Kissing Catastrophe: disastrous love poems

by Jenna Malin

Kissing Catastrophe is not simply a collection of poems. It explores the nuances and complexities of the age-old, hard-to-answer how can I love others when I can't love myself?

Self-love is a concept that the author has always had difficulty grasping, whereas loving others has always come naturally. Kissing Catastrophe tackles this internal battle in two The Kiss, which highlights the kind of love she freely gives and feels for the people in her life--even the ones who are no longer in it; and The Catastrophe, which delves into all the reasons she's afraid she can't be loved the way she loves, and all the frustration and misery that comes with that debilitating loneliness. She ultimately draws the conclusion that no matter her past, no matter her pain, she is worthy of unconditional love.

Kissing Catastrophe is a relatable, introspective must-read for anyone struggling to find love within themselves in the aftermath of love gone horribly wrong.

"Some nights, I don’t mind the silence.
I find myself there, better off somewhere
that isn’t where you left me.
I find I am beautiful in the silence
like I could never be in your presence.

In that silence, I’ve found peace."

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2024

About the author

Jenna Malin is a St. Louis mystery romance author, poet, and live-music lover. She never feels more herself than when she's in the crowd at a show.

Malin independently released six poetry collections while writing her debut mystery romance novel, Deviant Vandals, which is the first book in her crime procedural series, The Detectives of Defiance.

Reviews

[Shelby Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kissing Catastrophe is split into two parts: 'The Kiss' and 'The Catastrophe'. The first part depicts all the best moments and feelings of a loving relationship, while the second describes the hurt and emptiness of being left behind; like The Kiss never mattered.

I have always found it interesting how differently poetry is taken in and absorbed, depending on the specific circumstances and experiences of each reader. For example, as someone who has found a healthy relationship, I related very closely to 'The Kiss'. Furthermore, I am a poet who struggles to write about the good I have fought to hard to obtain. The first part of this book has been very inspiring for me in my own writing. 'The Catastrophe' hit me very hard in some moments because these poems relate very closely with situations I have dealt with in the past. One of my favorite poems from part two was:

"you were nothing but a bystander-
watching me melt under everything I felt.
watching me get matchstick thin,
inhaling smoke so thick
it made me sick.

you watched me suffer
and let me wonder what I did
to deserve a hurt like this.
your silence is deafening
if only I had been listening."

Overall, I think one of the best written poems was "I am a poet" near the end of the book. The explanation of constantly being at war with our own mind and picturing ourselves with gaping open wounds that never want to heal, creating art out of our pain even when we can't find all the right words to describe it the way we want to, and one simple heartbreak causing a person to be recorded on our pages, "immortalized in rhyme forever", even when they don't deserve it. Easily the best poem of the book.

This work is amazing. It has inspired me to go back and finish my next two works and put the past behind me. Whether poetry is your genre or not, this is a must read.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of Kissing Catastrophe is a love letter. It’s passionate and fierce, with a fire that threatens to engulf its recipient on flames or burn them.
There were times where the repetition felt well-executed, like the chorus to a song, but others it made the poems indistinguishable.
A few of my favorite verses are:
We were broken by design
As long as one of those blasphemous words is my name
Not all monsters have teeth
It didn’t prepare me for the second half, which was arguably my favorite, when we went from head-over-heels in love to a scathing break-up.
I loved both, but the switch did feel like when you’ve been standing in the dark a long time and your eyes strain trying to adjust to the light.

[Tiffany J McLay · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Jenna's poetry touches my soul.

She has an incredible way of reaching into my mind and pulling out my feelings that no other poetry has ever done.

It is beautiful and heartwrenching!

[D.O. Scissom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic ! Jenna took me on a trip I didn’t even know that I needed. Well done. You will not be disappointed in this at all.

[Nupur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like these make me fall in love with the poems all over again. The first half of the book promises the love and feelings that surround the love that reaches deep inside the heart. Each poem depicts each feeling wonderfully.
The second half of the book is about the pain that follows. The hurt, the pain behind the love, what it leaves behind and nothing matters. The doubts that keep nagging and the wounds of the heart that keep surfacing.
All the emotions were beautifully written in the ocean of words where each poem hits like a large wave.
All poetry lovers should definitely try this book out.

[Elizabeth Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written ♡

Another incredibly beautiful poetry collection from Jenna Malin! Some of my favorite poems from this collection are on pages: 5, 9, 14, 50, 51, 54, & more. As always, I can't wait to read the next collection, my friend. ♡

♡ all the hopeless places I’ve found love: within myself—you unearth it in me. ♡

[Mae Setrova · Rating 3 out of 5]

i completely forgot to write a review for this beautiful poetry collection. it gave spooky, witchy vibes and i can't express how much i loved that about it

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kissing Catastrophe by Jenna Malin is a collection of poetry delving into the heart of the age old mental tug-of-war between our ability to love others while finding it impossible to love ourselves.

This collection is split into two very different parts. The first, titled "Kissing" is homage to the ease and ability to love people who come into and leave your life, whether they deserve it on not. It captures the abundance of love a heart can hold and share and it is beautiful in its sentiment.

The second part is titled "Catastrophe" where the author (and as most of us have) wrestles with feelings of unworthiness and the doubts of ever being able to be loved when even they can't find a reason to love themselves. It is relatable and hits right to the heart of all of those moments the readers, ourselves have repressed or pushed down.

Malin always writes with such honesty and emotion and this collection is no different. She doesn't stray away from the things that hurts and bares her soul in the hopes that the reader will find themselves in the pages, trust me when I say there is no way anyone could not find lived moments in these words.

Another stellar collection from Malin, one I can recommend with ease .

[Summer Dollar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how old I was or what year it was but all I remember was early teenage ish me was obsessed with the poetry collection called Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. The deep heartache and pain was something I perhaps longed to feel and experience from love in my coming teenage years.

This poetry collection by Jenna is excellent and gives me extremely similar feelings when reading her musings about love. I yearned with her for her love to stay and my heart broke alongside her when her relationship went wayward.

This collection bottled up so many emotions and feelings that at times it was almost painful to read because I have so longed to escape heartbreak and heartache similar to hers.

I was incredibly impressed by Jenna’s work and look forward to reading more by her.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kissing Catastrophe is a deeply personal and heartfelt poetry collection that explores love, heartbreak, and the struggle to accept yourself. Divided between the love freely given to others and the quiet pain of feeling unworthy of that same love, each poem feels intimate, honest, and relatable.
The writing is soft yet powerful, capturing loneliness, healing, and hope in a way that lingers long after you finish. A beautiful, comforting read for anyone learning how to love themselves.

[Genie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kissing Catastrophe: Disastrous Love Poems by Jenna Malin is the kind of poetry collection that quietly slips under your skin. The contrast between The Kiss and The Catastrophe makes the emotional journey feel raw and honest—loving others deeply while struggling to offer that same grace to yourself. The poems are reflective, vulnerable, and beautifully human. A small book with a surprisingly powerful emotional echo.

[Serenity Ardjomand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of poetry goes from the flaming kind of love to the turmoil of heartache. It's executed very well in my opinion. Poetry for me is not always meant to be read cover to cover. It's selective and there is usually something for everyone within the pages. I love her work and have purchased several of her books. She never disappoints

[Sara Sabharwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna does it again. Kissing Catastrophe is an absolutely stunning poetry collection. Bursting with raw emotion and exquisite word play, every page leaves you breathless but hungry for more. A true joy to read, Kissing Catastrophe belongs on the bookshelf of every poetry lover.

[Linda Taymor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kissing Catastrophe put words to feelings I’ve struggled to name for years. Raw, honest, and deeply human—these poems made me cry, reflect, and ultimately feel less alone. A book for anyone healing after heartbreak.

[Sophie Johannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to blast Rise Against at 11pm but didn’t want to get evicted (or didn’t want to wake all the sleeping infants in a three mile radius of your house)? Well, next time you’ll be able to scratch that itch by reading Kissing Catastrophe. Jenna’s poems read like scraps of punk rock or nu metal lyrics, the kind of stuff you’d find printed in a CD booklet. Many of the poems in this collection are short — think rupi kaur, but more melodic and also way more angsty. Speaking of angst, “I can’t keep pretending that we never happened” is a particularly strong piece. I really hope some indie band will discover Jenna Malin’s poetry someday soon and turn this book into a concept album. Aside from the musical vibes of her work, I really like the poet’s use use of assonance and polyptoton as stylistic devices (like in the poem on page 119: “mouth agape / a gaping hole of ache that echoes / with the sound of your name (…)”). I found myself dog earring dozens of pages to be able to return to the poems that resonated with me the most, such as “I am a poet” on page 205. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection + Malin’s works will remain on my auto-buy list.