Patterns & other poems, by Seán Griffin

Poetry, chapbook, 32 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

There are many patterns around us. Patterns of loss, of alienation, of the body, of family. Patterns emerge in the notes of the guitar, in the calls of crows, in the fall of petals from a cherry blossom tree, in a gunshot wound, in relationships, and in behaviors. For poet and writer, Seán Griffin, these patterns transform and intersect. Loss and alienation temper experiences with the body and family. The patterns of the speaker and poet diverge from the patterns of society and find acceptance in their unique shape.

This collection of sensuous, confessional poetry immerses the reader in the experiences of the speaker from one minute moment to another, pulling taut the wider tapestry of events. Each of these poems functions like a camera lens pointed toward the situations of discomfort, dysphoria, and distress.

Seán Griffin (she/they) is a PhD student at St. John’s University and received an MFA from Manhattanville College. Seán’s writing appeared in [PANK] Magazine, Mud Season Review, multiple issues of Impossible Archetype, and elsewhere. Seán contributed to the long poem, "Arrival at Elsewhere" (Against the Grain Press). Seán’s plays Solitary and Late Late Night will be staged at two NYC festivals in April and June 2024 respectively. Seán teaches writing at Pace University in NYC and lives in Queens.