Oct.28~ BOOK FEATURE: Ryan Di Francesco

Welcome back, poetry fans! Today SHINE is closing out its October mini book series, with Ryan Di Francesco's new chapbook Skeleton Mine Disaster (Bottlecap Press). You can read my review of Di Francesco's expressive work, below. And simply click on the cover art to purchase your copy. Thank you, Ryan, for sharing your book news with the SHINE international poetry community!

In his new book Skeleton Mine Disaster – published this year by Bottlecap Press – Ryan Di Francesco presents readers with honesty and clarity, addressing the angst of real life issues including depression and the battle for sobriety, but also offering hints to finding joy in simplicity. I especially like this stanza from "Over Easy":

Now, the most enjoyable part of living
is dipping toast in warm yellow yolk
and having that first sip
of coffee
sober in your forties
staring at her across the table

Di Francesco mostly writes in free verse and dabbles in a bit of stream of consciousness for poems like “Bloodless Petal.” I particularly enjoyed, "Love Ate Rimbaud and All the Wild Horses" and am partial to "The Heart of the Onion" published by yours truly and forthcoming in the December Issue of SHINE Quarterly. Be sure to add Skeleton Mine Disaster to your winter reading list. Congratulations, Ryan, and Bottlecap Press, on the publish of this knockdown collection!

-SAMANTHA TERRELL, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

Ryan Di Francesco is a Canadian writer and teacher. He began as a freelance journalist, with work featured in The Toronto Star and outlets across North America, before turning his focus to poetry and fiction. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Shadow and Sax, an emerging literary and arts press, and the author of two chapbooks — The Paper Hound (Alien Buddha Press) and Skeleton Mine Disaster (Bottlecap Press). His poems and stories have appeared or are forthcoming in journals including ELJ Editions, Shoegaze Literary, The Pit Periodical, Ink in Thirds, Bicoastal Review, SQUID Magazine, Shine Quarterly, among others. He also co-wrote the indie film "Streets of Wonderland," which won multiple festival awards.