Marcus Amaker, Charleston’s first poet laureate, has announced the impending release of his 10th book, a 200-page pocket-sized collection of poetry about jazz, Blackness, self-care, fatherhood, “Star Wars,” social justice, music and memory. “Hold What Makes You Whole” is a compilation of new and repurposed poems. Amaker, an award-winning graphic designer, pieced the colorful collection together with family photos and handwritten notes. Along with the audiobook and e-book, the “Hold” project also features short films, two full-length albums and an interactive website. “This book happened as I started to break up with the things that weren’t good for my mental health. I focused on having intense periods of self-care – on reprocessing trauma and storing that energy on paper instead of in my bones,” Amaker said. “I wrote ‘Hold What Makes You Whole’ while giving myself grace and communicating with people who know the benefit of sitting with joy. I can thank my wife and daughter for all of it.” On the cover of the book is Amaker’s great-great-aunt, Ruth Robinson, a poet and community leader who published her first book at the age of 65. Robinson passed in 2020 at the age of 94. “Aunt Ruth and I had regular conversations right up until her passing. I feel happy to honor her this way, and it’s an honor to introduce you to her spirit,” Amaker said.
Amaker will celebrate the release of the paperback, audiobook and e-book, scheduled for April 4, with a series of tour dates in the Charleston area. Pre-orders are up at NewPoetryBook.com.