Available February 13, 2024, from Unsolicited Press

Anthony DiPietro’s debut poetry collection, Kiss & Release, is a rush of raw intimacy and urban grit. With the voice of a restless, observant, and unapologetic narrator, DiPietro captures the chaos of love, lust, and identity in a dazzling, emotional whirlwind.

In Kiss & Release, the speaker—a gay man navigating the unpredictable currents of modern life—invites readers to join him on an exhilarating ride through hookups, heartaches, and existential musings. The poems unravel questions of intimacy and longing:

• Most spells are made with words & broken by a kiss, why not the other way around?

• What is more intimate than a whisper?

• How long will yr wife be gone?

The collection’s centerpiece, the seven-part sequence “Love Is Finished Again,” explores the endless cycle of endings in love, sex, and self. As the poems delve into themes of decay—of bodies, relationships, and language itself—they reveal the beauty and ruin found in fleeting moments, from the brothel rooms of Pompeii to the collapse of communication.

Blurring the lines between party and meditation, confession and provocation, Kiss & Release disco-dances through hookups and heartbreaks, invents new myths, and mythologizes old wounds. These poems are as alive as a nightclub at midnight, pulsing with humor, urgency, and unabashed vulnerability.

Advance Praise for Kiss & Release

"God, Anthony DiPietro’s poetry is good...I’m electric about what I’m reading. These poems uncork the bottle and let all those rowdy spirits out. This book—these poems—these feelings—are why I love poetry, why I need poetry, why poetry saved my life—and why it’s still reminding me how to be alive."
—Bryan Borland, founding publisher of Sibling Rivalry Press

"Anthony DiPietro’s Kiss & Release is a pleasurable, lovable book about love and pleasure...resplendent with anti-heroic wit and sex that charms and stings. This collection is a romp and a grand buffet, a paean to the urban masq, the fuckboy, and hot, thriving, fleeting love."
—Diane Seuss, author of frank: sonnets

About the Author

Anthony DiPietro is a gay poet and arts administrator originally from Providence, Rhode Island. He earned his creative writing MFA from Stony Brook University and is currently the deputy director of the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. His chapbook And Walk Through (Seven Kitchens Press) was composed on a typewriter during pandemic lockdowns. Kiss & Release is his full-length debut. Learn more at www.AnthonyWriter.com.

About the Publisher

Unsolicited Press, based in Portland, Oregon, is a womxn-owned, all-volunteer publisher committed to showcasing exceptional literature. We work with emerging and established authors to amplify diverse voices across genres. Learn more at www.unsolicitedpress.com or follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @unsolicitedp.

Availability

Kiss & Release will be released on February 13, 2024, in paperback (ISBN: 978-1-956692-87-7) and e-book formats, available through all major retailers. Retailers, schools, and libraries can order through Ingram.

For interviews, readings, or other author opportunities, contact Unsolicited Press at info@unsolicitedpress.com.

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