Ashe Vernon

a nonfictional book of poetry about the right love at the wrong time. “More poetry has been written about love and specifically, the loss of love than perhaps anything else. This book, in a brutally beautiful way, is what happens when the person you’ve lost, writes back. From London to Texas to Atlanta, from couches to bars to the floor, Ashe Vernon and Trista Mateer have written something together that is not quite a novel, almost a memoir, still a poetry book - and yet entirely something else. A raw, painfully honest and beautiful documentation of the space between two people.” — Iain S. Thomas, author of I Wrote This For You “Before the First Kiss is a beautiful tapestry of two interlocking narratives, it illustrates how love and dance are not as different as we think. They both require us to throw caution to the wind and feel something so deeply that our bodies begin to speak for themselves.” — Rudy Francisco, author of No Gravity “This collection is intimacy: stripped down and insecure; swollen with urgency. A relationship is dissected in front of us – built up and busted down without a lick of grace, but stunning in words. Vernon and Mateer break more hearts than their own with these poems.” — Rachel Nix, poetry editor at cahoodaloodaling

“Into the Belly of the Beast we crawl with Ashe as our guide; into the dark visceral spaces where love, lust, descent and desire work their transformative magic and we find ourselves utterly altered in the reading. A truly gifted poet and truth-spiller, Ashe’s metaphors create images within images, leading us to question the subjective truths, both shared and hidden, in personal relationship – to the other, and to oneself. Unflinching in her approach, her poetry gives voice to that which most struggle to admit – even if only to themselves. And as such, Belly of the Beast is a work of startling courage and rich depth – a darkly delicious pleasure.” —Amy Palko “It isn’t often you find a book of poetry that is as unapologetic, as violent, as moving as this one. Ashe’s writing is intense and visceral. You feel the punch in your gut while you’re reading, but you don’t question it. You know why it’s there and you almost welcome it.” —Caitlyn Siehl “The poems you are about to encounter are the fierce time capsules of girlhood, girded with sharp elbows, surprise kisses, the meanders of wanderlust. We need voices this strong, this true for the singing reminds us that we are not alone, that someone, somewhere is listening for the faint pulse that is our wish to be seen. Grab hold, this voice will be with us forever.” —RA Washington

A conversation between the boatman of the River Styx and a woman who wants to die. "D. A. Levy said, "If you want a revolution, return to your childhood & kick out the bottom." In Boatman, Vernon takes you on this spirited journey where you are immediately immersed in a bold story brimming with the hard, beautiful blue of life, love & death. This symbolic collection shows you what it means to be human. It reveals the depths of the soul & how sometimes we just want to give up-how our legs can get tired of treading all the dark water. Thankfully, Ashe is beside us through the entire tale, showing us how to love the water instead of fear it- & when the weight of our heads & hearts get to be too much, they offer us a hand & lead us to the boat, they ask us to climb up in it with them, & in the end, the whole of the voyage teaches us how to save ourselves." - Amanda Oaks, founder of Words Dance Publishing

Not a Girl is a short collection of poetry that takes a hard look at what it's like to be a non-binary person in a binary society. Ashe navigates the topic of gender identity with unflinching honesty and fearless vulnerability. This book is for anyone who has ever felt out of place in their own skin. A reminder that you are seen, you are real, and you are not alone.

A fearless voice shouting from east Texas, Ashe Vernon writes of fierce softness, queer love and identity, God and family. With a gift for delicate, violent imagery, Ashe invites us to lose ourselves in her world. Wrong Side of a Fistfight feels like getting lost in the woods, with someone holding your hand promising to guide you home. This is the second book of poems by Ashe Vernon, spoken word poet and author of the blog Late Night Corner Store.