A good poet, to me, is either witness or magician. Ben Westlie is both. These poems are proof of a life hard-won, of living, breathing things, of birds of dreams and nightmares, of soothing hands and hard slaps. These poems are spells. They commune with the dead, with missing people's shadows and of past versions of ourselves we thought we burned or buried, none of whom are truly lost. Here is a story that keeps repeating, a chanting for the lonely, the othered, the weak, the proud, the strong, the suffering, and the survivor. Here is all of us at one time or another, and maybe all of us still. Be careful, Reader. Ben Westlie is soon to show you the power of poetry.
-Bryan Borland, Founding Publisher of Sibling Rivalry Press and author of My Life as Adam
How is the feeling of belonging achieved? Must all fears be conquered? When does manhood cross the line into toxic masculinity? Ben Westlie's fearless poems don't pose answers to such tough questions but rather reveal the vertices where possibilities hover. Page after page, I was touched again and again by such poignant and resonant work.
-Nance Van Winckel, author of The Many Beds of Martha Washington
These poems are lovingly crafted, heartbreakingly authentic, and, most important, emotionally
honest. Honest about family relations, sexuality, and self. Westlie writes in the voice of "A
solitary man converted into a goddess." With its lyricism, grace, and soul, Run From Your Now is a gift for readers seeking their own truest futures.
-Sue William Silverman, author of If the Girl Never Learns
Ben Westlie's, Run From Your Now, explores the complexities of identity, from the struggles of self-acceptance to the triumphs of self-love, painting a vivid portrait of a journey in rural America. At the boundary between what is lost and what remains, Westlie teaches us resilience and endurance. This stunning and heartfelt collection is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. From the depths of nostalgia to the heights of hope, from the sorrows of loss to the joys of love, Westlie creates a poetic journey like no other. Run From Your Now resonates deeply within, leaving an indelible imprint long after the last page.
-Crystal Spring Gibbins, author of Now/Here and editor of Split Rock Review
