afterdeath is my second collection, released 17 March 2025 with Femmesocial Press. It is available to purchase directly from the publisher through the button below.
written in the years following a near-fatal car accident, afterdeath is a vivid and personal collection of poetry, traversing between experimental, free form writing and the traditions of haiku and flaneur. ryan casey bryce's distinct style and inspired language impart a kiss of life to each image, unearthing a sublime depth in the ordinary and its interconnectedness to the more extreme and traumatic happenings that shape our lives.
some nice words on afterdeath:
afterdeath by ryan casey bryce is a visceral and captivating collection of confessional poetry that takes us on a cathartic journey through raw and unfiltered emotion. The collection skillfully entwines themes of trauma and mental health into its very structure, breaking and reassembling the spaces on the page to mirror the fragmented resilience of the human experience.
The frequent use of the “I” captures the reader’s focus into a net of the poet’s psyche, inviting an intimate connection that compels us to empathize with their journey through the extreme yet ordinary moments of a human life. By the time the final poem is read, it feels almost impossible not to consider yourself a friend to the author, having shared in the profound vulnerability and resilience within these pages.
Clara Ada Mantegazza, author, Love is in the Leftovers
If you've ever heard ryan perform their poetry live, you can clearly hear their voice speaking every word of afterdeath. A meticulously crafted collection of autobiographical experiences in poetry form, telling a post-(potential)-mortem story broaching topics of mental health, death, ability/disability, and... traffic. Their poems are explorations of the words we choose to use and their meanings, as well as sobering analyses of our world. Reading ryan's collection, I was introduced to a mesmerising perspective that can only invite further reflection and thought.
Bea Konyves, blogger, B-Side Blog
credits and thanks: