Ophelia Wears Black

by Segovia Amil, Laura Pol (Design)

Ophelia Wears Black is a collection of poetry and prose focusing on the shadow aspects and dark side of the human experience through the eyes of a young girl. Divided into four parts, each mirroring the cycling seasons, we follow Ophelia into her own re-imagined Underworld where she learns to make sense of and find the perfection and necessity of her own inner darkness.

Genres: Poetry

230 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2015

Reviews

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Segovia when I accidentally stumbled upon her Instagram.
She often posts her smaller entries and I quickly fell in love with her intrinsic melancholy.
Her poems speak to me on a deep, personal level. Some of my favorites from this book are Warrior, Winteress, Bruja, and A E R (I have an excerpt from A E R tattooed on my arm).
There are countless others, but those are a few that I can think of at the top of my head.

None of her poems are particularly lengthy, but it's worth a long, slow
marination to absorb her words.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like an awakening, such darkly beautiful prose. The latter two stages of the book were undoubtably my favourite and the poem which spoke to me the most personally was 'With My Dead'.

[Rebeca F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little dark treasure. It took me years to read it, because I'd just read a couple of poems each day, out loud, so I could taste the words, rolling them on my mouth as I did so, feeling the rhythm singing in my veins. It's exquisitely written, dark and powerful. And I believe it's easy to relate to the experiences of the author and her view or the world, if you're a woman. I think it's a very feminine book and most of its strength and velvety darkness pours from that source, the old night, the bottomless abyss, you know, femininity.
When I first started reading this book, I thought it was overrated, some of the common places and clichés bothered me, I had the feeling that I could complete each poem in my head before reading it. But that changed as I dove further into Amil's sublime world. Ophelia Wears Black is an intense and fascinating journey and I just hope it can be re printed some day so everyone can enjoy it.

[Elena Kaloudis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The work is almost as mysterious and otherwordly as its author. The long absence of Segovia Amil after the publication of her first book of poetry aroused curiosity in her readers. Her poems speak of dark underworlds, rebellion, heartbreak, rebirth and that shadow self we hide away. Cloaked in a shroud of magic and myth, her words have the ability to transport you to another world. A darker world.

[Helene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful poetic work about growing up and learning as a woman. Perfect book to pick up again and again!

[Joana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've followed Segovia's work for quite a while before the book launch. I've read this book many times, as her poems seem to have power enough to empower the reader. It's probably one of the best I've read so far.

[Keylla Dos Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is poetry, but it is also something more. This book is a work of sublime beauty, it's hypnotic and captivating. Every poem is divine!

[Teacher Reader IMP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to see tumblr pictures of sections of this book years ago and they always felt so resonant. Imagine my surprise and delight to find out they came from a book but my disappointment to know that only a small amount of books were sold before production stopped. Imagine the even more crushing blow to not be able to find a copy anywhere, not for sale, not for checkout at the library. Just gone.

This book has been on my list to read for YEARS. I searched any and everywhere. A literary anomaly. Any time it went up for purchase, and these were few and far between, it was for some astronomically high price I couldn’t afford.

Well, fast forward to last year, and I have adult money now and an alert set up specifically for this title. And then it goes on sale. I decide to splurge and tell myself this was my early birthday gift to myself. Does it live up to the hype?

It does. Simply put, it is beautiful. Darkly aesthetic, poetic, lyrical, and relatable on so many levels. It reels you in, and is not dark to be dark. It more of a reflection on exploring the darker parts of the human experience. That feels almost pretentious of me but that’s how it feels. It looks the hidden parts right in the eye and finds beauty in them. Segovia Amil doesn’t shy away from that part like most of the rest of us do. Similar to a Yin/Yang symbol, you can’t have one without the other. In all people they both exist. And this simple but powerful text honors the existence of the dark, and instead of putting it down, it observes it. Calls it to light. And finds the beauty that exists in that space.

I cannot rave enough. The hype is worth it. Completely.

[Julianna Poupard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of poetry has become my most prized possession over the past few years. I was lucky enough to enjoy Segovia's presence and mind while she was still active on various social media platforms. Being able to hear her voice and experience her thoughts was a privilege I will never ever forget. After she disappeared from the internet, for various personal reasons, her book became unavailable to new readers. I was overjoyed that I ordered a copy of my own as soon as it was released all those years ago. Now, I keep it beside my bed and read, and reread, and read it again nearly every day. Her poetry inspires me, it makes me feel seen, and it also allows me to revel in the mystery of my own existence. Never before have I ever read a poet with a voice like hers who is able to call forth the emotion that she does. Her poetry is dark, it is mysterious, it is haunting.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

" It was in my flaws,
I found a much deeper truth -
and it is from them,
I bloom: a black rose. "

umm..excuse me?! I just stumbled across Segovia Amil's poetry on Pinterest and was absolutely stunned how perfectly dark and beautiful they are! After falling into a google blackhole in order to find the book, I now know that both Segovia Amil and her book are off the radar.

So, if ANYONE is willing to sell their copy please send me a message!
This would mean the world to me x

[Ellie Kidger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, suffocating collection, Ophelia is cast as a gothic heroine, suffering and downing in a toxic ocean of misery and darkness. The language is vivid and rich, whilst also dark and dank. The inclusion of photography and drawings creates an atmosphere utterly absorbing and intense, and builds an identity rarely seen in poetry collections.

[Intellectual Magpie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful darkness to treasure 🖤

[The Bookbutterfly's Quotage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ophelia's spirit will finally be at rest ✨

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently revisited this collection after years of it being on my favorites shelf. What a delicious and dark treasure this collection is. I remember taking small sips from this book in 2015, dazzled by the prose and savoring each bite sized poem like sweetness on the tongue.

This collection is blood in the teeth, raw and beautiful with a hint of terror and an edge of longing. One of my most prized book possessions along with the pins from the release!

[Alexandra A. Byam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello book community! I am going out on a limb here, and asking if anyone has an extra copy of this beautiful book they’d be willing to sell me? I have been searching for a copy for years, and have yielded unsuccessful results. I’ve tried EBay, ThriftBooks, AbeBooks, Amazon…

If anyone happens to see this, and can point me in any direction, I’d be forever grateful!

[Wendy Kosnaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite literally my Bible.