I'm a gay rights activist, survivor of bullying, sexual assault, and depression. I'm a poet, musician, geek, and nature-lover. My goal is to help bring people together through storytelling and to help create a sense of healing through confronting traumatic experiences.
2022 has come in roaring for me on the creative writing front. I will be attending and featured in a number of poetry readings throughout January and February. If you’d like to attend any of these events, below is a list. All of these are scheduled in EST.
It’s Cyber Monday everyone! If you can, please support LGBTQ+ artists and writers during this holiday season. You can snag copies of my books Carbon Footprintand Feats of Alchemyon Amazon!
If you are wanting an alternative to Amazon, my books are also sold by Leopard Print Books!
Carbon Footprint (2020) and Feats of Alchemy (2021), available on Amazon and Leopard Print books!
Tune in on my DonnySpeaks YouTube channel for a full-length, virtual poetry reading featuring selections from my latest poem collection, Feats of Alchemy. The event starts at 8:00 p.m. and will last until 9:00 – 9:15 p.m. I’ll be reading poems, sharing tidbits about the creation process of the book, themes, and will have a Q&A toward the end. Follow the video link below to set a reminder if you’d like to attend:
Follow this link to tune in for the poetry reading on Nov. 19.
I always dreamed of simple things because the reality of them seemed too far away, spaced by distance, years in wait, and a thirst to belong like a rogue planet lost between solar systems.
I always dreamed of simple things and the reality of them seems near since the universe projected me forward to now, as he lays next to me falling asleep still clutching his book, glasses crooked on his face.
I always dreamed of simple things and now they’re here, tangibly present, even as I smile, remove his glasses, and turn off the lamp, I know we burn like binary stars in elliptical consistency, so, as I go to bed next to you,
I draw the lines between our eyes to connect the dots we make in this constellation, now refined.
The day before a book release is often an exciting time for writers. Considering my second collection of poems, Feats of Alchemy, is coming out tomorrow, this is only the second time I’ve experienced this strange mixture of euphoria and anxiety. To add to this, the pressure of releasing a second book after a successful first book ups the expectation level, which inadvertently fuels even more anxiety. Of course, despite this mounting euphoria and anxiety, another feeling is creeping from the shadows: solace.
Looking back and looking forward simultaneously (because that’s what we anxious people do), there is a peculiar comfort setting in with the knowledge that my work has finally been released into the world and that it’s being well received. Considering both of my collections deal with LGBTQ+ challenges, life experiences, successes, and trauma, having shards of my history being explored and celebrated has created the most wholesome catharsis I’ve ever felt. Thankfully, this catharsis has allowed me to set aside much of this “success-pressure anxiety” and find the joy in this process.
This new collection, Feats of Alchemy, is a book I feel even more confident about when it comes to quality. As a poet over the years, I’ve grown considerably and this collection is the culmination of that growth. Plus, with the success of Carbon Footprint, I now feel more confident in my ability to experiment in my poetry, which readers will discover.
Anyway, as I continue to ride this hype-train leading into tomorrow’s release, if you’re interested in learning more about my collection, Feats of Alchemy, feel free to visit the videos below. Thank you all for the support, and thank you to Alien Buddha Press for giving my poetry a home. Keep writing!
–Donny Winter
Donny Winter introduces his collection, Feats of Alchemy, and discusses some of its themes.
Donny Winter performs the poem “Serizawa” from Feats of Alchemy, which is a Godzilla inspired piece.
For National Coming Out Day, Donny Winter performs the poem “Cyberpunk [Un]dead” from his collection, Feats of Alchemy.
Donny Winter performs the poem “The [Un]salvaged Body, Biotic and Broken” from his collection, Feats of Alchemy
Feats of Alchemy – Cover art and back cover contents.
In his sophomore collection of poems, Donny Winter takes readers on a perilous adventure through a futuristic and dystopian world. His experimental free verse poems use science fiction, natural, and pop cultural images to metaphorically illustrate his experiences as a gay man navigating the different obstacles society presents after coming out. These poems create a cyberpunk inspired, symbolic world centered around the cyborg, Solus Arcane, who seeks to understand their existence free of oppressive forces and strives to unlearn the programming given to them by their oppressive creator. Together, our bodies are welded and soldered by the forces of those seeking to silence, erase, or oppress. Feats of Alchemy acts as a circuit board connecting us with pathways toward a self-sovereignty beyond artifice.
Feats of Alchemy – Out Oct. 22 – Alien Buddha Press
I want to issue a deep thank you to Emily Reid of Emmarie Photos for facilitating my first author photoshoot in preparation for the release of my upcoming sophomore collection of poems, Feats of Alchemy. Stay tuned as the book drops on Friday, October 22!
I’m excited to reveal the cover art of my upcoming, second collection of poems, Feats of Alchemy. This collection will be released by Alien Buddha Press on Friday, October 22, 2021. Special thank you to my artist and dear friend, Seth Stang, for creating this wonderful piece. Stay tuned for more news!
I am excited to announce that the Friends of Roethke foundation has invited me to perform selections from my poem collection, Carbon Footprint, during a weekend-long celebration of the Theodore Roethke House/Museum’s re-opening in Saginaw, MI. It’s an honor to be featured as the first night’s reader considering Roethke has been a significant inspiration in my own work. Additionally, this marks my first live (in person) poetry reading ever. This event is outside and on Thursday, August 12 at 8:00 p.m.
The Earth’s Still Breathing, a poetry reading featuring Donny Winter
Donny Winter 