingly just from reading it. Like a buzz spreading from the tips of my fingers throughout the rest of my body. What I loved most about it was the intimate connection we receive from the words to us, the way photography plays a part in the way everything is expressed in such a small amount of pages and of course the lasting impression it leaves upon us.
I also appreciated the timeline and dates included to every poem. Prose can be told in real time or no time at all, but the way that this is set up--told through the time of a decade--is just beautifully done. I adored it. I'm almost a little glad that I hadn't read any of this before because seeing it told in this manner, in one collection, feels right for me. It's the perfect collection to wrap up a stellar year of releases. I loved it!
You know the words are good when you feel like they were, indeed, written for you.
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Review also posted here.
Sometimes, poetry is the only thing that speaks to certain parts of our souls or minds or hearts. It can scrape past the superficial lines of who we are and touch on something deeply. I Wrote This For You is one of those collections that touches on something so raw and vulnerable, you often squirm from the way it makes you feel. This is my first experience in Iain S. Thomas' work but I can see what compels his fans to reach out and hope to touch the words he pens.
Life is full of so many complexities and like so many of his counterparts, he exposes parts of these traits in a way that makes readers feel attached to the very words he writes. It also lends a hand in exploring who we are as people--connecting our thoughts to his and then back again. When reading I Wrote This For You, you find yourself in the lines of a poem and suddenly, you're no longer completely alone. This is not something to be taken lightly; you will find yourself highlighting and tabbing many sections of the prose. It is the very type of collection you pick up and by the time you're finished, you are itching to submerge yourself in the pages once more.
You may be wondering why I didn't give the collection five stars--there were many moments in it that felt... oh, let's say, less powerful than others. This isn't a bad thing. Or uncommon. I had a section of I Wrote This For You stuck on loop in my mind for days after reading it--but there were some parts that were tedious in tone, too familiar and weak in comparison to the rest, that made a few parts slower to me. At the end of the day, this means nothing. For the work speaks to me on different levels than it will to the author or readers. And that's perfect.
I've said it before and I'll say it again--modern poetry has really taken a hit from the literary world in a way that makes me flinch in annoyance. They've forgotten what it means to be a poet. They've just decided what makes poetry appealing to them. I Wrote This For You is modern poetry at its rawest and there's nothing anyone can say that makes me feel differently about it. Something about it is so undeniably special and full of spark that you can't help but to be drawn by it. For writers, you pick it up and suddenly remember this is why you read and write to begin with. To feel something. I Wrote This For You does all of that and more. It reminds you to feel and to live all at once and that is the truest form of beauty.
There are parts of me that feel tingly just from reading it. Like a buzz spreading from the tips of my fingers throughout the rest of my body. What I loved most about it was the intimate connection we receive from the words to us, the way photography plays a part in the way everything is expressed in such a small amount of pages and of course the lasting impression it leaves upon us.
I also appreciated the timeline and dates included to every poem. Prose can be told in real time or no time at all, but the way that this is set up--told through the time of a decade--is just beautifully done. I adored it. I'm almost a little glad that I hadn't read any of this before because seeing it told in this manner, in one collection, feels right for me. It's the perfect collection to wrap up a stellar year of releases. I loved it!
You know the words are good when you feel like they were, indeed, written for you.
October 15, 2017
Never read the I Wrote This For You books? Don't know where to start? You can't go wrong picking up this one first. This breathtaking collection features 316 pages of Thomas' best work over the last 10 years.
For those who have followed Thomas for years, the presentation of this collection is refreshing - somehow both classic and new. Although there is an overlap in some poetry from his previous publications, it is by no means a disappointment. Any fan will be thrilled to see his/her favorites among the new and unfamiliar. I nearly cried when I saw this on the shelf of my local Barnes & Noble, months too early, and I haven't put it down since.
Stranger or old friend to Thomas and his work, this book is worth every single penny. You will not be disappointed. He wrote this for you.
P.S. I am so happy Iain S. Thomas' name is published on the cover (along with "pleasefindthis"). He deserves all the credit and praise the world has to offer.
For those who have followed Thomas for years, the presentation of this collection is refreshing - somehow both classic and new. Although there is an overlap in some poetry from his previous publications, it is by no means a disappointment. Any fan will be thrilled to see his/her favorites among the new and unfamiliar. I nearly cried when I saw this on the shelf of my local Barnes & Noble, months too early, and I haven't put it down since.
Stranger or old friend to Thomas and his work, this book is worth every single penny. You will not be disappointed. He wrote this for you.
P.S. I am so happy Iain S. Thomas' name is published on the cover (along with "pleasefindthis"). He deserves all the credit and praise the world has to offer.
July 7, 2018
Omg only like 10 of the poems were good
February 7, 2022
So many feelings
November 6, 2017
My Disclaimer:
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
What it’s about…
This is the collected poems by Iain S. Thomas over a decade. They deal with the sense of loneliness and the attempt to connect with another, to reach out and touch another soul, another being. To not be empty.
There are approximately 400 poems in this collection. Each has a date. Some go for several pages and some barely cover several lines. Only the ones written for you will speak to you.
There are also images incorporated into the collection. Some of them relate directly to the poem they are with, others do not.
Technical Tidbits…
The cover of handwritten text on an abstract background is quite appropriate for this book. It’s not exactly eye-catching, but it is appropriate. Something bright and cheery or terribly formatted would have been very incongruent to the subject and presentation of the work within the book.
Writing Quality of poetry is difficult to evaluate unless you are going to look at the technical aspect of it. Freeform does not lend itself to that approach. And this is certainly freeform.
The good, the bad, and the ugly…and how much it lit up my life… ✰✰✰⭒
I sat and read this whole book in one sitting, from the first page all the way to the last. I read every poem and looked at every photo. So poems I read more than once, and there are some I highlighted for future reference.
There are about 400 poems in this collection. It’s hard to count them accurately with the way they are written in parts of the ARC I have. Less than 10%, about 1/12, actually only 36 of the poems had meaning for me out of those 400-ish poems. No, that’s not a majority, but it is a lot of poems. It’s a whole lot of words. And I found a lot of meaning in those words. Some of the poems sounded like what my friends and I used to write when we were younger and traded our journals to share our work. The angst of youth. The work seemed fairly youthful to me with a good flow of thought. There was good imagery in a lot of it. There was also a lot of insight into the human condition of pain at parting and the pain generally found in relationships. The pain of loneliness when alone is empty.
I want to share a poem from this collection with you:
The First Day On Earth
Monday, July 30, 2012
Firstly, you need to relax. I know it’s not as warm as it once was but you get used
to the cold and warmth can be found in the people around you.
Secondly, do not
Get used to crying to get things. Some people never grow out of
it. Avoid them.
Spend time around people who smile in the face of despair.
Learn from them all
you can. Everyone is a lesson. A story. A unique and wondrous
perspective on
the chaos that is human existence. The more people you talk to,
the more you
understand it. But never speak if you have the opportunity to
listen. Especially
if you want someone to like you. There’s nothing you can say
that’ll endear
someone to you as much as really and truly listening to them.
You are on day
one of a sometimes remarkable, sometimes terrible, sometimes
beautiful, strange
and always completely unknown journey. Be ok with this.
Worrying about what
happens next will ruin the surprise. You will meet strange
people along the way,
some good, some bad. This is a pattern that will more than likely
repeat constantly as you grow up. Some things will be good,
some things will be bad. Neither
will ever last forever. Nothing will stay the same. Appreciate
every moment of
happiness and remember it when you despair. Hold them close.
And when you are happy, remember the moments of despair
and think to yourself, “I told you so.”
Never let someone else define you. You are your own creation
and only you decide how you feel, who you are and what you
want. This can be scary at first but it is
liberating to truly and utterly embrace your own identity. People
who hate you for
not being like them are not worth hating back. Please, let go of
hate whenever you can. Accept love whenever it is given and
give it out freely. It is the most powerful
force on Earth.
Enjoy your stay.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book. I am voluntarily providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
What it’s about…
This is the collected poems by Iain S. Thomas over a decade. They deal with the sense of loneliness and the attempt to connect with another, to reach out and touch another soul, another being. To not be empty.
There are approximately 400 poems in this collection. Each has a date. Some go for several pages and some barely cover several lines. Only the ones written for you will speak to you.
There are also images incorporated into the collection. Some of them relate directly to the poem they are with, others do not.
Technical Tidbits…
The cover of handwritten text on an abstract background is quite appropriate for this book. It’s not exactly eye-catching, but it is appropriate. Something bright and cheery or terribly formatted would have been very incongruent to the subject and presentation of the work within the book.
Writing Quality of poetry is difficult to evaluate unless you are going to look at the technical aspect of it. Freeform does not lend itself to that approach. And this is certainly freeform.
The good, the bad, and the ugly…and how much it lit up my life… ✰✰✰⭒
I sat and read this whole book in one sitting, from the first page all the way to the last. I read every poem and looked at every photo. So poems I read more than once, and there are some I highlighted for future reference.
There are about 400 poems in this collection. It’s hard to count them accurately with the way they are written in parts of the ARC I have. Less than 10%, about 1/12, actually only 36 of the poems had meaning for me out of those 400-ish poems. No, that’s not a majority, but it is a lot of poems. It’s a whole lot of words. And I found a lot of meaning in those words. Some of the poems sounded like what my friends and I used to write when we were younger and traded our journals to share our work. The angst of youth. The work seemed fairly youthful to me with a good flow of thought. There was good imagery in a lot of it. There was also a lot of insight into the human condition of pain at parting and the pain generally found in relationships. The pain of loneliness when alone is empty.
I want to share a poem from this collection with you:
The First Day On Earth
Monday, July 30, 2012
Firstly, you need to relax. I know it’s not as warm as it once was but you get used
to the cold and warmth can be found in the people around you.
Secondly, do not
Get used to crying to get things. Some people never grow out of
it. Avoid them.
Spend time around people who smile in the face of despair.
Learn from them all
you can. Everyone is a lesson. A story. A unique and wondrous
perspective on
the chaos that is human existence. The more people you talk to,
the more you
understand it. But never speak if you have the opportunity to
listen. Especially
if you want someone to like you. There’s nothing you can say
that’ll endear
someone to you as much as really and truly listening to them.
You are on day
one of a sometimes remarkable, sometimes terrible, sometimes
beautiful, strange
and always completely unknown journey. Be ok with this.
Worrying about what
happens next will ruin the surprise. You will meet strange
people along the way,
some good, some bad. This is a pattern that will more than likely
repeat constantly as you grow up. Some things will be good,
some things will be bad. Neither
will ever last forever. Nothing will stay the same. Appreciate
every moment of
happiness and remember it when you despair. Hold them close.
And when you are happy, remember the moments of despair
and think to yourself, “I told you so.”
Never let someone else define you. You are your own creation
and only you decide how you feel, who you are and what you
want. This can be scary at first but it is
liberating to truly and utterly embrace your own identity. People
who hate you for
not being like them are not worth hating back. Please, let go of
hate whenever you can. Accept love whenever it is given and
give it out freely. It is the most powerful
force on Earth.
Enjoy your stay.
October 21, 2020
Incredible.
February 12, 2018
I have just finished I Wrote This For You by Iain S. Thomas whose pseudonym is pleasefindthis. It isn’t a traditional book with characters that experience a problem; it is a poem book that includes photos taken by Jon Ellis. Each poem has a photograph connected to it that demonstrates the changes you experience in life. The reason why I chose this book is that it’s very hard for me to find a chapter book that I find interesting, so I figured since I like poetry I would enjoy reading a book about it, and I did.
In the book, it is broken up in four parts. They are similar to chapters which are called Sun, Moon, Stars, and Rain. The poems represent mostly everything a person goes through in life. From gaining love to losing it, and beginnings and endings. I never truly understood the meanings of the chapters’ titles but I believe they are somehow connected to change that happens in people’s lives. The poem beautifully exposes how a person evolves in life by losing and gaining certain things like love.
Throughout the book, you learn about how to grow as a person. As I was reading it, it taught me that I have to end certain relationships in order for me to have a new beginning. It teaches that sometimes you have to learn to go to actually live life. Even if you haven’t personally gone through a specific situation you can still empathize with the poem because it is so relatable. I haven’t experienced every single thing in this book but I can still relate with because of the fact that I understand where the poet is coming f
During the time I was reading this book I was debating on whether or not I should let go of certain people and this book taught me that you have to let go of the of the negativity in order to have a fresh start. I am very glad I came across this book because it has helped me be okay with letting go. Each poem had it’s very own impactful meaning to me. Even if I didn’t understand the exact poem in that moment of reading it I eventually would and that’s one thing I love about it.
The main reason why I love this book is that everyone can have a different interpretation of the same poem and still be right. I believe most chapter books are boring but with poetry it’s different. With poetry, you can be free with what you think the main idea is. In regular literature, everything is set in stone, but with a poem, there can be a million “main” ideas. The one thing is the book I would change is the number of pictures in the book. There is a picture for everything poem which I think isn’t really needed because some of the poems didn’t really relate to the pictures that much.
I would recommend this book to anyone because of the fact that I feel as though everyone can relate to it, especially teenagers. Most teens are confused about a lot of things and most times they feel like their world is crashing down on them, and by reading these poems it will enlighten them that all bad things come to an end. I never read anything like this before and after reading this it made me more interested in reading poetry. After finishing this I want to begin reading Milk and Honey because of their similarities I’ve heard about.
April 3, 2017
The book " I Wrote This For You" is a very good love/hate poem book. This book shows a lot of tiny little poems with pictures to go along with it. One of the poems that stuck out to me is on page 182 titled The Shipwreck In My Head' "Everything you do, you pay for.So if you're going to kiss me you'd best be prepared to bleed." I'm thinking it means that is there going to be together there going to have to go through everything together and even though it may hurt you as well but, it's what we pay'd for. Another poem that stuck out to me was on page 205 titled The Wet Hair And Eyes, "You are a drop in a imperfect world. And all I want is a taste." I'm pretty sure this means that This world is a horrible world and that you are perfect for me and that you're perfect and through this horrible world all I want to do is be with you. I sincerely recommend this book to 12&up because there are somethings that may sound weird to any age it's just i think the younger they are they won't understand what the poems mean.
October 9, 2017
"I Wrote This For You: 2007 - 2017" is a wonderful collections of photographs from all over the world coupled with prose. Iain S. Thomas starts off the book saying "I wrote this for you... I wrote this for you and only you...You were meant to read these words. Thank you for finding this."
I found his prose to be beautiful, honest, and he often seems so on the mark with my own thoughts and feelings that it does seem as if this book were written for/to me. I don't know how he does it, but he speaks in few words for himself, for me, for all of humanity.
I LOVE THIS BOOK and will keep it and read it again and again and again. I hope you find it and read it too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing.
I found his prose to be beautiful, honest, and he often seems so on the mark with my own thoughts and feelings that it does seem as if this book were written for/to me. I don't know how he does it, but he speaks in few words for himself, for me, for all of humanity.
I LOVE THIS BOOK and will keep it and read it again and again and again. I hope you find it and read it too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing.
March 3, 2018
3.8⭐️ for the poetry & 4 ⭐️ for the pictures.
.
.
I really need to read this again since I read this during my reading slump. In order to grab the meaning behind those words, i actually need to read the same line a few times. I don't know what's wrong with me & that's not fair for this book. 😷
Honestly, most of it are quite average in my opinion which means they're random & redundant. However, some of the poetry are like arrows that shot straight to your heart or slaps to your face and that's why I really like it.
The pictures accompanying the writing are quite vivid & expressive, although they look like random snaps.
..
.
I really need to read this again since I read this during my reading slump. In order to grab the meaning behind those words, i actually need to read the same line a few times. I don't know what's wrong with me & that's not fair for this book. 😷
March 1, 2018
I've wanted to read versions of this poetry for years. I'm not sure what held me back but reading this special edition was meant to be for me. I found this version in target last weekend and I've been picked up this book every second i had a few minutes to get lost in the authors words. I've always been a poetry loved as I have a love for words myself but the feels this book gave me were unreal. I am so in love with it. I can't wait for more.
October 18, 2017
This is a collection of poetry with new work and also a bit of previously published poems. There is also some beautiful photography. If you loved his past work I think you will enjoy this as well.
I adored it. I had to pace myself so that it wasn't over too quickly!
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.*
I adored it. I had to pace myself so that it wasn't over too quickly!
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.*
August 31, 2017
The writings becomes better as you progress. Need to own just so i can flip it open on a random page and read, reread,. Want to gift this to someone someday. Not a 5 because some (a few) were just okay. Overall, beauuuutiful! So many highlighted favourites!
October 15, 2017
I will read this over and over. There are words for every life experience. The poetry in this book is some of the most poignant and beautiful I have ever read and the photography is magnificent. I am so glad I purchased this one instead of just getting it at the library.
October 3, 2017
Always beautiful, this compendium of dated posts of lovely prose was perfect.
November 19, 2017
I want to give this more than five stars. This book holds everything I need at this point in my life, I will forever love Iain and he’ll always be my favorite.
May 5, 2018
“Be soft , do not let the world make you hard.”
July 29, 2020
Lots of food for thought. May read like cliche but it is a good reminder.
Some of my favourite:
"All the hardest, coldest people you meet were once as soft as water. And that's the tragedy of living".
"To you, it was just picking flowers. To them, it was a massacre."
"I used to think that when you got old, you envied the young. But now I see that you only ever envy yourself and who you used to be. You only ever look at young people and wonder how you survived all that".
"In this room. With the curtains drawn. With the lights on. The sun shining outside. This is where you hurt the most".
"That's what it feels like when you touch me. Like millions of tiny universes being born and then dying in the space between your finger and my skin. Sometimes I forget".
Some of my favourite:
"All the hardest, coldest people you meet were once as soft as water. And that's the tragedy of living".
"To you, it was just picking flowers. To them, it was a massacre."
"I used to think that when you got old, you envied the young. But now I see that you only ever envy yourself and who you used to be. You only ever look at young people and wonder how you survived all that".
"In this room. With the curtains drawn. With the lights on. The sun shining outside. This is where you hurt the most".
"That's what it feels like when you touch me. Like millions of tiny universes being born and then dying in the space between your finger and my skin. Sometimes I forget".
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