There are still spirits that haunt the world.

They often go unnoticed and forgotten;

But they remain within the deep places.

THIS INTREPID GHOST is the debut title from poet and storyteller, W. J. Allard. Coursing through four distinct collections, the author creates a unique vision of what it was like growing up and imagining the future in rural Appalachia.

TREMORS OF CONSCIOUSNESS begins the journey with a surrealist look into a dystopian future. ERRATA & ODIUM continues afterward: a miscellany of works that vary wildly in tone and style. THE DYNAMIC then brings the reader through a deep exploration of the central theme of change. MONOLITH RISES, the final collection, uses experimental structures to provide a visually and emotionally engaging experience.

Both grim and humorous, hopeful and melancholy, THIS INTREPID GHOST is an exciting and provocative title that explores the breadth of emotion and imagination.

Born and raised in the rural Appalachian countryside along the Ohio River, W. J. Allard weaves intricate wordplay through complex layers of metaphor and winding experimental structures to create a profoundly engaging work of poetry. His experience having grown up in a poor community during the rise of computer technologies, exploding mass media, and ever-changing geopolitics has crafted a unique lens through which he sees the world. Like many Appalachians, he is the outsider looking in and he conveys this rare perspective through his creative work.

• 4 Distinct Collections
• 38 Collected Poems
• 122 Pages, black & white
• 5x8 Cover, matte finish