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Raw Thoughts
In RAW THΦUGHTS, John Casey unfolds a visceral exploration of mindfulness and hope through a symbiotic fusion of poetic and photographic art. Each successive poem-photo pairing (each 'raw thought') builds on an underlying philosophy that compels us to assess and adjust what and how we think, with the aim of improving our lives, and by extension, the lives of those around us.
RAW THOUGHTS: A Mindful Fusion of Poetic and Photographic Art was nominated for the National Book Award and Griffin Poetry Prize.
RAW THOUGHTS: A Mindful Fusion of Poetic and Photographic Art was nominated for the National Book Award and Griffin Poetry Prize.
120 pages, Hardcover
Published April 26, 2021
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About the author
John Casey
7 books42 followersJOHN CASEY is an award-winning novelist and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet from New Hampshire. He is the author of The Devolution Trilogy (a psychological spy thriller series), Raw Thoughts: A Mindful Fusion of Poetic and Photographic Art, Meridian: A Raw Thoughts Book, and Things of Little Consequence. His poetry has been featured internationally in numerous literary journals and magazines. He is passionate about fitness, nature, and the human spirit and is inspired by the incredible spectrum of people, places and cultures he has experienced in life.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 19, 2020
When I initially picked up my hardback copy of John Casey’s debut poetry collection, Raw Thoughts: A mindful fusion of literary and photographic art, I was impressed by how well-designed it is as a physical object.
The black-and-white photographs are of appropriately high resolution, the only blurring intentional and used for effect. The poems are laid out on the page with plenty of white space to emphasize the relationship between the poem and the accompanying photograph and invite the reader’s reflection. As the book’s subtitle suggests, the close collaboration between Casey and photographer Scott Hussey--and their singularity of vision for the book--are clearly evident.
As Casey indicates in the Forward, Raw Thoughts is intended to take the reader through a series of reflections, beginning with despair and self-loathing and ending with happiness and acceptance. This cycle of reflection is based on the premise that awareness of the thoughts that prevent us from reaching our true potential will lead us out of those thoughts and into that potential. At the same time, however, the poem “Insanity,” beginning and ending with, “Do it again / Do it again / Do it again,” alerts us to the danger of allowing mindfulness of thought to become perseveration.
To give interested readers a good sense of the book, I’m providing a thematic sampling of lines that particularly resonated with me:
On the waning of love, from “Blue”: “From this new vantage / Your eyes are shallow / And more cerulean than blue // Maybe you are amazing and beautiful / I just can’t see it anymore.”
On the search for happiness, from “Rot in Camouflage: “You grow weary of searching / And rechannel your spirit / To embrace life as it comes / Only then does happiness sidle up behind / And tap you on the shoulder.”
On running the rat race, from “Cattle”: “There’s that guy--he got his seat / He looks satisfied / Good for him.”
On human connection, from “Real”: “You bent the pages of my book / Showing me where to read and what was best / That was real / That was what I wanted.”
On letting your children go, from “Pieces of Me”: “And I know as well / I will somehow remain whole / As long as they come back to me / From time to time.”
The collection ends with the poem “Gratitude,” which is particularly fitting on two levels: gratitude for having found love in another person and gratitude for poetry’s ability to give voice to the darkest of our raw thoughts and leave them behind.
The black-and-white photographs are of appropriately high resolution, the only blurring intentional and used for effect. The poems are laid out on the page with plenty of white space to emphasize the relationship between the poem and the accompanying photograph and invite the reader’s reflection. As the book’s subtitle suggests, the close collaboration between Casey and photographer Scott Hussey--and their singularity of vision for the book--are clearly evident.
As Casey indicates in the Forward, Raw Thoughts is intended to take the reader through a series of reflections, beginning with despair and self-loathing and ending with happiness and acceptance. This cycle of reflection is based on the premise that awareness of the thoughts that prevent us from reaching our true potential will lead us out of those thoughts and into that potential. At the same time, however, the poem “Insanity,” beginning and ending with, “Do it again / Do it again / Do it again,” alerts us to the danger of allowing mindfulness of thought to become perseveration.
To give interested readers a good sense of the book, I’m providing a thematic sampling of lines that particularly resonated with me:
On the waning of love, from “Blue”: “From this new vantage / Your eyes are shallow / And more cerulean than blue // Maybe you are amazing and beautiful / I just can’t see it anymore.”
On the search for happiness, from “Rot in Camouflage: “You grow weary of searching / And rechannel your spirit / To embrace life as it comes / Only then does happiness sidle up behind / And tap you on the shoulder.”
On running the rat race, from “Cattle”: “There’s that guy--he got his seat / He looks satisfied / Good for him.”
On human connection, from “Real”: “You bent the pages of my book / Showing me where to read and what was best / That was real / That was what I wanted.”
On letting your children go, from “Pieces of Me”: “And I know as well / I will somehow remain whole / As long as they come back to me / From time to time.”
The collection ends with the poem “Gratitude,” which is particularly fitting on two levels: gratitude for having found love in another person and gratitude for poetry’s ability to give voice to the darkest of our raw thoughts and leave them behind.
May 28, 2020
"Raw Thoughts" is a book that combines black & white photography and poetry well. The photography itself is worth a book but in no means the poetry is less of to talk about - and in this review I will be focusing on the poetry. Some of the poems play with a traditional rhythm yet others are more modern in terms of having little or no visible play of meter. The traditional rhythmic choices tend to be easy on the reader and add a playfulness to the poetry. I can imagine anyone who has researched the evolution of poetry at all, would be intrigued by such a choice to write poems. The traditional meter in verse in the poems in question might raise a question of why has a poet chosen to write in a way that seems old fashioned. Maybe to appreciate the canon of past poets? What I would call more contemporary poems give me more to think about, and make me want to return to the content, rather than the tools or methods of writing. All of the poems are philosophical and thought out well. The presence and the vulnerability of the poet is strong and visible in all of the poems, like the poetry would be an actual meditation in writing, much like I think the poet has intended. The poetry has a rich vocab even if there are some poems that could benefit from incorporating a richer language instead of f.e. repetition. The poet clearly can use language in his writing in a rich, meaningful way and has successfully done so in this poetry collection.
July 18, 2019
This book is one of a kind masterpiece!
The writer/poet, John Casey, draws you in to feel actual raw thoughts. The writings have a very interesting flow as you turn each page, engaging your brain to reflecting, perhaps, your past, present, and choices of your future. Some people may find themselves immersed in a specific poem. The amazing photographs of Scott Hussey, pair so well with the writings, creating a well collaborated work of art. I read from cover to cover when I received it and couldn’t put it down. Bravo!!!
The writer/poet, John Casey, draws you in to feel actual raw thoughts. The writings have a very interesting flow as you turn each page, engaging your brain to reflecting, perhaps, your past, present, and choices of your future. Some people may find themselves immersed in a specific poem. The amazing photographs of Scott Hussey, pair so well with the writings, creating a well collaborated work of art. I read from cover to cover when I received it and couldn’t put it down. Bravo!!!
October 24, 2020
Thank you to the author, John Casey, for providing a signed copy of this book for review. Raw ThΦughts is an engaging read, with the poetry riding a wave of fluid emotion that seamlessly flows from low to high. The photography accompanying each piece of writing are works of art in themselves, and beautifully compliment the paired poem adding depth and human perspective to the underlying message of each.
This book is thoughtfully designed. The satin/soft finish of the hardcover feels nice and of high quality in the hands. The pages are thick and of sufficient weight to preserve the fine details in the photography.
I sat down with this book planning on reading a few poems a day, and before long found myself on the Acknowledgements page. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, am happy to add this coffee-table worthy book to my collection, and will definitely be reading it again.
This book is thoughtfully designed. The satin/soft finish of the hardcover feels nice and of high quality in the hands. The pages are thick and of sufficient weight to preserve the fine details in the photography.
I sat down with this book planning on reading a few poems a day, and before long found myself on the Acknowledgements page. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, am happy to add this coffee-table worthy book to my collection, and will definitely be reading it again.
October 25, 2020
I won a copy of Raw Thoughts by John Casey from Goodreads.
Taken individually, each of the poems in Raw Thoughts by John Casey impact a variety of individuals at different times in their lives. This collection of poems, however, lifts each poem to a higher purpose. As the reader moves through the book, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. As the accompanying photos by photographer Scott Hussey add a finishing touch to the messages in the poems, enhancing the evoked emotions, readers are taken on a journey through their own hearts. Read aloud these poems to allow the language to dance on your tongue, or read silently to contemplate the meaning and visualize the sensations of your soul.
Taken individually, each of the poems in Raw Thoughts by John Casey impact a variety of individuals at different times in their lives. This collection of poems, however, lifts each poem to a higher purpose. As the reader moves through the book, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. As the accompanying photos by photographer Scott Hussey add a finishing touch to the messages in the poems, enhancing the evoked emotions, readers are taken on a journey through their own hearts. Read aloud these poems to allow the language to dance on your tongue, or read silently to contemplate the meaning and visualize the sensations of your soul.
October 24, 2020
'Raw Thoughts' by John Casey fulfills the promise made within the title. John Casey breaks away from the stuck-up, in-the-box writing many of us are used to. Casey's writing appeals to a deeper part of one's soul and brings upon an unfiltered way of thinking. He writes about passion, pain, struggles, and experiences that all persons have felt, or are bound to feel. 'Raw Thoughts' is a book that readers from all backgrounds can connect to. I enjoyed 'Raw Thoughts' and I do hope that Casey continues to write many more books like this one, as I look forward to reading them.
October 4, 2019
Awesomely put together. Each poem is perfectly constructed to connect the reader to the message. The “devil is in the details”; the message will connect you on many levels from multiple angles. The author is inspiring and authentic. Must read for those who have experienced life from a magnitude of angles. Pure architecture.
Dave P
Dave P
November 17, 2020
I won a copy of this book.
It's no wonder John Casey was nominated for the 2019 National Book Award.
Black and White photos accompany some of the poems, asking the reader to consider the weight of each written word.
Favorite poems include: Sloth, Stupid, As It Seems, Apathy, Among The Ashes.
It's no wonder John Casey was nominated for the 2019 National Book Award.
Black and White photos accompany some of the poems, asking the reader to consider the weight of each written word.
Favorite poems include: Sloth, Stupid, As It Seems, Apathy, Among The Ashes.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews