Letters to the Home

by Michael Gray Bulla, Kelly Cass Falzone, The Nashville Youth Poet Laureate (Contributor)

LETTERS TO THE HOME is a collection of poetry that seeks to explore family, memory, mental health, sexuality, grief, and trauma. The poems, ranging from four lines to a hundred, sliced in parts or told as one, stream-of-consciousness or slowly shaped, tell a story of grief and reconciliation. In these poems, cars almost crash, letters are never sent, odes are composed, and memories are unearthed.

Achingly personal and stripped bare, LETTERS TO THE HOME is an examination of what it means to grow up mentally ill; to reconcile memory with fact; and, at the center of everything, what it means to lose a sibling.

Genres: Poetry, Transgender, Queer

92 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2019

About the author

Michael Gray Bulla is a graduate of Wells College, where he majored in Creative Writing. He was named the 2017 Nashville Youth Poet Laureate with Southern Word, and his poetry collection, Letters to the Home, was published in 2019. He is the author of two young adult novels: If I Can Give You That (2023) and The Ghost of You (2024). Originally from Tennessee, Gray currently resides in Ithaca, New York with his partner and their two cats, Hermes and Hera. You can visit him online at michaelgraybulla.com or on Instagram @graybulla.

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Letters To The Home, Michael Gray Bulla explores many topics- from grief and trauma, mental health and sexuality, as well as queerphobia and the intricacies and struggles of queer and trans identities. While these are all certainly prevalent themes throughout this collection, Bulla always returns to the overall focus of the work, which is the grief following the loss of his older sister. As someone who has also lost a sibling at a relatively young age, this collection really struck a chord with me.

Michael Gray Bulla's vulnerability is admirable, and is undoubtedly what makes this collection truly special. Michael does not shy away from his pain, his anger, or any of the ugly parts of grief. Instead he lets himself feel them, giving the reader permission to do the same. This collection is bound to evoke emotion from any and all readers, and I personally haven't felt so connected to a piece of literature in a very long time. I've bookmarked many poems and I think it's safe to say I'll be returning to this book again and again.

[Riley Ziesmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon sent me my copy before it technically released so let's just pretend I'm like, some really important review person who got an early copy.

This book capture loss and it's manifestations in an honest and visceral way. The content of the poetry is heavy, and as someone who's struggled with mental health much of the poem's content resonated with me. It's very difficult for me to put my feelings into words, just know that if you've experienced a sudden loss or have struggled with mental health, much of this book will resonate with you.

[Allison Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can these fake poets please at least learn what imagery and rhetoric are and the purpose of a line break?

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, I don’t know where to start with this poetry. Michale Gray is an exceptionally talented poet who’s writing has depth and yet is accessible and relatable and deeply, deeply moving. It doesn’t take too long to get through this book, but there’s so much substance to each piece that you’ll find yourself reading it again and again just to see what other meaning you can eek out if his words. It’s just a beautiful work of art, honestly. This collection has been so many years in the making, and it is just STUNNING that someone so young has created something so meaningful, mature, and raw. I genuinely think this is something anyone who has experienced grief, loss, or the feeling of being “other” should read.

[Nash! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book having a feeling I was going to deeply connect with it, and it has been well over a year now since I have read it and I am so incredibly honored to say this is my favotre collection of poetry that I have ever read. I have re-read this book several times and each time I pick it up I can not put it down until I have read every page twice and anylsize and think deeply about the poems. Michael Gray Bulla writes with the expertise that keeps you wanting, needing, more. I can genuinely not wait to see what he has left to show the world, his words are very important to me.