“A splendid journey of pain and passion, light, discovery and flight, beautifully told in poetic and photographic imagery.”

"Raw Thoughts is a photo-poem pairing designed to enhance daily thought processes, blending image and word in a cathartic, emotionally compelling synthesis of literary and psychological inspection.Each 'raw thought' builds on its predecessor to create a building block of reflection, insight, and wonder. Many poems are paired two to a page and complement each other, as in 'Wondering If' and 'Loss', which lead from musing about whether knowledge is really a good thing to the anguish of confronting a loss. A stark black and white facing image of feet perched on the edge of a rooftop cements these poetic reflections with visual acuity.Take the survey of love's divide and alienation which is complimented by a particularly striking photo of a man and a woman facing each other in different ways, a wall between them, to the juxtaposition of 'We Were There' and 'With You', which reflects on too-close connections between 'love' and 'goodbye' and the journey towards increased connections with all their uncertainty. Here, it becomes evident that many of these 'raw thoughts' center on romance and interpersonal communications.Not all, however, involve family and love. 'Stigma', for example, provides a stark view of walking past a suffering homeless man who is a "blight to the world."As artistic photographs blend with psychological inspection and revelations, readers receive an interconnected series of insights that incorporates elements of mindful reflection, growth, and social inspection. The process of thinking lends to and changes who we are, as do these poems and images, which hold the power to linger in the mind long after they are read.Readers seeking a synthesis of photographic and literary expression steeped in psychological and philosophical reflection will find Raw Thoughts just the ticket for an emotionally gripping, evocative read."

"Casey offers in his fine debut a compelling exploration of hope and mindfulness through a beautiful combination of poems and black and white photographic art. The collection is a spiritual voyage, a journey of darkness and despair of a broken heart to liberation and meditation, from there to happiness, and ultimately to love. The collection starts on a dark note (In 'Subsistence of Loss,' Casey beautifully gives shape, color, and texture to despair and grief: 'The memories fade/the details/The colors, tastes, sounds and moments/Deliquesce, as air in the vacuum of space/But the vast attendant nothing/Fills inexorably with heartache/A sorrow that endures'), but as the book progresses, the tone becomes uplifting, hopeful with almost an ecstatic response to life secrecy by the end. Casey's masterful use of language and Hussey's stunning black and white photographic images make for an impressive read."