Readers Sound Off for Silent Sound

“I found myself gasping over and over at not only the sheer beauty and art of this collection but also the wild wisdom soaked through the pages. Silent Sound is unflinching in its observations of the self but does so with such a depth of grace and validation that the pages wooed me toward a desire to lay bare the parts of my own self I have kept hidden and denied. It is a must-have for all the searchers and explorers eager to travel deeper into the cave of themselves.” —Angelina Danae, essayist and poet

“Julia’s striking debut poetry collection invites readers to cloak themselves in wonder, curiosity, self-trust, and courage. These poems are a storied labyrinth, brimming with piercing and playful imagery, that will guide you deeper into the center of your own voice. Inner child and inner warrior alike will bask in the clarion call of these words.” —Lisa Criswell, poet and psychologist 

“Lemke’s words act as a tender guide through a series of questions that lead the reader to the loud truths of the soul. A journey marked by the desire for ease, direction, belonging; her poems are a current that leads you to the source of what it means to find softness in the hard edges of this world. Lemke asks us to ‘[o]pen the windows,/ let some light in’, and these poems urge readers to embrace the slowness and beauty of a life where you can ‘meet yourself (over and over again).’” —Carson Elliot, author of Celestial Bodies: A Year of Transgender Love Letters 

“In Julia Lemke’s debut collection, Silent Sound, you’ll find poems that ask you for you. They also ask big questions like “How do I touch a point beyond / the radius of my known?” and “How much of being human / is the will versus the willing?” and perhaps most vulnerably, “Does my heart need / to be exposed like this?” These poems will greet you like an old friend and invite you on a path toward a stronger sense of self—the hard parts and their softer underbellies. In 44 poems, Lemke does not offer us a map but instead points at the tools we (and she) already had: our bodies, hearts, heads, and our intuition.” —Tristan Richards, poet, educator, and author of Not All Challenges Are For Us

“This book is a journey of reflection. Each poem gently nudged me toward the ease found in simply being with myself. Julia’s poetry is a mirror that leads the way to self-acceptance. Poetry that softens, opens, and reflects back what is stirring within you.” —Jenna G., longtime client and community member

“This is a gorgeous compilation of open-hearted and deeply conscious moments that cannot be recognized in the same way through a different medium. It speaks to everyone who has felt alone while in relationship, everyone who has questioned the life they thought they wanted, and everyone who has been brave enough to start over.” —Nisha L., longtime client and community member