God, family, and poetry balance out rage and regret with reflection. With this balance, progression takes flight.
Sean Battle’s fourth collection is a prayer for self and others to “soar in symmetry / so the light of fascism / is forever eclipsed” by the Mind of Christ and Strength of the Lord (as understood secularly). The poems are not scripture, but can be biblical in their call outs and call ins, birthing an audacity to love from a distance till self-love is grown, yet in need of nurturing.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE dare readers to stand on business but question its ethics when conflicted; sacrifice short-term comfort for long-term freedom (even in death); work through anxiety only substantial change can bring; and heal the parts of us never given room to breathe.
This collection also serves as a reminder to poets, artists, and others on unconventional paths: we are enough, for ourselves and our TRUE loved ones who keep us in the air as we will fly through the fire.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Battle is the combination of an ambitious mother and pro wrestling antics. He is the CEO and Founder of EvoluCulture Ventures, a Newark, NJ-based poetry collective aimed to hold space for artists and art lovers. He is also the Host of its flagship show, Evolution Dopen Mic which is one of the longest running open mic shows in Newark. An inaugural and multi-time winner of the City Of Newark Creative Catalyst Fund and North To Shore Festival Community Grants, EvoluCulture also presented events such as the You Got Veerrrsed and Let Artists Be Poetry Slams ; the Amethyst and Amber Griot Gala, a Celebration of Newark Poetry; & the Catalyst Open Mic & Mixer, an opening event for the 2024 Dodge Poetry Festival in which Battle was also a festival poet and member of the Dodge Poetry Advisory Committee.
Battle has self-published three other full-length poetry collections—HAPPY ENDINGS ARE EARNED (2021), PROFESS (2018) and THE FOREST OF BRICKS (2015)—and is working on both his 4th collection, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, as well as his first spoken word album, DON’T RUN. His Poems are also in journals such as FreezeRay Poetry and Journal of New Jersey Poets. He holds an MFA in poetry from Rutgers-Newark and BA in English from Rutgers-New Brunswick, where he was also President and Open Mic Co-Host of its poetry collective, Verbal Mayhem.
Battle has performed, curated, hosted and produced for NJPAC, Dodge Poetry Festival, North To Shore, Newark Arts Festival, Lincoln Park Music Festival and TD James Moody Jazz Festival. He resides in Newark by-way-of Camden, NJ and teaches English at Essex County College.
