I Hope You Remember
Poems on Loving, Longing, and Living
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
For fans of Rupi Kaur and Cleo Wade, this first collection of poetry from the viral TikTok poet Josie Balka evokes themes of nostalgia, love, envy, and hope, speaking to the universal longings that live deep in our souls.
I’ve never seen anyone at a public pool with a memorable enough body, good or bad, that I think about it ever again.
If this line sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve heard it in the background of thousands of videos on social media—a humbling reminder from poet and radio personality Josie Balka that what’s important in our lives now isn’t necessarily what’s important to us in the long run.
I Hope You Remember, Josie’s first book of poetry, includes this poem and over eighty others, some previously published and others never shared before. Every page in this collection hits home, rhapsodizing on universal experiences like jealousy, family relationships, complex body image, falling in and out of love (with others and yourself), and the everchanging lens of nostalgia. With sparse, clear prose, Josie’s poetry looks to bring forth deep feelings like grief, envy, apathy, joy, and, most importantly, hope.
Evocative and full of force, these poems will hit you in the gut, pull your heartstrings, and make you long for moments past.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Josie Balka’s poems capture the most relatable aspects of modern life, with each one placing us at the center of a moment or experience that’s incredibly familiar and often bittersweet. Whether she’s reflecting on dogs, anxiety, or the aspects of our appearances we obsess over in the mirror (that we never seem to notice when we’re looking at other people), each topic is a perfect fit for Balka’s honest, straightforward style. Seriously, we were reaching for the tissues when we got to her complicated feelings about watching her parents grow older. Even if you’ve never been a poetry fan before, the heartfelt simplicity of the poems in I Hope You Remember will make them ring in your head—and your heart—for days.
