Half-Empty Doorways and Other Injuries

Poetry for the dead, the dying, and the ghosts. 45 illustrated poems collecting the best of Golds' noir poetry from 2020 - 2022. Paper lanterns and petty crime. Whiskey bars and beach confessions. One-night stands and the childhoods that led to cheating, self-harm, and paranoia. From OCD and grief to benign inspirations like antiseptic cream and call-waiting, Stephen J. Golds examines life with a sigh only sometimes wistful. Before an urban Japanese backdrop, we ride w/ him amid subway delays and panic attacks, careening cars and horror movies.



"Stephen Golds writes Poetry, which is a hell of a lot more than what his more famous contemporaries ever seem to manage. It's honest-to-god poetry, as defined by Allan Ginsberg, the borderline-insane act of 'making private words public.' In this collection, he reveals himself to be a succinct and lyrical teller of truths, which itself has become a rare & controversial spectacle recently." ~Tony O'Neill, author of Sick City



Foreword by HLR and poetry features by BF Jones and David Cramner