Refusal to Remain Invisible

by Kevin J. O'Conner

Overview

REFUSAL TO REMAIN INVISIBLE is the fifth collection of poems by Kevin J. O'Conner, following 2014's SEPARATION ANXIETY and JOURNALISM, 2015's THE IMPERFECT DOCUMENT and QUIET ON THE OUTSIDE…, and the experimental journal 'DEAR MONDAY…' LOVE NOTES TO THE DAYS OF THE WEEK.

A recurring theme in this collection is the struggle to be seen and heard when the world renders people invisible—something we are seeing a lot of in 2015. The individual poems address personal struggles of identity, current events, small moments in everyday life, and observations about memory, time, and mortality. There are also references to pop culture, the pleasures of vinho verde, and coffee—and one cat poem.

With this book, O'Conner continues in his quest to apply a straightforward approach to poetry: “Conveying emotion,” he says, “is more important to me than strict adherence to form, using more obviously ‘poetic’ language or meter, or playing with visual presentation. I prefer simplicity and economy, using only the words needed to express the thought.” The aim is to make an emotional connection with the reader: “It is that connection that lets us know that we are not alone, that other people feel as we do. It also gives what we do any lasting value it may have.”

Product Details

BN ID:	2940152337648
Publisher:	Kevin J. O'Conner
Publication date:	09/26/2015
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Kevin J. O’Conner (56) is not your typical poet. After 30 years of writing only sporadically, Kevin J. O’Conner returned to poetry in 2013—first as a creative exercise, then for the therapeutic benefits. Since 2015, he writes every day, exploring the craft of poetry through monthly writing challenges—‘my ongoing effort to write something that doesn’t sound like something I would write’, he says. Kevin’s poems explore isolation, memory, life’s small moments, and the experience of starting over at ‘a certain age’—always with an emphasis on straightforward expression. As of Spring 2019, Kevin has published eleven collections of poems, the latest of which is WISHES SOMETIMES HAVE CONSEQUENCES, plus four volumes of ‘love notes’ to the days of the week. His poems have also appeared in Raven Chronicles, Spindrift, The CDC Poetry Project, Lament for the Dead, and the anthology VOICES THAT MATTER, and as part of the Clay? VI (2016) exhibit at Kirkland Arts Center. When not writing poetry, Kevin can be found copy-editing documents from far-flung places, attending open-mic readings, designing books, and contemplating what to cook now that he is tired of soup. He lives in Bellingham with his mom's neurotic cat, Cleo III. (updated 28 October 2019)