Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back

by Alicia Cook

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Music has always been my first love. It was my jumping off point to other media. Album covers led me to works of art and photography. Lyrics led me to poetry. It makes sense, then, why Sorry I Haven't Texted You Backcaught my eye. Alicia Cook knows how to make those associations, too. Song titles and performers accompany each of her heartfelt poems. The poems work like a mixtape from your best friend. They are a way to say, "I know you" and "I know what you are going through." When side one is over, you'll head straight to side two, and then back again until it all feels better.

Sorry I haven’t texted you back, (I’ve been so anxious and depressed) I haven’t had time to catch my breath, you know how life gets!

Returning to the form of Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately, Sorry I Haven’t Texted You Back is a poetic mixtape dedicated to those who struggle or have struggled with their mental health. Divided into two parts, “Side A” holds 92 poems, titled as “tracks,” and “Side B” holds the “remixes,” or blackout-poetry versions, of  those 92 poems. The book includes the evergreen themes of love, grief, and hope. Named after Cook’s viral Instagram poem, Sorry I Haven’t Texted You Back lands in the crossroads of self-help and poetry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524860523
Publisher:	Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	52,703
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Alicia Cook is a multi-award-winning writer and mental health and addiction awareness advocate based in Newark, New Jersey. Her writing often focuses on addiction, mental health, and grief – sometimes all at once. She is the poet behind Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip, Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back, and The Music Was Just Getting Good.

Cook's advocacy began years ago following the fatal overdose of her 19-year-old cousin. Through her writing, she started shedding light on how drug addiction impacts the mental health of families. An essayist and speaker, her activism to fight the opioid epidemic is far-reaching and has garnered a worldwide readership. She has her own episode on the Emmy-nominated American PBS series Here’s the Story. She has since broadened the scope of her work to include other sensitive topics impacting our lives today.

She was the recipient of 2017’s Everyday Hero award from NJTV and 2018’s Women with Voices award from the Women with Voices Foundation. She was named a 2019 Healthcare Hero finalist by NJBiz.  Her songwriting has been recognized by American Songwriter Magazine (4x honorable mention). Her alma mater, Georgian Court University, named her its 2020 Distinguished Alumni of the Year, and she was a Commencement Speaker at Georgian Court's 2021 commencement. She was awarded a "40 Under 40" award from the Irish Echo in 2023. That same year, she spoke on the topic of Mental Health at Oxford University.