poetry of suicide

J. T. Welsch is a writer and academic born in the US and based in the UK, where he teaches at the University of York. He is the author of several books of and about poetry, including Orchids (2010), The Hell Creek Anthology (2015) and The Selling and Self-Regulation of Contemporary Poetry (2020). He also edited the anthology of migrant poetry Wretched Strangers (2018) with Ágnes Lehóczky. His writing has appeared in Poetry Review, Boston Review and the Guardian.

• Prologue: reading and grieving suicide1 The question: suicide as poem2 The answer: suicide’s author3 The forest: suicide’s readers4 Suicide in youth5 Suicide in the family6 Suicide in later life7 The politics of self-sacrificeEpilogue: living with suicideIndex

‘A nuanced and deeply insightful book. Line by line, J. T. Welsch guides us towards a deeper reading of both suicide and poetry, helping us to interpret their silences and declarations. The poetry of suicide recognises that solace and meaning can often seem impossible to find, but it never loses sight of the importance of the quest.’Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self‘Through sharp analysis and his own deftly folded-in personal narrative, Welsch has crafted a deeply moving study of suicide, loss and poetic creativity. As someone affected by suicide, it urged me towards new ways of understanding, or at least attempting to understand. A bold and truly vital work.’Adam Farrer, author of Broken Biscuits: And Other Male Failures‘J. T. Welsch has always been one of the poets I follow most closely. Here he proves why he's one of our most insightful and original critical thinkers on poetry as well.’Andrew McMillan, author of Pity'Astute analysis and a compelling demonstration of what creative-critical writing can do. Essential reading.'Anne Whitehead, author of Relating Suicide: A Personal and Critical Perspective‘The poetry of suicide is a necessary, vital book. Moving between the personal and literary, J. T. Welsch elegantly shows how we might resist fixed narratives and interpretations as we confront loss and grief. A kind of manifesto against closure, the book reveals how much there is to learn from the poets that have sought to give expression to loss. It is testimony to the value of embracing negative capability or not quite knowing.’Francesca Bratton, author of Stronger than Death: Hart Crane’s Last Year in Mexico‘A deeply compelling and reflexive book. J. T. Welsch shows us the power of poetry in bearing witness to the existential struggles that suicide embodies. For him, reading suicide is an ethical act, one that demands openness, respect and an honest sense of how language shapes our interpretation. A must read!’Katrina Jaworski, author of The Gender of Suicide'J. T. Welsch has written a book that is both moving and methodical in its exploration of the ways that "poetry can re-open the language of suicide". Drawing on the experience of his own family, as well as his extensive work as a scholar and poet, The poetry of suicide is an important contribution to our understanding of what Albert Camus called "the one serious philosophical problem".'Philip Coleman, Professor of English, Trinity College Dublin