He Felt Unwell

by Grant Chemidlin, Alexandra Lenihan (Illustrator)

"He Felt Unwell (So He Wrote This)" is a collection of poems and illustrations that represents the mind's messiness, how one day we can feel steely and secure, and the very next, find ourselves crumbling to bits. It's a reminder that life is a ceaseless cycle. We will always go through times when we feel empty, when we must trudge back up the hill to fetch our pails, to fill our happy. And that's perfectly okay.

Genres: Poetry, Self Help, Contemporary, LGBT

162 pages, Paperback

Published February 27, 2020

About the author

Grant Chemidlin is the author of In the Middle of a Better World (Central Avenue Poetry, 2026) and What We Lost in the Swamp (Central Avenue Poetry, 2023), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His poems and essays can be found in Literary Hub, The Los Angeles Review, Palette Poetry, Florida Review, Quarterly West, and the Academy of American Poets, among other publications. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband and cat.

Reviews

[Nahuel]

Aia mi fa male il cuoricino but so so pretty

[Megan Gafvert]

This collection is fab. I saw another reviewer call it “shel Silverstein for adults” and I think that’s spot on—addresses many topics common for adults to be wrestling with, and does so alongside beautiful yet simple illustration.

[Luke Guernelli]

Ngl poetry is probably the genre I’ve least ventured into — however this was great! Very relatable

[Kayla]

Grant Chemidlin first caught my attention on TikTok as he read some poetry. I started seeing more of his poetry & decided to buy his book. This collection -- capturing themes of mental health, love, self-image/self-esteem, and empathy -- focuses on the sound and shape of poetry, creating amazing images with words, spacing, and sketches. I will definitely be reading this again and again ❤

[Carl Spears]

Heartwarming, heartbreaking and heartwarming again.
Loved every part of this collection, the author and illustrator do a wonderful job giving life to beautifully thought out poems and works.
This book brought out every emotion and even sparks new ones, it’s wonderfully constructed and perfectly depicting the words and emotions the poems present.
Someone said the ‘Shel Silverstein’ for adults and I couldn’t agree more with that statement, this is the gay man’s “Where the Sidewalks Ends” that I never knew I needed.
Brava!!

[Lu]

BRUTAL DE LO MEJOR QUE HE LEÍDO.


-Sometimes I wish the world forced us to wear our fears and our flaws like tattoos on our skin. So on days we feel lonely, we may walk through a crowd and realize we are not alone at all.

-Fear and doubt are my collar and my chain.
I've been trained to forget I can walk so much farther without them.

-We are two trees growing side by side, and though our branches intertwine, our leaves must stay our own.

[Valen]

I love this book so so much. I stumbled across some of your poems through instagram, and decided that (someday) I'd make sure to buy your book, because honestly, they really moved me - and I promise I was not dissapointed. Each of these poems were very heartfelt and written so so beautifully. 5/5 Stars - a really, really well written poetry collection.

[Russell]

There's some good stuff in here, but it's very... one note? If you want angst, you got it. Pain, you betcha. Hope and heartbreak? yep. But not much more. It feels as though this was adapted from the poetry of a young adult, rather than a full examination of a life, which is fine, but not quite what I expected/hoped for.

[Kireinatori]

I saw a recommendation on social networks and I felt identified with the title and some of the poems I had seen, so I bought it. It was really good until the heartbreak poems ... I understand that love is part of life but I didn't expect those kinds of poems in this book. Maybe "He felt heartbroken (so he wrote this)" is the kind of book that has those ...

[Keren C]

A collection of poems exploring some very deep, emotional topics. "He Felt Unwell" shows emotions many people feel but have no idea how to verbalize. This book is only a short read but something I have reread many times, each time taking away something different. Highly recommend to those who feel as though they are drowning in a sea of silent emotions.

[Cassandra York]

This poetry collection has an excellent flow! I loved how the longer poems would be split with some shorter statements that really packed a punch. The illustrations were lovely and I really enjoyed this read. Follow the poet on Instagram for more of his work!! @grantcpoetry

[tiff rasberry]

this poetry book covers an array of deep topics from never getting to show those whom they love they’re “true” self to dealing with toxic relationship. the rhyming was well thought out and jokes dropped surrounding the redundancy

[Ali Arbeau]

This is the most genuine and authentic collection of poetry I've read in a while! A quick read, but will definitely read again becuase it's the type of thing you can read a million times and take something new from it every time!

[Kevin Moran]

I loved this book. I loved the expression of depression, love, loss, and personal growth through a poetic approach from the lens of a queer character. It was beautiful, and I was able to relate to so many of the works of art. This is a book I'll definitely continue to come back to.

[Bryan Rodriguez]

Although somewhat simple, I relate a lot to the queer experience and the negative emotions that this book evokes. The poetry is so special and specific, but at the same time, applicable to others who may also deal with deprecating thoughts and emotions of their own.

[stoianem]

4.5 stars. some of the poems put me in a sad mood but some were SO cute. also being from mn, the last poem was amazing

[richard telfer]

Omg. So wonderful. All of the feelings at once.

[James Patterson]

Quick easy and so meaningful!

[Matt Nazz]

This collection rocks, especially for those who have grown up closeted and are experiencing love and life for the first time

[Drayton Rowe]

Grant Chemidlin does an great job capturing the feeling of “unwell” in his poems and brings words to the complicated thoughts of being a 20-something. Very light,easy, fulfilling read.

[Allie]

Sad but had good flow

[Krissy Ronan]

Interesting poetry collection about mental health and relationships and just general adulting.

[Robert Pierson]

To be honest I just found everything in his book to be OK I found the drawings to be OK I found the poems to be OK I didn’t think it was anything special I just thought it was very average

[Océane Reihle]

3,5 ⭐️

[Rain]

Idk 🤷 Perhaps I'm not in the right place for this one, but I didn't like it. It was angsty in a way that made me giggle

[Maddie Fogarty]

Such a beautiful collection of poetry. Really lifted me up and helped me feel seen!

[Bridget Burkley]

this lil book *gets* me