This collection of poems captures an autobiographical narrative that details a mumbled childhood, a mushroom-cloud adolescence, and an early adulthood of poetic ambitions. With humor, sincerity, and lyrical flourish, these poems transcend mechanics and grasp something close to truth. They cover subjects as broad of teen partying, grief, the importance of art majors, teen suicide, beach visits, the act of reinvention, and emotional nakedness. "When I read these poems, I can hear Derek's voice screaming from the page. He has a great ability to make you feel each emotion in his words. He's really one of the best young poets in the Charleston area, and he's made me excited about the scene again. It's scary to realize that this is his first book - imagine where the brother will be in a few years. Hold on." -Marcus Amaker, poet, author of The Spoken Word, The Present Presence, and other poetic works, Graphic designer "On both page and stage, Derek Berry is a poetic volcano: his poems erupt with energy, emotional fireworks, and bursts of imaginative brilliance. Underneath the kinetic energy of his live performances, there is also a fine poet at work, crafting lines filled with wit and honesty. Derek is certainly one to watch in the world of spoken word poetry." - Matthew Foley, poet, author of We Could Be Oceans "Derek Berry's Skinny Dipping with Strangers values the reader as therapist in order to remind us that writing is healing-we have the right to write, we have the right to heal. Living is beautiful to this author. Exploring the macabre is too easy, but this author celebrates life, reminding us to enjoy it to its fullest." - Catherine Zickgraf, poet, author of Every Clock Has Its Place
About the Author: Derek Berry is a spoken word poet, a photographer's assistant, and a Political Science student at the College of Charleston. He worked as a journalist and columnist for Verge magazine for two years based out of Augusta, GA. He currently lives in Charleston, SC. He has been performing as a spoken word poet for four years in various cities. He has published in the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Poetry Matters anthology and published short fiction with The Inkling. He was the first winner of the 827's Holy City Slam. Derek recently published his first chapbook Skinny Dipping with Strangers and released his first spoken word album Perfect Nights, produced by Smohn Jith Studios.