Books of mine.

from Read Poetry….

Casey Killingsworth considers what it means to be a “freak” in his aptly titled collection Freak Show—but more than just that, he claims and explores the nuances and power in this identity. In doing so, Killingsworth reveals how his struggles might link him to others, finding connection in moments of loneliness. In particular, Killingsworth relates this to his experiences in an array of night shift jobs, shining a spotlight on realities few ever see or more deeply examine. Killingsworth raises the question of whether we all might be freaks, all possessing traits that separate us from the banal and ordinary. 

https://www.readpoetry.com/june-2024-poetry-releases-you-wont-want-to-miss/

Although austere in tone, the poems of A nest blew down are rich with candid, moving anecdotes and striking imagery. These poems are hardscrabble-stark, but deeply wise. Resigned to seeing missed opportunity as “just a wish whose candle / was never blown out,” Casey Killingsworth nonetheless urges us toward compassionate acts, “because you have to, because you / can’t go back empty-handed / without helping the world out / just a little.” Blunt and urgent, this is the voice whose “own dream was the one with sad / marriages and night shifts, first and last month’s rent.” This voice resonates with hard-won tenderness.


—Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita