And What About the Bells? by Rozz Williams (Edited by Ryan Wildstar)
And What About the Bells? by Rozz Williams (Edited by Ryan Wildstar)
Announcing the Upcoming New Release of a Book of Poetry by Rozz Williams
April 1st is never an easy day for me. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the death of Rozz Williams (November 6th, 1963 - April 1st, 1998) — singer, songwriter, musician, artist and poet. He was my best friend, my brother, my partner-in-crime and my musical collaborator. We shared so many amazing moments together — living side by side, laughing, crying, being insane. There was no one like him and there never will be.
This year, I'm honored to be able to put out his book of poetry, And What About the Bells?, to the English-speaking world. The previous book, Le Théâtre des Douleurs, was one-part biography and one-part poetry. The new book is entirely different. The beginning of the book contains a poignant forward by Zach Shaw, followed by an in-depth interview that he did with me about my life with Rozz. Then there is a three-part collection of Rozz's poetry, followed by tributes from some of his dearest friends and a selection of handwritten excerpts from Rozz's journals.
This project has been a labor of love and I cannot thank Bianca Stücker and Chelsea Eygennutz (the amazing publishers from Eygennutz) enough for making this all possible. The book will be available on Amazon in the United States and in local bookstores on June 13th, 2023. [Please order and purchase from your local bookstore if possible!]
Lastly, to honor the memory of my dear friend, I would like to share the title poem from the book, which I will be reading at a book launch in Athens, Greece on April 14th, 2023.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE BELLS?
by Rozz Williams
Like the moon, she’s holding hands with age
Vanity cracked in her arms - china doll
Who can tell her the lies
That she wants to hear?
Who can carry on?
Half way there she comes to steal my meaning
She comes to steal the bitter taste
Where on this floor we dream
And in these dreams we drown
The bed travels farther
To set our hands free
Left on the edge
I slept a lot in Paris
Then again on land
But now I sleep on ladders
I’m so afraid to fall
And what about the bells?
Beautifully executed reading, Ryan. Chills.
I've told you in private how proud I am of you and all the hard work you've done to make this book possible. Now, I just want to publicly commend for you making this book happen! Everyone is going to love reading these poems. And that book cover looks *so* beautiful! Can't wait to finally hold a copy for the first time! Also, I must say that your poetry reading on this piece, as always, is gorgeous, emotional, and deeply powerful. I *love* hearing you reading poetry. You are loved, my love.