Escape Envy

by Ace Boggess

“Ace Boggess’s ESCAPE ENVY is a book of reckoning, a collection that takes clear-eyed but tender measure of what we lose when we lose ourselves—to addiction, heartache, incarceration, and to time’s ravenous passage. In richly layered love poems, elegies, and portraits of minor catastrophes, Boggess examines what imprisons us and what can set us free. Sometimes, the beauty of a rose garden saves us as “[w]e breathe in until we suffocate / from pleasure.” Sometimes, a person’s recollected love continues, despite long absence, to salvage us “again & again ad infinitum.” And always, there are poems, like these poems, offering us succor, singing us home.”

—Francesca Bell, author of BRIGHT STAIN



“In these vibrant poems of philosophy, desire, and identity, Boggess exhibits a true talent for imbuing natural, experiential detail with authenticity, layered meanings, and lyricism. But ESCAPE ENVY is so much more than that; it’s also brimming with powerful meditations grounded in the familiar that eventually open us up to something far greater. It takes risks by exploring sincere, often harsh realities through rich, accessible language. These poems are intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging, written by someone with clear eyes and an open, curious heart that shies neither from the darkness nor the light that, together, define the human condition.”

—John Sibley Williams, author of AS ONE FIRE CONSUMES ANOTHER



“We breathe in until we suffocate/ from pleasure, when one of us/ speaks the safe word, & we go. — ‘Rose Garden, Ritter Park’ Whenever I want to steep in brilliant language, revel in a poem’s depth, rut around in its darkness, I read Ace Boggess. His singular voice pulls me into his words and won’t let go. These poems crisscross the landscape: a car, a burger, a twist of phrase, traffic jams, a teenage crush, or a failed love affair. His is a world where nothing is off limits: dementia as relevant as a river, his depiction of prison life, a brutal beatdown, desperate as lukewarm instant coffee, no cream.”

—Alexis Rhone Fancher, author of THE DEAD KID POEMS; poetry editor, CULTURAL WEEKLY



“Ace Boggess is the bareknuckle brawler of today’s poetry.”

—Greg Leatherman, managing editor of ECO MAGAZINE

103 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2021

About the author

Ace Boggess' writing has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Harvard Review, Mid-American Review, Atlanta Review, RATTLE, River Styx, Southern Humanities Review, J Journal, North Dakota Quarterly, and many other journals. He won the Robert Bausch Fiction Award and a fellowship from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. He also spent five years in a West Virginia prison. He lives in Charleston, West Virginia, where he writes and tries to stay out of trouble.

Reviews

[Ace Boggess · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Release Day! Escape Envy, my sixth book of poems is now officially out in the world. I'm so happy with this volume. Every poem has meaning to me, and I can't wait to take this book on the road. These are travelling poems that follow me through a life of freedom.

[Marne Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It gets harder and harder for me to review Ace's poetry collections with anything like objectivity, but I'm going to try. This is an especially strong collection of poems, and the theme seems to be travel and the comforts of everyday life. It's hard to pick favorites, but I'm especially taken with the very first poem ("I Was Heading for Georgia But Saw the Sunrise") and "Facebook Keeps Telling Me", which is always a big hit at poetry readings.

Pick up this collection, and you may indeed find yourself "as untroubled as a gray squirrel at rest/ warmed on its branch by the sun" (from "The Dream Turned Religious Right Before I Woke").

[David B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the poem, "The End of the Interview," Ace Boggess writes, "...my new book which has monsters / in it, all of whom look like me." I can think of no better example to express the sardonic voice in this collection. This is not to say the work has no depth, quite the opposite. Even the often cynical speaker is taken by truthful emotional responses that divert a presupposed world of tumult and distress. The poems in ESCAPE ENVY do the honest work of poetry: finding the rich philosophical landscape in the wasteland of day-to-day existence.

[Grace Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read. These poems are relatable and offer insight into the author's life. I particularly liked the poems "Hair Dye," "Where I Love You" and "Candyman."

[Paul Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt poetry penetrating the human soul.
The words flowing on the pages spawned from the deep inner psyche of a brilliantly creative wordsmith.

[Cat Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every poem crackles with energy, pain, hope, and music. This poet is bold and sensitive. This poet never disappoints.

[Mike James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ace Boggess is one of the poets I always keep up with. He's always working and always surprising his readers with fresh ways of seeing the world.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many beautifully written poems that tug at your heartstrings and think about life. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, thank you!