The Art of Coming Undone

The Art of Coming Undone is American poet Christie Collins’s first full-length collection of poems, which includes artwork by Dutch artist Erna Kuik. At its core, this collection is a celebration of the self, of imagination, and of reinvention. Based largely on autobiographical events that trace a life-changing move from Louisiana to Wales, Collins’s poems also weave a narrative about the different kinds of love that shaped her story: love that is lost, unrequited love, the possibility of new love after heartbreak, and perhaps most importantly, learning to love and value the self. This collection reminds readers that while loss, setbacks, and struggles are an inevitable part of life, they are not defining. We each have the power to reshape – and retell – our stories and to start again.