Genuine Leather is a collection of poetry currently being written with a multitude of goals in mind. I want to lean into themes of authenticity, memory, unspoken actions, and the complexity of both emotions and the world around us itself. A central aim is to celebrate endurance, traditionalism, and the textured beauty of everyday Americana. The collection is an ode to both resilience and vulnerability, two traits so often placed in stark contrast to one another. The dichotomy between the two is something I aim to break down. Stylistically, personification, metaphor, and imagery are important literary devices throughout the poems.

Ultimately, Genuine Leather is a rumination on what it means to be genuine—the troubles, relationships, and traits that lead up to it, the stories it creates, and the beauty found in it. The collection reflects my own admiration for the understated poetry of real life.

Genuine Leather isn’t meant to romanticize hardship or wrap every moment in nostalgia but rather to sit with the grit and grace of it all, to acknowledge both the beauty and the cost of being real.

The title Genuine Leather was chosen carefully. Leather is strong, marked by wear, and often passed down, much like the stories and people featured in the poems. It’s not flawless or soft for the sake of comfort; it’s shaped by pressure, sun, skin, and time. I want the poems to feel that way: lasting, honest, and worn in. I invite readers to delve into the unvarnished truths beneath surface appearances with this collection and cannot wait to release it.