Poetry is often the forgotten child of the literary world. Well, it seems to be that way in my corner of it, at least. I will admit that while a have an appreciation for finely crafted verse, filled with imagery and beauty, that I do not immerse myself in it the way I do with a well spun story. On the few occasions that I do stumble upon a book of poetry that captures me, it tends to leave quite an impression. Seared With Ink did just that.

In spring of 2009, while contemplating the best way to package the collection that would become Seared With Ink, S.J. Ferrandi was touched with inspiration.

That inspiration became the Craigslist Artists Project. This project brought together forty artists from across North America who submitted original pieces to accompany and accent the ninety-five poems included in this volume. The end result is a stunning piece of collaboration.

Seared With Ink is broken down into several different categories; such as life, lust, work and war, giving the reader a great reference point for jumping into Ferrandi’s work. What you will find as you begin to immerse yourself is an author who writes in both feminine and masculine voice with equal comfort and integrity. Ferrandi explains that he enjoys alternating gender perspectives in his writing, achieving a fresh voice each time. That fresh voice is evident in each subject, each moment, each tiny postcard glimpse into a life. The imagery is chilling and stark at times and lush and poignant at others. The overall effect is quite captivating.

Pairing the artwork of forty different artists with the varying voices of Ferrandi’s literary images creates a stunning multi-medium event- one I highly recommend experiencing. 

~ Brenda Seward