welcome! i’m alex guenther, a teacher and writer living in bangkok, thailand.
here are some links and info about my poetry.
new release!
Fusing the thrill of a travelogue with the contemplative ekphrasis of works such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Sonnets for Pictures or Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, this unique sonnet sequence follows Hiroshige’s 1833 ukiyo-e series depicting highway stations between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto.
The panoramic vistas and keenly observed details of Hiroshige’s woodcut prints inspire vivid lyrical reflections on a range of topics including time, tradition, and experience.
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recent publications
Tarot and sonnets have shared a deep connection from the start – the Renaissance poet and sonnet innovator Petrarch’s unfinished allegorical poem I Trionfi is thought to have inspired many of the 22 tarot trumps.
These 22 non-divinatory Petrarchan sonnets range from ekphrastic descriptions of the historic Marseilles Tarot, to more abstract musings on the forces of power, belief, fortune, and fate.
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Possibly the most well-known Buddhist text, the Dhammapada is a verse collection of 26 brief Pāli chapters based around themes ranging from “old age” and “happiness” to “flowers” and “elephants”.
sonnets from the dhammapada is a creative, non-devotional sonnet sequence inspired by images from each chapter, highlighting this ancient text’s enduring resonance and relevance.
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zone of karmic consequence (if you find yourself enjoying the book even just part of it, please consider buying something, recommending it to a friend, just giving me some money, or writing a review!) free download here epub | pdf
the heave, an introspective, elegiac sonnet sequence from the author of 108 sonnets, is companion volume to the simultaneously-released the deodar seeds. These fluid Petrarchan sonnets follow the path of an idealized day – from confused awakening, through a cycle of everyday grievances and realizations, to contemplative acceptance of the evening’s shadows.
etsy (drm-free epub and pdf, best value) | amazon (drm-free mobi) | apple (drm-free epub) | kobo (drm-free epub) | barnes & noble (nook) | goodreads | recent review
the deodar seeds, a swashbuckling, globe-spanning sonnet sequence from the author of 108 sonnets, is companion volume to the simultaneously-released the heave. These vivid Petrarchan sonnets examine the author’s lifelong enchantment with travel and history, reworking tropes of empire, adventure, and exploration.
etsy (drm-free epub and pdf, best value) | amazon (drm-free mobi) | apple (drm-free epub) | kobo (drm-free epub) | barnes & noble (nook) | goodreads | recent review
That moment just before the monsoon strikes, when you realize the world won’t ever be the same… The sonnets in this mesmerizing, meditative sequence, loosely focused on an expatriate’s life in Bangkok over the course of a year, show that this time-honored form can convey fresh impressions in a bracing, contemporary way.
amazon (drm-free mobi) | apple (drm-free epub) | kobo (drm-free epub) | barnes & noble (nook) | goodreads
alex guenther’s poetry 