Hello Sunshine

by Ryan Adams

"Ryan Adams writes with equal parts precision and recklessness; the blood he draws from the text is easily as unnerving as its unapologetic tenderness. He is proof that poetry will find its writer."—Mary-Louise Parker, actress

"Ryan Adams, one of America's most consistently interesting singer/songwriters, has written a passionate, arresting, and entertaining book of verse. Fans are going to love it, and newcomers will be pleased and startled by his intensity and originality."—Stephen King, on Infinity Blues

Ryan Adams may be acclaimed primarily for albums such as Cardinology , Heartbreaker , Gold (which includes the popular hit songs "When the Stars Go Blue" and "New York, New York"), and Easy Tiger , but the world-renowned singer/songwriter has always been a poet and fiction writer at heart.

With the release of Hello Sunshine , Ryan continues to break literary ground beyond what he established with his wildly popular first book, Infinity Blues . Ryan's new work provides perhaps an even deeper insight into the man than is revealed through the songs that have resonated with his hundreds of thousands of fans.

Where his debut was characterized by the bitterness of heartbreak, Hello Sunshine is a graceful, sensual assertion of the other side of the emotional coin. This is a 2009 fever dream—inside Ryan's heart and mind—replete with unforgettable verse that will shock and delight those expecting a mere continuation of where Infinity Blues left off.

Ryan Adams is known for his prolific nature, which in the last ten years has resulted in various international hit albums. Ryan has also produced Willie Nelson's album Songbird and contributed to records by Toots and the Maytals, Beth Orton, the Wallflowers, Counting Crows, and Cowboy Junkies; additionally, he has appeared on CMT's Crossroads with Elton John.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter. Raised by his mother and grandmother, Adams dropped out of school at age 16 and performed with several local bands before moving to Raleigh and forming the band Whiskeytown. Three albums and five years later, Adams went solo, releasing Heartbreaker in 2000. A longtime resident of New York City, Adams is probably best known for his song "New York, New York", which appeared on his 2001 release Gold. He has since released four more solo albums and three albums and one EP with backing band The Cardinals. His latest release, the EP Follow The Lights, was released on October 23, 2007.

Adams has also produced albums by Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson and contributed to the albums of artists, including Toots and the Maytals, Beth Orton, The Wallflowers, Jesse Brand, Minnie Driver, Counting Crows, America and Cowboy Junkies. He also appeared on CMT's Crossroads with Elton John.

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 1 out of 5]

2019 UPDATE #WorldPoetryDay means another chance to slam bad poetry! HELLO SUNSHINE review can also be found at Shelf Inflicted.

Real Rating: 0.0000000125* of five

Why? In the name of all that's holy, why?

Memo to all prospective poets: Line breaks (and mis
used vocabulary words)
do
not make
your vapid, tem-
pestuous maunder
ings
poetry.

[Kevin Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always found it hard to get into the "weightier" poetry that one is supposed to read. I've liked bits of Baudelaire and that, but never really been able to penetrate beyond that.
Ryan Adams' poetry, as does his music, talks to me. It's in the here and now and it gets through to me more than any dead poet.
I clicked into his irregular verse with ease and my mind was filled with wonderful images that have been buzzing round my mind for years. It's warm, open and through his wonderful imagery brings you right into his world in the moment of the thought, now fully gestated in print.
Maybe something like this could spark me and be my "in" to the rest of the poetry world.

[Caitlin Buxbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very stream of consciousness, but I liked it. Some amateurish phrasing but also some stellar lines.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

ohhhhh Ryan.

your music is perfection.
your poetry...is just...awkward.

i want to love it. i want my life to be changed by it, just as it was through the music.
but it just isn't happening.

that being said, i was able to appreciate his stuff way more when i was able to see him read it (there's a youtube video of him reading White Lightning at the new york public library...i thoroughly enjoyed that).


the guy can write, but it's a million times better when there's music accompanying the words!

[Kinsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

"no,
those ghosts and i,
we aren't talking
and
i am closing this cemetery in me
for good"

For being such a beautiful lyricist, Ryan Adams' poetry is rather...awkward. Sometimes downright awful. However, it did give me a rather interesting insight into the way his mind works and "Chapter Six" had some of the best examples of his writing - outside of his songs - so I'm rather happy I read this!

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #8 completed for Book Riot Challenge: 'Book published by an indie press' Good thing this was an easy set of poetry to get through, because it was a lot of rubbish. I felt like it gives me permission to publish the poetry I wrote whilst drunk my freshman year of college, because it's pretty much the same style and quality.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give this three stars, but then I read the last chapter on my lunch break, and I really needed to give it four stars. I hope when/if I get married, my husband writes poetry like that for me.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan adams is my favorite musician. I look at his poetry books from time to time is small pieces, not straight through the way you'd read a novel or biography.

[Shelly Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many F words but I do like this author’s style and love that endings are happy but not sappy/fake happy.

[Adriana Pineda · Rating 2 out of 5]

“These fires within me they are as her name is.”
- pg. 176

[Citlalli Vargas Contreras · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading Ryan Adams' poetry, I thought it would be similar to his songs and it actually has elements that resemble his lyrics but his poems are quite circular and fluid, even if sometimes they can be very repetitive, the images he creates through his verses are charming, very according with the book title. Also, there are verses which are so simple but, at the same time they say such strong things which makes it a very nice, warm and pleasant book with a little touch of melancholy and sadness.

[Melissa Nastasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan is a *tad* bit better at being a lyrical wordsmith than a poet, but his words evoke emotion and depth either way. I met him at a reading and signing of this book a few years back at the New York Public Library, and he was one of the nicest guys ever. He's really passionate about his craft and takes it very seriously.

[Windy]

Okay, here's the plan.

Buy this book.
Find a job up north.
Pack up the car.
Drive up the I-5; reach southern Oregon as the early morning fog lifts.
Play the Cold Roses album.
Read this book.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beats the hell out of "Infinity Blues," Adams' first book of poetry! However, I really feel like Adams' strength lies in making music and that he should stick to his strengths.

[Con · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more positive by Ryan, I'm delighted for him! And me!

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt shorter than Infinity Blues, and I have to admit, I liked it better. Not sure why.

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

These poems are more manic than composed. Not similar to his music and not what I was expecting.

[Matthew Zorich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just getting started.