Misha Collins, best known for his fictional portrayal of a fallen angel, will have readers falling in love with this intimate insight in to his very real life in his first, highly anticipated publishing of his poetry. Collins was most recently published in Columbia College Chicago’s Columbia Poetry Review in 2019, has expanded his love for the verse art in to his own work, captivating the reader with his ability to create a combination of imagery and emotion through delicately used wording, allowing this author’s tone to fully express how each of these poetic moments, whether it is love, heartbreak, or silliness to be felt, making we as the readers feel a little closer to knowing some of those things, he still can’t tell us. A fantastic, freshman collection of poetry that will be enjoyed by even the most novice of poetry readers , all the way up to the most seasoned of poets and readers.

These poems really got me, They are haunting beautiful introspective and timely. I would highly recommend this book of poetry for any reader.

Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You, the upcoming poetry book release by self-proclaimed “actor, baker, candlestick maker” Misha Collins, is an emotional rollercoaster from the beginning to the very end.
I was provided with a free ARC of Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You. The opinions shared are my own.

Misha Collins, best known for his portrayal of the angel Castiel in The CW’s Supernatural, released his critically acclaimed cookbook The Adventurous Eaters Club: Mastering the Art of Family Mealtime in 2019 alongside his former partner, Victoria Vantoch. This sophomore release from the actor cements his place in a different realm of literature entirely: poetry. While selections of Collins’ poems have been published in other anthologies such as Columbia Poetry Review, Pearl, and California Quarterly, the upcoming release, Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You is his first solo publication, and it certainly makes a name for itself.

For those who are already fans of Misha Collins’ work, Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You is a candid and yet raw look into the actor’s thoughts and private life. Eagle-eyed readers familiar with his past works (and past resumes) will be sure to spot interesting easter eggs littered throughout the book. Every line will surely be broken down and analyzed on Tumblr for years to come. Those unfamiliar with the actor’s work will be treated to a fascinating balance of both mundanity and deeply thought-provoking prose, often within the same poem or the same verse. It takes a deep measure of talent to seamlessly transition from complaining about the iPhone’s user experience issues to questioning the meaning of your place in the world without it feeling clunky or forced, but Collins manages to balance whimsy and emotional gravitas exceptionally well.

Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You splits its works into six sections that take the reader on an emotional journey through the work and through life itself. The first section is one of love poems, an adventure through all of life’s different forms of love, from romantic love solidifying into the dependable, always-by-your-side kind of love. It travels through the romantic nights, reminiscing on the past, the brutal honesty of true love, and the times that it’s harder to be honest. As Collins’ life becomes more complicated and complex, it seems that at times he feels like more of an observer in his own life than an active participant with the power to effect change. A growing sense of a lack of place in the world accompanies a sense of anticipatory grief and foreboding that takes over the tone of his work in this section.

The next sections chronicle an interesting subversion to the picturesque expectation of the life of a Hollywood actor as Collins writes about depression, loneliness, self-doubt, longing for a clear purpose, and the difficulty of being away from his family for long periods of time. All of this culminates in a truly gut-wrenching set of poems regarding Collins’ recent separation from his wife of nearly 20 years. Collins’ beautiful and vibrant adoration of her in all of the prose leading up to this point makes these poems some of the most difficult to read, especially for those familiar with the truly fracturing feeling of such heartbreak.

However, Collins does not dwell on the sadness for too long and quickly thereafter picks up a tone of remarkable resilience, recalling the comfort of deep conversations, road trips, and the other people important to him in his life. Longtime friend and filmmaker Darius Marder receives a specific callout by name in the touching poem “Marder”. Collins reflects on his parents and speaks about the bittersweet sorrow of watching our parents grow older, our change in perspective of our parents as we age, the too-invasive nosiness that some mothers adopt as they get older, and how being a child of divorced parents has changed his own personal outlook.

The last section focuses on Collins’ children, the subject of the book’s dedication and his clear guiding light moving forward. He notes his personal journey from observing the children of others, to discovering his own impending fatherhood, and the immense joys (and challenges) of children, from the wonderful highs to the “it’s 3 am and you just peed the bed again but I really don’t want to get up and change the sheets” slightly less highs.

He addresses the strikingly true reality of how much children can change a relationship that few are willing to address. All of this, of course, are things a parent treasures, as they know these young years are few and numbered, and this is a feeling that Collins captures beautifully. He seems solidly determined to use the experience he’s gained in life and love throughout the writing of the book to make the future better for his children. One could even be forgiven for hearing the notes of Hamilton’s “Dear Theodosia” playing in their ear whilst reading of Collins’ devotion to his children, as the clear drive to do better by them rings true throughout the work.

A few poems that left a particularly deep impact on me, that I would advise other readers to keep an eye out for while reading: “Devil in the Details”, “These Hours”, “ Fire and Water Part One: Absolution”, “Men in Woods”, and “The Last Poem”.

Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You is truly a remarkable trip through all of life’s mundanities and pivotal moments. It takes the time to stop and ponder on all of life’s intricacies and pitfalls in a way that reminds the reader to stop and enjoy life, and serves as an important reminder to be present in every moment and not just let life pass you by. It is truly, as the book’s description states “a love letter to simple joys”.

It gets 5/5 Stars from me!

Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You will be released on October 12, 2021. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, BAM!, and Bookshop.

This review has been crossposted from: https://thegeekiary.com/some-things-i-still-cant-tell-you-by-misha-collins-is-an-upcoming-must-read/99773

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. When I requested this book, I had no idea that the author was the actor from 'Supernatural'. That being said, I was a little confused about the timeline. It jumped back and forth with Misha being with his wife then he is sad that she isn't there etc. I feel like it was good for his debut, but it was not spectacular. I would look forward to more work from him though.

This book alone is one of the main reasons why I always think I should read more poetry.
I added this poetry collection in my tbr list mainly because I've been following Misha around web and television for quite a few years now and I knew he was a writer as well, but some of his old poems are pretty hard to find and with time I made my peace with the thought of never reading any more than the two or three poems you can find around the internet.
Then Mr Collins announced his first collection and I couldn't place it in my tbr list fast enough.
My review can be summarized with just one word: wow.
I loved every page, every poem, every feeling this book made me feel (and boy it can make you feel a lot in the span of a few pages) and it could easily become my favourite book of 2021. After two crappy years like 2020 and 2021 we needed something like this, and as always Misha couldn't let us down and presented it to us.
Do yourself a favor: buy this book the day it comes out and read it cover to cover as soon as you can, you won't regret it.

Raw and vulnerable but also gives hope to new beginnings. Collins opens up to give glimpses of his life, both good and bad.

I adore Misha Collins, he seems extremely relatable every time I see him interviewed or read his posts. This collection of poetry was moving and I found myself reading Eugenia at a perfect moment when I was wondering what I really wanted myself to be too.
Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this galley in exchange for an honest review.

As an English major, I read poetry fairly frequently, but it does not always connect with me. This connected. It is the rawest, most direct poetry I've seen in a while.

Collins does not hold back with honesty or vulnerability and pours his soul onto the page. This collection will break your heart and mend it just in time to break it again. I had to stop reading multiple times to process the emotions these poems evoke.

The collection is made up of six sections, the poems of which differ in form, feeling, and content, but they are all magnificent.
I can't wait to fill my copy with scribbles, thoughts, and annotations.

Whether you like poetry or not, this collection is entirely worth the read.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for making this available.

I have always loves poetry but it has always been very hit or miss for me. This book was a very big hit. I have been a fan of Collins' work for quite a few years now and while I was reading the book, I kept thinking if I'm liking the poetry so much because of who wrote it or because it was truly good. I have come to the conclusion that it's both.

Collins bared his soul in these poems, at times it felt like reading his private diary, something no one else was meant to read. I'm very grateful for and very astounded by the fact that he dared to be so vulnerable.

The book is separated into six different sections and while the first one was my favourite, they all had poems that stuck with him, hit me personally and left me stunned. I had to stop reading several times to work through what I had just read and I can't wait to hold the physical copy in my hands and annotate it with my thoughts.

It doesn't matter if you're a fan of Collins or not, if you're new to poetry or have been loving it for years, this book is something for everyone.

I struggled all day to find the words for this review. First, I am a fan of Misha’s so of course I was going to read this book. I will honestly say though that I’m a huge poetry fan and just didn’t know going in if it would be good or not (I should have known it would.) but I couldn’t put it down so to speak.

After reading And reflecting, I still don’t know if the right words will come out here. I feel like I just went on an emotional journey. I feel like I just locked myself in a room and read someone’s Diary. I cried. I laughed. I cried some more. I just got punched right in the guts with feelings. I reflected on it ALL day after reading and I went through every emotion imaginable. (Pain, Love, Happiness, sadness)

As I said above I feel like he just threw his diary at us. One of my favorite things though was finding big things in the little things…. Like a blade of grass. I should probably do that way more often. It was very good and if you’re a poetry fan like I am I’m willing to bet you’ll love it. (I’m actually sorry I questioned it at first.)

In Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You, Collins invites the reader into a wide view of his world, organized into six categories: Love poems; Hope, joy, running, & other good things; Longing, sadness, running & foreboding; My people (& other people); The parents; and The Kids.

Throughout this poetry collection, strangers are as present and real as friends and loved ones. Collins gives equal weight to both the simple (but not easy) meditation on a broken piece of grass on a sunny sidewalk as to a summer rainstorm as a symbol for the passage of time and how we choose to receive it. The same weight to the random, day-to-day interactions with strangers that leave an impression on us as to the difficulty connecting with parents in adulthood and the regression to childhood fears and feelings that these interactions can trigger, working through the impact of adverse childhood experiences (Collins writes about his family’s experience with poverty and has written elsewhere about periods of experiencing homelessness). And the same weight to life as it exists as to the longing for things already within reach, for things slipping away, and for things that are yet possibilities.

While there is levity to be found in descriptions of a childhood game or in the mundanity of lawn care, there is an intensity to most of the poems - many of them infused with an aching, longing, and striving for purpose. It would not be surprising to see a description of the poems as “raw” become worn in reviews, and rightly so.

There can be a natural inclination (which his poem “Negativity Bias” touches on) to question the place of a person known for one role (actor) to step into another (poet), and how this is sometimes seen as a vanity project. Collins’ skill as a poet speaks for itself throughout this collection in answer to that supposition.

Collins writes, he says, mostly for himself; if you don’t like it, he welcomes you to set it down at any time.

Not that you’ll want to.

I should be honest upfront: I don't read poetry books — at least not in earnest. The most exposure I've had is the classics like Byron and Shakespeare they made me read in high school for a book report.

It's not that I don't like poetry, I just had a preconceived notion that poetry was random, non-linear, couldn't really tell a story outside of a few lines with vague guesses as to what it meant. I also sometimes felt like poetry may be too personal for me to read, that I'm viewing someone's internal thoughts and feelings. Snapshots into peoples' lives, knowing intimate details about how they viewed the world was too intense for me.

But, I promised myself I'd read this. I wanted to be supportive, I wanted to broaden the reading box I usually stayed in (historical LGBTQAI books, thrillers, etc etc), and I wanted to see if I could challenge myself to read something written by someone who I've seen a public persona from for eight years, and also had preconceived notions for, but still read it with an open mind.

I am giving it five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It kept me on my toes, kept me thinking, all while drawing out emotions I didn't think I'd have reading poetry.
While reading it, I kept imagining it like a rollercoaster.

Not a crazy one that whips you from side to side and breaks your bones with heavy g-forces — but rather one that rolls up and down, providing enough of a swoop to catch you off guard in the best way (or the worst way), all while providing enough stability to make you want to never get off the ride. You're given views of vivid flowers, trees, and a lonely but peaceful countryside. But, also on the ride, you also see burnt-out landscapes, a harsh winter sky, and another pang of loneliness but the lingering kind you can't shake.

There were three pairs of poems that had me rereading them three or four times. They were easy but also layered reads that felt like they revealed something each time. Going back and forth, back and forth was addicting and I had to tell myself I had to move on otherwise I'd be there all day.

But it wasn't just those six poems — all of them had that but to different intensities. Each one didn't feel overbearing and stressful, though some got awfully close and with two of them I did actually feel myself almost tear up.

They mostly didn't make it easy to turn the page.

There were shorter ones that did loosen its grip — they still made you think and feel but freed your mind enough to move on — only to be caught up in the next one before you could truly collect yourself.

The poems have little details that if I wasn't truly paying attention, I'd miss some key admissions tucked away in the lines. It helped add to the story, the confusion, the context for other things I read later on.

The book shattered the preconceived notions I had about the author and about the world of poetry itself. I know not every writer is the same, but this book, like with most rollercoasters, just made me yearn for another ride.

Misha Collins is an actor, poet, and activist. Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You is a collection of deep and personal poems from Collins’ life. He shares nostalgic moments of falling in love, self-discovery, reflection, and sentimental stories about his parents, wife, and children.

I am a huge fan of Collins and first discovered him in 2008 on the hit TV show, Supernatural. Since then, I’ve been invested in his personal endeavors such as his writings and his work in philanthropy. I’ve had the opportunity of meeting Collins twice, and these poems allow his fans and new readers to know him on a more personal level. Whether you are familiar with Collins’ work or not, there are beautiful poems about appreciating the simple joys in life, small observations, and relatable life moments that we can all appreciate and connect with. My favorite poems include “Clasped”, “Fall Back”, “These Hours”, “In Passing”, “Watershed”, “Fire and Water”, and “In My Hotel Bed.”

Collins includes a blend of longer and descriptive poems along with ones that are short and sweet. Each piece leaves a lasting impression and allows room for the reader’s own interpretation. I have been looking forward to this book for months and it did not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review and the opportunity to experience this book firsthand. Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You will be released on October 12th, 2021 and is available for pre-order now on Amazon.

Misha Collins’ poetry book will shatter you into pieces and stitch you back together. There's a type of rawness to it, like you're stepping in and out of the pages of his life. You feel his happiness and his pain and his joy. It's beautiful.

This was a really pleasant surprise! I had no idea Misha Collins wrote poetry, so I wanted to check this out of curiosity more than anything, but I ended up really loving this connection. He really has a gift for describing the mundane in a very beautiful way. Very personal, vulnerable and impactful.

[Gifted]
A tender collection of love poetry to the world. Very vulnerable and at times very painfully revealing, this is a simple and strong encapsulation of a life.

I’ve always found poetry pretentious. There are so many ways to manipulate and finagle the prose, the very nature of the medium almost begs you to do so, and yet it’s all felt bland. Similar. Like if you’ve read one, you’ve read them all.

Misha Collins’ collection is, to say the least, not that.

Admittedly, I’m a longtime fan of Misha. I’ve gone to fan conventions to meet him, GISH’ed more times in the last decade than I haven’t (and boy, isn’t that a strange thought), and supported him from my little anonymous corner of the internet. When I heard he was publishing a book of poems, I was thrilled! This man is one of the most intelligent and well-lived human beings I’ve ever stumbled across and the concept of picking his brain was thrilling, even if it was just the corners he allowed the light to touch.

After reading his collection, I can safely say there wasn’t a crevice of his soul left in the dark. More times than I can count, I sat stunned that anyone would allow the public such open access to his thoughts and feelings. It was like he opened floodgates and poured every ounce of himself onto paper, then handed it to the public. I laughed, I cried, I was in danger of crashing my car because I couldn’t stop thinking about his words.

Each poem is its own and yet they all tie together beautifully, both in and out of their “sections”. I cannot wait to hold a physical copy (or two) in my hands to run over with a fine-tooth comb and discover each layer he hid in ink whorls. Whether you’re an avid consumer of poetry or tend to steer clear like me, this collection is beautiful and worth the read.

This is an incredibly beautiful collection of poems. Knowing how open Misha can be on social media, it shouldn’t be a surprise that these poems feel deeply personal, but somehow, it is. I wasn’t expecting for Misha to bare his soul to the extent that I almost felt like I was intruding on private moments in his life. I applaud his bravery in sharing these parts of himself with an audience that includes a very voracious and judgmental fandom.

In the end, I was moved in many ways. This collection of poems made me feel deeply. There were things I could relate to, such as the need to just lie in bed and cry for seemingly no reason at all, or feeling deep love for a partner. There is a melancholy to this collection, but also humor and reflection. I enjoyed the poems that were nothing more than little observations about the world, and the way Misha seems to appreciate the little things all the way down to a single blade of grass . In the end, I felt deeply emotionally satisfied by the journey Misha had just taken me on, and I look forward to picking this collection up on rainy days when the world is bleak and I need to feel something.

First, a massive thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I, admittedly, am not an avid poetry reader. I enjoy the ones I have read, but I don't tend to go seeking it out. I knew this collection, from pretty much the moment it was announced, was going to be an exception.

Collins divides his collection of poems into six sections, spanning a wide variety of topics that all feel so deeply personal and honest I often felt like I was intruding on conversations and thoughts I had no right to bear witness to. The first section, titled 'love poems' is the section that will stick with me the longest. "The Center" in particular put such a lump in my throat and an ache in my chest I had to set my phone down to process.

Collins also writes about several of his "people" and those poems are some of my favorites in the collection. Particularly the one entitled 'Marder' near the end of the book. Its theme is admittedly a bit dark, but I adore it.

The other sections are equally lovely and soul-baring. Collins doesn't hide anything from the reader, again making you feel like a voyeur trespassing in his private thoughts. There are happy poems, incredibly heartwarming poems, poems that made my heart ache for him, poems that made me laugh out loud, and poems about feeling so sad for reasons you don't understand that you just curl up in a ball and cry. Collins really wrote about such a wide variety of situations and emotions that I feel like everyone will be able to gain something from this collection.

Poetry reader or not, definitely pick this collection up if you want to break your own heart a little and put it back together a bit more tender than it was before.

It's rare that a book of poetry can make you feel like you've taken the mental journey one partakes in when reading a work of prose.

"Some Things I Still Can't Tell You" not only accomplishes this feat, it actually does it better than some published novels.

The poems themselves are an eclectic fusion of light and darkness, spanning the spectrum from heartbroken to overjoyed. They cover beginnings, endings, and everything in between - and I do mean everything. Collins takes us to the edges of a blade of grass on the sidewalk, through a tunnel of fire during a run, and into the depths of the woods, camping and laughing with a cherished companion (who burns him a CD at the end). We travel with the author to various solitary hotel rooms, feeling the ache of life on the road. He allows the reader to eavesdrop on what is certainly a private phone call, and even drops a secret afterwards - just for us! (the person on the end of the line isn't even privy to hear the words).

Most poignant though, is the vulnerable and open invitation to see the deepest parts of the writer's heart in poems about his children, his 'people' (complicated and not so much), and his own fears and doubts when considering this little trip we're all on called life.

An introspective delight that will elicit both laughter and tears - this collection is a gift. Buy it, and keep it. You won't have any regrets.