Book Launch | Sick Power Trip by Erik Kennedy

Scorpio Books and Te Herenga Waka University Press warmly welcome you to the Ōtautahi Christchurch launch of Sick Power Trip by local poet Erik Kennedy. These are poems that tell us: the world is unwell, and sometimes writers are, too. Kennedy scrutinises the broken social contract and the dangerous actors who seem determined to dominate us. He writes with open eyes about long COVID, living wages, self-medication and sea temperatures. Sick Power Trip is Kennedy’s most personal and vulnerable book yet.

All welcome, refreshments provided. Please send in your RSVP.

Pre-order your copy of Sick Power Trip with Scorpio Books today!

ABOUT THE BOOK

If it feels like we’re stuck in a post-truth moment, Kennedy reminds us that some things remain true and vital: self-care, empathy, and solidarity.

‘Erik Kennedy’s Sick Power Trip thrillingly challenges and dissects the horrors of the world piling outside our front doors. This isn’t just a story of heroes versus villains: it’s a sage reminder for us to question where we stand and what we’re capable of as individuals. I adore Kennedy’s sharp wit and erudite humour, and his ability to walk the line between optimism and pessimism. This collection is a masterful example of taking back power one poem at a time.’ –Chris Tse

‘Erik Kennedy’s manic narratives and twisted comedies square up to power. By turns angry, exasperated, chuckling, despairing, he gives voice to “the clammy, suffering, sweltry, cynical, burned-out, / downhearted, vulnerable people”.’ —James Brown

‘Sick Power Trip takes a scalpel to the systems of power, capital, and warfare that we live with. Kennedy has an impressive knack for finding the line between didactic and forgiving, striking a note of urgency that is desperately needed in this time of crises. With wry humour and a distinct playfulness, this new collection offers not a balm for the world but the courage to dismantle it.’ —Ash Davida Jane

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erik Kennedy is the author of two previous books of poems, both with Te Herenga Waka University Press: the Ockham-shortlisted There’s No Place Like the Internet in Springtime (2018) and Another Beautiful Day Indoors (2022). Originally from New Jersey, he lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch.