What do you think?
Rate this book
Swan Wreck
This compilation of quirky poems on beauty/society, identity, anxiety, relationships and obsessive-compulsive disorder will keep you on your toes with blunt irony and dark humor. Both somber and funny at the same time, it includes delightfully dark illustrations by her daughter, Jasmyn.
Never before has innocence, darkness and quirkiness danced so well together. These poems are alive with magic, sass and originality.
--RaVenGhost Press
Never before has innocence, darkness and quirkiness danced so well together. These poems are alive with magic, sass and originality.
--RaVenGhost Press
- GenresPoetry
139 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
1,655 people want to read
About the author
Casey Renee Kiser
69Ìýbooks538ÌýfollowersCasey Renee Kiser, a.k.a. snail viXen,
is an American poet who tends to explore identity and suicidal tendencies in connection with emotional and psychological abuse, the journey to self-love, and healing from complicated relationships. Her style is street-quirk confessional, while her humor is quite confrontational, often abrupt, and always unsettling. She has written over 20 poetry collections and sprinkled the realm of indie-punk lit, transgressive small press and zines. Her latest collaboration with J.J. Campbell, Altered States of the Unflinching Souls is available now.
She is editor at RaVenGh o st Press and has appeared in Mad Swirl, Holy&Intoxicated Publications, The Legendary, Horror Sleaze Trash, Black Petals, Pyre Publishing, Fevers of the Mind, Paper and Ink Literary Zine, 48th Street Press, Alien Buddha Press, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Disturb the Universe Magazine, and is frequent in HST Quarterly. ‘C. Renee is totally out there on the edge.� —Misfit Magazine
DIY Support-Merch:
NOT YOUR KIND: The Gaslit Files
Snail Vixen and The Crystal Garden:
Connect w/ me on allpoetry:
My poem {Vision}:
Support artist Jasmyn Taylor Givens:
Jasmyn Taylor's Designs:
@snail_vixen
aka: C. Renee Kiser
"Always go too far because that's where you'll find the truth." - Albert Camus
“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.� � William S. Burroughs
Take Your Power Back and
Don't give anyone control over your perception.
The Snails recommend:
A spiritual perspective on bipolar disorder:
is an American poet who tends to explore identity and suicidal tendencies in connection with emotional and psychological abuse, the journey to self-love, and healing from complicated relationships. Her style is street-quirk confessional, while her humor is quite confrontational, often abrupt, and always unsettling. She has written over 20 poetry collections and sprinkled the realm of indie-punk lit, transgressive small press and zines. Her latest collaboration with J.J. Campbell, Altered States of the Unflinching Souls is available now.
She is editor at RaVenGh o st Press and has appeared in Mad Swirl, Holy&Intoxicated Publications, The Legendary, Horror Sleaze Trash, Black Petals, Pyre Publishing, Fevers of the Mind, Paper and Ink Literary Zine, 48th Street Press, Alien Buddha Press, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Disturb the Universe Magazine, and is frequent in HST Quarterly. ‘C. Renee is totally out there on the edge.� —Misfit Magazine
DIY Support-Merch:
NOT YOUR KIND: The Gaslit Files
Snail Vixen and The Crystal Garden:
Connect w/ me on allpoetry:
My poem {Vision}:
Support artist Jasmyn Taylor Givens:
Jasmyn Taylor's Designs:
@snail_vixen
aka: C. Renee Kiser
"Always go too far because that's where you'll find the truth." - Albert Camus
“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.� � William S. Burroughs
Take Your Power Back and
Don't give anyone control over your perception.
The Snails recommend:
A spiritual perspective on bipolar disorder:
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 19, 2016
Another amazing collection of poetry. This book contains 129 poems with the added bonus of illustrations by Casey's then 10 year old daughter Jasmyn Taylor Givens.
Casey is a wonderful author whose writing is easily understood and whose authenticity radiates out of her poems. Her ability to delve into dark themes such as anxiety, depression, loss and self esteem issues makes these poems so relatable. Casey's dark humour and quirky yet somehow perfect comparisons leaves you wanting more.
Swan Wreck contains less swearing than FADE OUT, smile. Making this collection more suitable for a wider age group. One poem in particular really spoke to me. Beauty Rarely is such a beautiful poem. Its message is so relevant and I think it should definitely be read to young women.
I know that poetry is subjective, but I don't think anyone would be able to read this collection and not be able to apply it to a feeling or experience from their own lives.
Jasmyn's beautiful yet somehow haunting drawings were a wonderful addition to this book and definitely added to the feel of the collection.
I can't wait to get my hands on more of Casey's work.
Written by Geramie Kate Barker
Casey is a wonderful author whose writing is easily understood and whose authenticity radiates out of her poems. Her ability to delve into dark themes such as anxiety, depression, loss and self esteem issues makes these poems so relatable. Casey's dark humour and quirky yet somehow perfect comparisons leaves you wanting more.
Swan Wreck contains less swearing than FADE OUT, smile. Making this collection more suitable for a wider age group. One poem in particular really spoke to me. Beauty Rarely is such a beautiful poem. Its message is so relevant and I think it should definitely be read to young women.
I know that poetry is subjective, but I don't think anyone would be able to read this collection and not be able to apply it to a feeling or experience from their own lives.
Jasmyn's beautiful yet somehow haunting drawings were a wonderful addition to this book and definitely added to the feel of the collection.
I can't wait to get my hands on more of Casey's work.
Written by Geramie Kate Barker
February 12, 2019
Quirky poetry.
There is even a poem in which she compares death to a bachelorette party.
There is even a poem in which she compares death to a bachelorette party.
November 2, 2017
Poetry that just don't get into me. I didn't feel anything reading it, maybe it's just me, poems are very personal reading material, but that one was not meant for me!
September 19, 2014
Raw, Authentic, Irreverent
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Library Thing’s Member Giveaways program.)
there will be two hits�
my words hitting the paper
and your eyes hitting my words�
I’d been trying to win a copy of one of Casey Renee Kiser’s poetry collections on Library Thing and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for months when my name finally came up for Swan Wreck. (As to why I didn’t just shell out ten bucks for a copy, I can hardly justify buying new books when my TBR pile numbers in the hundreds. Not unless it’s on sale, anyway. Priorities!) I don’t read a whole lot of poetry, but the dark, morbid themes and irreverent humor apparent in the book’s titles (I Liked You When I Thought I Was Dead; Spit Me Out; Darkness Plays Favorites) called to me.
The 129 poems that comprise Swan Wreck are gritty, authentic, and shoot straight from the heart/hip. Kiser tackles a breadth of difficult, “Lifetime Movie of the Week� topics � depression, anxiety, suicide, beauty, self-esteem, poverty, grief, loss, failed relationships, consumerism, even insomnia and the process of writing � with varying levels of success. While I enjoyed many of the poems, more than once I was left wondering what I had just read. (Kiser even makes a joke of this in “Anything, Nothing, Something�: “The point of this poem / could be ANYTHING…or NOTHING…or SOMETHING� / Does anyone out there known ANYTHING?�) I wasn’t in love with the use of caps, nor the c-word and the use of the word “rape� as a metaphor or other figure of speech (although to be fair, it’s entirely possible that the reference was both literal and over my head; poetry, not my strong suit).
A few of my favorite pieces include “Dreams Like Jackets� (“Dreams cover themselves up / like jackets over books / to let fantasy walk across�); “The Disturbed One� (“They call her Sunshine / but she’s on the moon’s mind�); “Eye Candy� (“I can only relate to you / in pieces�); “Shallow Water� (“Did God take a new job yesterday / In advertising / And fire all the black sheep?�); “The Anxiety Society� (“eye contact / is not on the agenda�); and “Pretty in Pink,� “For a Moment,� “Smart Girls,� and “The Clouds Break Apart� (all of which are so lovely that a mere excerpt couldn’t possibly do them justice).
Artwork created by Kiser’s then-ten-year-old daughter Jasmyn Taylor Givens complements the collection’s moody tone nicely; sketches of fairies, dragons, unicorns, vampires, and angels abound.
I feel more than a little self-conscious attempting to assign a starred rating to something as subjective and personal as a book of poetry, but for the purposes of this review, I think Swan Wreck is a solid 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Amazon and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Published in 2007, it’s one of Kiser’s older books (predated only by Gutter Kisses and a Hug on Garbage Day); I’m really curious to see how she’s developed as an artist in the intervening years.
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Library Thing’s Member Giveaways program.)
there will be two hits�
my words hitting the paper
and your eyes hitting my words�
I’d been trying to win a copy of one of Casey Renee Kiser’s poetry collections on Library Thing and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for months when my name finally came up for Swan Wreck. (As to why I didn’t just shell out ten bucks for a copy, I can hardly justify buying new books when my TBR pile numbers in the hundreds. Not unless it’s on sale, anyway. Priorities!) I don’t read a whole lot of poetry, but the dark, morbid themes and irreverent humor apparent in the book’s titles (I Liked You When I Thought I Was Dead; Spit Me Out; Darkness Plays Favorites) called to me.
The 129 poems that comprise Swan Wreck are gritty, authentic, and shoot straight from the heart/hip. Kiser tackles a breadth of difficult, “Lifetime Movie of the Week� topics � depression, anxiety, suicide, beauty, self-esteem, poverty, grief, loss, failed relationships, consumerism, even insomnia and the process of writing � with varying levels of success. While I enjoyed many of the poems, more than once I was left wondering what I had just read. (Kiser even makes a joke of this in “Anything, Nothing, Something�: “The point of this poem / could be ANYTHING…or NOTHING…or SOMETHING� / Does anyone out there known ANYTHING?�) I wasn’t in love with the use of caps, nor the c-word and the use of the word “rape� as a metaphor or other figure of speech (although to be fair, it’s entirely possible that the reference was both literal and over my head; poetry, not my strong suit).
A few of my favorite pieces include “Dreams Like Jackets� (“Dreams cover themselves up / like jackets over books / to let fantasy walk across�); “The Disturbed One� (“They call her Sunshine / but she’s on the moon’s mind�); “Eye Candy� (“I can only relate to you / in pieces�); “Shallow Water� (“Did God take a new job yesterday / In advertising / And fire all the black sheep?�); “The Anxiety Society� (“eye contact / is not on the agenda�); and “Pretty in Pink,� “For a Moment,� “Smart Girls,� and “The Clouds Break Apart� (all of which are so lovely that a mere excerpt couldn’t possibly do them justice).
Artwork created by Kiser’s then-ten-year-old daughter Jasmyn Taylor Givens complements the collection’s moody tone nicely; sketches of fairies, dragons, unicorns, vampires, and angels abound.
I feel more than a little self-conscious attempting to assign a starred rating to something as subjective and personal as a book of poetry, but for the purposes of this review, I think Swan Wreck is a solid 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Amazon and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Published in 2007, it’s one of Kiser’s older books (predated only by Gutter Kisses and a Hug on Garbage Day); I’m really curious to see how she’s developed as an artist in the intervening years.
July 25, 2015
Yet another amazing book from Casey Renee Kiser!
I'm not sure what to say besides that these were great poems. They suck you in and leave you wanting to read more. I found that whenever I put the book down, an hour or two later I was picking it back up to read more because I couldn't stay away.
There's a lot of dark humor in this book which I love about it. You can feel the pain, love, loss, etc. seeping out of the words but in a humorous way. It's an interesting way to go about writing poems but let me tell you - it is a GREAT way to do so.
I'm a poetry writer myself and I've been finding for the past year or so that I wasn't able to write anymore for some reason. But these poems and the poems in one of her other books (Gutter Kisses And A Hug On Garbage Day) inspired me. In the past 4 or 5 days I've written about ten poems and I have Casey to thank for that. If I ever get another book published, she's definitely going in my acknowledgments section.
I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book or these poems. Everything from the poems themselves to the drawings from a 10 year old Kiser - it's all wonderful and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
I'm not sure what to say besides that these were great poems. They suck you in and leave you wanting to read more. I found that whenever I put the book down, an hour or two later I was picking it back up to read more because I couldn't stay away.
There's a lot of dark humor in this book which I love about it. You can feel the pain, love, loss, etc. seeping out of the words but in a humorous way. It's an interesting way to go about writing poems but let me tell you - it is a GREAT way to do so.
I'm a poetry writer myself and I've been finding for the past year or so that I wasn't able to write anymore for some reason. But these poems and the poems in one of her other books (Gutter Kisses And A Hug On Garbage Day) inspired me. In the past 4 or 5 days I've written about ten poems and I have Casey to thank for that. If I ever get another book published, she's definitely going in my acknowledgments section.
I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book or these poems. Everything from the poems themselves to the drawings from a 10 year old Kiser - it's all wonderful and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
June 28, 2014
Brilliant poetry! At times intense, angry or just remarking on life. Loved "Paperclip Killer", "Darkest Hour" and "Pillow Wreck"; others I couldn't figure out (but that's just me.) This book is very reminiscent of "Flames from these Ashes" by Mildred Rogers (an oldie from 1959.) I thoroughly enjoyed it!
April 5, 2021
This awesome collection of poetry is worth the price of admission with 130 poems or so. I was going to keep track of some of my favorite poems to write high brow reviews of but just got lost in all of it and loved it.
September 14, 2014
Once again I find myself trying to write an adequate review of a poetry book, and the words fail me. Poetry is such a tricky creature. It's not required to rhyme, or follow any sort of a pattern at all, and how do you say whether it's truly good or bad? On what basis do you judge it?
Many of these poems had rhyming elements, which I tend to enjoy as it makes the poems feel singsongy (apparently that's actually a word!). That singsongy feeling was at odds with the content though, but not exactly in a bad way. I got the impression that most of these poems were written during lows in the authors life, and I felt like maybe I was getting small glimpses into depression (maybe. It's possible the author is just good at imagining depression).
I absolutely loved the poem "Beauty Rarely" and think it's a poem that should be read over and over to all young girls to help give them an idea of what true beauty really is. Maybe it would help the self-esteem crisis we see in our teenage girls.
But like I've said about every poetry book I've rated recently, since they're not all silly whimsical poems like Shel Silverstein is famous for, I'm really not qualified to judge them. You should check them out for yourself and decide their merit.
Many of these poems had rhyming elements, which I tend to enjoy as it makes the poems feel singsongy (apparently that's actually a word!). That singsongy feeling was at odds with the content though, but not exactly in a bad way. I got the impression that most of these poems were written during lows in the authors life, and I felt like maybe I was getting small glimpses into depression (maybe. It's possible the author is just good at imagining depression).
I absolutely loved the poem "Beauty Rarely" and think it's a poem that should be read over and over to all young girls to help give them an idea of what true beauty really is. Maybe it would help the self-esteem crisis we see in our teenage girls.
But like I've said about every poetry book I've rated recently, since they're not all silly whimsical poems like Shel Silverstein is famous for, I'm really not qualified to judge them. You should check them out for yourself and decide their merit.
March 18, 2016
I won this book through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway. I think that teenagers would enjoy this type of poetry more than any other audience because of its' dark themes and easily understood language. This collection seems like it could have been split up into multiple collections or at least organized a little better. I say this because only about half of the poems in this book really caught my attention. The standouts for me were "Beauty Rarely," "A Thing like Boredom," and "Girl on a Good Day." Having dabbled with writing myself, I also enjoyed "Irony and a Blank Page," and "Tip of My Tongue." Some of the sketches seemed out of place, but they are a fun extra amongst the poetry.
May 2, 2016
I won this in a 1st reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
There is a lot of very well-written vivid poetry that a person can relate to in this poetry collection. I really appreciated the drawings that accompanied as well.
'Beauty Rarely' is one poem that I really loved. There was such truth spoken in that one.
'I Pretended For a Minute', 'Nothing Bones', and 'Erasing Me' really cut deep into me personally. I seemed to feel every emotion possible as I read through these poems. Such talent in both the poet's descriptive words and the beautiful artistry of the poet's daughter. I was very impressed with 'Swan Wreck.'
There is a lot of very well-written vivid poetry that a person can relate to in this poetry collection. I really appreciated the drawings that accompanied as well.
'Beauty Rarely' is one poem that I really loved. There was such truth spoken in that one.
'I Pretended For a Minute', 'Nothing Bones', and 'Erasing Me' really cut deep into me personally. I seemed to feel every emotion possible as I read through these poems. Such talent in both the poet's descriptive words and the beautiful artistry of the poet's daughter. I was very impressed with 'Swan Wreck.'
November 12, 2014
Once again, Ms. Kiser does not disappoint me with her poems. I love the way that she can compare two completely different things but make them sound so eerily similar. That takes true talent. I can't seem to get enough of her writing, and found myself nodding my head to each and every poem. Also, the illustrations by her daughter are the icing on the cake, and go along with the poems perfectly.
October 2, 2011
AMAZEING poems in this book! That's the Middle One & Beauty Rarely are a few of my favorites .
July 6, 2015
A lovely collection of poems that, once I began reading, I could not stop or help speaking aloud to friends and family about Swan Wreck.
March 22, 2015
As with all of Kiser's poems, this collection is absolutely perfect. I love the raw emotion and unique imagery. Amazing poetry.
January 24, 2015
Overall I thought that the book was good. I got this book from Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ first-reads.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.