This Way to Warmth

a poem and an announcement

The eponymous poem from my book

Announcing This Way to Warmth

Last week the shop at Prisca Publishing opened preorders for my poetry collection, This Way to Warmth. You can purchase the book directly from the publisher and receive a lovely hardcover copy from the first print run in early July. You can also wait till the title becomes available at Amazon and other online booksellers, through which it will be printed on demand in the country of sale. (That may be a paperback edition.) If you would like to write a review, please get in touch with me directly to arrange a free review copy.

This is a special little collection of faith-oriented poems centring on the theme of eschatological longing. In a variety of forms and free verse, interspersed with six original illustrations, there are 53 poems in 3 sections of 17 accompanied by a “prologue” poem and an “epilogue” poem. The math works out¹ to level up the significance of the whole: all the different numbers are prime, and being therefore also odd, each section of 17 has a centre at which sit key interpretive poems that summarise the conceit of the whole section; thus too the centre of the middle section is also the centre of the whole book, and its climax. You’ll find the same chiastic pattern written into a number of individual poems.

I want my readers to enjoy my poetry with both their mind and senses. I endeavour to write with little enough obscurity that the average non-poet can discern the subject, but with enough complexity that a trained poet can unravel layers of meaning and wordplay. I give attention to the visual arrangement of poems, especially if they’re free verse, and also to the sound of each line as one word gives way to another. Perhaps you will get more out of the poems you read aloud. A handful of them are actually song texts with heavy metrical rhythms.

Most of all, I want to encourage Christians in our shared faith. The present form of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:31); the universe, lovely as it is, will wear out like a garment (Isa. 51:6); but Jesus is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). We who groan inwardly while we wait for the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23) can sometimes lose focus on these truths, either through the noise and glitz of the world around us or the painful consciousness of our own many insufficiencies. The memorable meditation of poetry is one way to inhabit and hold onto faith in the midst of an existence rife with distraction, delusion, and doubt.

If you’re excited about this book, ask your local library, bookshop, and church to stock it. And buy a copy for a friend! The publisher and author will both rely in part on readers’ own enthusiasm for marketing and networking.

Praise for This Way to Warmth

“Kilby Austin has discovered a poetry that is in time but not of it. Grounded in the deep soul-images of faith and of nature, she inhabits and represents the rich tradition of devotional poetry in English. In these pages, like in a library thrown open to a windstorm, we are met constantly by familiar surprises. This lovely volume belongs on the shelf near MacDonald, Hopkins, Guite, and our other glittering representatives of Christianity’s poetic tradition in English.” —Paul J. Pastor, author of The Locust Years

“These poems leave a dent: the definite impress of strong thought. At times they refract meaning from so many dimensions of sound, form, symbol that the effect is dazzling. Layering architecture and condensed meditation, Kilby shows us her heart on the surface. The music is her spirit’s agile pulse.” —Isabel Chenot, author of The Joseph Tree

“In both their theological considerations and the obvious pleasure they take in language itself, Kilby Austin’s meditative poems call to mind the great Metaphysical poets Herbert and Donne. Layered allusiveness gives an additionally pleasurable heft, integrating spiritual and literary traditions into the space of a single poem. Poems rooted in the natural world of the seasons move through and ground theological speculation in earthly experiences of grief, joy, and transcendent longing: ‘Not that spring should come to rescue, / nor that souls unclothe; but the sun / swallow it all and we get / dressed.’” —Sally Thomas, author of Motherland

“Kilby Austin’s poetry uncovers the spiritual weight and wonder that lie within mundane moments of life, helping us to see eternal significance in the lives we live before the face of God. I heartily commend This Way to Warmth, with hopes that her poetry will draw out beauty, thoughtfulness, and spiritual joy from within the fleeting moments of your own days.” —L. Michael Morales, Professor of Biblical Studies, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

“A soul-stirring debut by Kilby Austin. This Way to Warmth is a reverent retelling of every pilgrim’s journey through the ancient history of our faith and into the abiding hope of the Gospel. Using a myriad of poetic forms, Kilby breathes new life into familiar narratives and reminds us that we’ve always more to discover on this boundless pilgrimage into the very heart of God.” —Alexandra O’Sullivan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Clayjar Review

“Kilby Austin has created an intriguing and carefully crafted compendium of life in light of eternity. This collection includes a delightful variety of metrical structures, rhymes, and language. Nestled in the play of grammar, etymology, Scripture and sound are the deep and affecting contemplations of a broken soul longing unto transformation. Your attention will be well-rewarded by patiently entering into conversation with these works.” —Gustav Hoyer, President and Executive Director Kalos Arts Foundation

“This masterfully written and illustrated collection of Kilby Austin’s poetry is a celebration of the permanent things—beauty, goodness, and truth. Read it aloud to hear its rhythms and melodies. Read it again and again to find your way, irresistibly, to the warmth.” —George Grant, pastor, author, and Founder of Franklin Classical School

“This Way to Warmth is a gift to believers. Here is the soul of the Christian. Here is experience. Here is conflict. Here is piety. Here is seeking. Here is finding. Here is the pilgrim far from home. Here is the prodigal seated at the table. Here is the wandering sheep. Here is the lamb on the shoulders of the Shepherd. Here we are, and here He is.” —Alex DiPrima, Pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd in Winston Salem, NC, and author of Spurgeon: A Life

On a personal note…

I want to share with the reader how I feel about being able to offer this collection to the public at large.

I never intended to publish a book of poetry. I’ve always assumed that what I like to write is not what the modern world likes to read, and, at peace with that, I put deepest my heart into the poems in this book, many of which I consider to be my very best. Originally I collected them to give to my parents and closest friends. The fact that they’re now finding their way out into the wide world awes me quite; even more so their reception by the thoughtful and gifted critics and creators quoted above.

How grateful I am for the opportunity through Substack to build a readership among like minds around the world! In some cases even to make new friendships I expect will last. Your encouragement has been a real treasure. If you get a chance to read This Way to Warmth, I truly hope it encourages you in contemplation of the Light that is the Life of men.

1. In my original post I completely messed up the math (listen, I’m an artist) by relying on my memory which had scrambled two drafts of the book. The math is now correct.