Desmond, Anthony: Martyrs of a Certain Belief

Thirty West Publishing House, paperback

Publication Date: October 30, 2020

Publisher Marketing: The debut poetry collection by Anthony Desmond, Martyrs of a Certain Belief wraps the self at the stake and blows the flames asunder. Prominent, melancholic, and colorfully despondent, this collection wants to be loved, even when the last page is burned from existence.

Anthony Desmond's poetry is filled with scenes from another world; raw and lyrical heaviness with a personal sting that can be felt while wandering through his words. Martyrs of a Certain Belief is the first full-length collection of this opaque, yet succinctly penned vivid imagination. These poems deal with heavy questions; brushing elbows with God and the Devil alike. They wander off into surreal landscapes of hurt, loss, and becoming. There is quite a variety of languages here in this book. Some poems will have you reaching for the dictionary and others are as simple as daily speech. No matter how you intake the written word; whether you long for a clear answer or are ok with quietly existing in the space created within, you will find something to stimulate your curiosity in these pages. —Ryan King, author of Visitor