Poems from the Attic

by Morgan Nikola-Wren

From Goodreads Choice nominee, Morgan Nikola-Wren comes a collection of "homeless poems," some cut from previous and upcoming projects, some briefly forgotten.

Gathered into a 95 page compilation with accompanying images, "Poems from the Attic" is at once playful and pensive. It is a love letter to the reader, singed at the edges and creased many times over. It is a walk through the creative process and an ode to the shadowy, quiet places we all carry inside of us.

Genres: Poetry, Horror

95 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2019

About the author

Morgan Nikola-Wren began writing poetry for various literary periodicals in 2013. She is a winner of the Pangaea Worldwide Poetry Slam, 2016, and has published four books of poetry. Her debut book, Magic with Skin On, received a Goodreads Choice nomination for Best Poetry Book of 2017, and was featured in Barnes and Noble's "25 Must-Reads for National Poetry Month," alongside writers such as Maya Angelou and William Shakespeare. (Yeah. That's super weird for her, too.)

Morgan ran away to Germany with her husband's circus for a year, then worked as a school librarian in Pasadena. Now, she lives in Milwaukee, where she teaches aerial dance. She is perpetually searching for new favorite words, more black clothing, and the perfect design for her next tattoo.

Find her on Instagram @morgannikolawren.

Reviews

[Sasha Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?

Yes! I'm using capital letters and I used a movie quote. This deliciously creepy book deserves just that.

Look, I was already having a love affair with the cover. Can I marry this entire book?

I love for the creepy, poetic, artistic aesthetic. The lace, the dolls, the poetry, the tentacles in a cup. It's all the best ish.

Morgan Nikola-Wren never fails to light a fire in my soft yet cold, dead heart.

[JKirin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intimate, raw, piercing through your core, not resting until it reaches your very soul, pulls it out on the surface, and looks it directly in the eyes – there’s no other way to describe this collection of poems. Brilliant.
Don’t forget to breathe.

[Ashly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is stunning. Not only Morgan's words, which surely are that, but all the illustration/layout choices here. It's a small square of perfect poetry, art, and magic.

[Brave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan Nikola-Wren continues to climb the ladder of my favorite poets.

[Dorothy Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

De ez jó volt amúgy. Néhol ez is átcsúszott az instaköltők stílusába, hogy

"tökmindegy,
mit írok le,
ha elég
sok
Entert
nyomok,
el tudom adni,
mint vers.

- mert minden gondolatom arany"

... de hála az égnek ennél markánsabb hangulatú könyv, még ha a végére inkább repetitívvé is válik. Gótikus kis kincsesláda, tele igazgyönggyel és vércseppekkel. És milyen szép lehet ez a kötet élőben amúgy, az illusztrációk csodásak.

[cherry ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a hauntingly compelling and beautifully eerie collection! the dark themes of these poems hitting close to home makes it extra unsettling. the imagery was vivid and stunning. the visuals/art between each poem were gorgeous. really recommend for horror fans who want to get into poetry.

[Jessica Renea Brandon]

I don't know where to start. This collection of poetry is incredible. Beautiful. Amazing. I'm in love with all the parts of it that make it complete. Sometimes you pick a book to read, not knowing it's exactly what you needed to read in that moment. This book was exactly that for me. It took my breath away with how much I needed these words. Sometimes I would have to stop and take a moment just to sit and absorb it all. I love the feeling of reading a poem and having to stop, hand on my chest, sitting with how powerful the words were. How much they resonated with me. This author always surprises me and inspires me more than I can express, in my own poetry. Morgan brings something different to the poetry table. Something that strikes me whenever I read her works. I feel like nothing I say will be able to explain how her writing makes me feel. This is the poetry people need.

[Alan D.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

La lectura fue una experiencia bastante completa. Tanto los poemas como los diseños me atraparon. Es sencillo, fácil de disfrutar, y con pasajes que encantan lo suficiente como para releerlos varias veces. Perfecto para pasar el rato disfrutando de una lectura ligera, también te pone a pensar y soñar despierto sin darte cuenta, dejando que se pase el tiempo.
Reseña completa (10 de abril): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/20...

Reading was quite a complete experience. Both the poems and the designs caught me. It's simple, easy to enjoy, and with passages that are enchanting enough to reread them several times. Perfect for passing the time enjoying a light read, it also makes you think and daydream without realizing it, letting time pass by.
Full review (April 10): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/20...

[Elyse Welles · Rating 5 out of 5]

“And in my best
long-suffering hero voice,
I tell myself I'm just another
self-involved twit
who thinks they must be made
of some grand story
just because they've got compulsions
that beg to be turned into regrets
whenever a room paints itself
in shadows.”

Cliche and perhaps obvious, but this book is hauntingly beautiful. The poems are evocative and tactile, Nicola-Wren's style is illuminated from page 1. These are delightfully quotable, I want t-shirts of most of these pages. I was especially moved by the incorporation of artwork, perfectly complementary to each piece. Her choice not to use titles or break up the book in any way except through art was unique, but I liked it as the poems have excellent flow into and out of each other. Great haunted cottagecore reading!

[Miss December · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poems = 3 stars. Design = 5 stars.

This is one of the most gorgeous books I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, the poems don't really supplement the designs as much as I hoped they would. Some poems are really strong and heartfelt. The author has a poet's soul and you can tell the passion is there. But sometimes the poems were snippets of what could have been, (ie, not fully developed) and it made me yearn for what the author is really capable of.

I'd happily have her design a book for me any day. The poems themselves though were a grab bag.

Still a fan.

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good poetry with wonderful artwork

Another brilliant book from Morgan. I enjoyed reading this collection of poetry immensely and especially enjoyed the different styles as you devour the book. Some interesting artwork that allows the reader to use their own imagination to interpret.

[J.J. Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and wonderful round the edges

Loved this little book of quirky, evocative poetry. Beautifully presented and with a modern-gothic feel, this book really did read like a delightful collection unexpectedly found in the attic. Heartfelt and human with a touch of the mysterious about it.

[Marya Layth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan never disappoints. Her capacity to pour her heart and soul with such tact in everything she writes leaves me in awe every time. 'Poems from the Attic' took me on a journey curated w gorgeous steampunk art and poetry that will haunted my bones in the best way possible. I can't wait to see what she comes up w next.

[Brittany🥀;{conjuringpages} · Rating 5 out of 5]

❝𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝓋𝑜𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒.❞- Morgan Nikola-Wren

🕯

This collection of “homeless poems” sears straight to the pulse and I devoured it. The accompanying art is gothic romance perfection. Poems from the Attic is a must for any lace-wearing, candlelit spook and I can’t wait to read more from this writer.

[nesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so beautiful digitally, i can only imagine what the irl print is like 😭
such a wonderful mishmash of poems, but they all fit together well, it was like you were in the authors head and listening to her subconscious?? like constant stream of thoughts?? idk the right wording lol.
i’m not an avid poetry reader but this was a 10/10 for me

[Rebecca Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was delicious. It felt like strolling the halls of an old manor house, and feeling the eyes of its phantoms watching your movements. I adored its atmospheric writing, and the way some of the poems made my breath hitch. I’ll definitely be rereading this in the future!

[Marie McWilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book looks as beautiful as the poems are within it. Perfect for fans of all things gothic. I thoroughly recommend it.

[mar✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i fall for every storm here in this melancholy dream.

[Severind Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm generally not hard to please when it comes to stories. But when it comes to poetry? I am extraordinarily hard to please. I could list the reasons why, but that's not important. Because unlike the plethora of poetry books I've read that didn't do it for me, Poems from the Attic had me from the start. I blame the pretty cover for drawing me in in the first place.

I'm not sure where I saw it first. Amazon, whilst browsing for other books? Instagram, while scrolling through endless book-related images by many talented strangers? Could've been either one. It doesn't matter which. Because either way, I finally bought the book. I must've known that with a cover like that, this collection of poems would be right up my alley. There were several in this collection that hit close to home. That made me stop and think. That made me close my eyes and realize, "This describes me. Or a past version of me." And I liked that. Because not only did I like the way these poems were written, not only did I enjoy the prose with which the author used, not only did I find the book just as stunning inside as I did out, but I could also relate to it.

I went into this book blind. It was a pure cover buy. The title helped, too. But I left this book happy that I took a chance on it. I've become interested in checking out this author's other work in the future. This is the kind of poetry I like to read. It's raw, lyrical, and exposed. I'd heavily recommend it.

[Julia Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just an aesthetic that I really love. I absolutely loved everything about this poetry collection! The words, the layouts and illustrations was just stunning. The poems were creepy, artistic, and really poetic. I've never read any of Morgan's work before and hers is truly different from what's out there. It's really unique and modern.

[Anna Belanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Happiness is having the living room all to yourself at three in the morning "- secretly reading "Poems from the Attic" with the windows wide open and no one to tell you it is raining outside and you'll let the rain in.
A haunting, dark romance of beautiful words, "Poems from the Attic " is a perfect book.

[leni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[jamie wren⭐️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

really good

Really good, don’t remember much bc I read it in the middle of the night weeks ago so yea but what I remember was good (this is not convincing you to read it AT ALL but I promise it’s good😩)

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a 4.5 stars, but rounded up because this book is haunting in the best way. I love the use of images so much that I may need a physical copy of this one.

[Hira Chaudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved all of Morgan's work so far, and this was a dark, beautiful collection of poems that I really adored <3

[Rhiannon Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this beautiful poetry collection.
The poems were beautiful and meaningful and the art was stunning.
Although I personally only connected to a few poems, it was a meaningful read.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤🖤🖤

[Melanie Solar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one I will read again and again!
A favourite line, "There's a ruby red kiss riding sweet across my lips, but watch out. I keep wolves in my tongue"

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this poetry collection! The illustrations were so cool

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply beautiful. This is my second read of this book and it still invokes the same feelings I had when I first read it.

Poems I had highlighted still resonate within me now.