Itch: Poems and Prose

"If you've ever been in love with longing, this is a must read." — Michaela Angemeer, author of you'll come back to yourself and when he leaves you 

In his third poetry collection, Itch, Zane Frederick scratches memory. He pokes the bear of his past. Ventures further out into its woods to see what still lurks and what needs to be settled. Itch captures the complexity of revisiting memory and the whirlwind of emotions that emerge from loose ends that have yet to be tied up. He shouts into the void and calls out the skeletons in his closet. He lets anger out like a beast locked away. He is stuck in a limbo between holding on and letting go, finding his way out of the forest that held his most rotted roots. 

Itch is about forgiving but never forgetting. It’s about taking the armor off and going home. It challenges the notion that our scars won’t always sting, but embraces the sting as a reminder of what we’ve healed from.

Zane Frederick resides in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona and has been navigating his way through his twenties and winging it. His newest collection, Itch, consists of two years’ worth of grief, resentment, forgiveness, and self-reflection. These poems were a way for him to fully heal from the wounds that remained open. Zane is still writing and cautiously experiencing while making the most of his youth. Catch up with him at @zanefrederickwrites.

ISBN: 9781771682800
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing
Published: March 07, 2023

"Itch is a story that is both a growing swell and a deep exhale. Zane demonstrates a new maturity in this collection, as his lyrical tone illustrates a story of self-exploration without shying away from the discomfort — and relief — that follows. Readers hoping to find a book that is honest and unafraid to embrace the journey to contentment would benefit from reading Itch." — Ari B. Cofer, author of paper girl and the knives that made her and unfold"Itch is a word buffet that will leave you feeling full for days. Zane Frederick is one of the few modern poets who can make you feel the metaphors that live inside of him. His most vulnerable collection yet, if you've ever been in love with longing, this is a must read." — Michaela Angemeer, author of you'll come back to yourself and when he leaves you "The rhythmic melody of Itch will linger in your head long after you've closed its pages. Zane Frederick's writing is silvery-toned and full of yearning, like a dream you can't help but lose yourself inside of. These poems scratch at memory and the ghosts that live inside of them, rubbing their metaphors raw until all that's left to do is forgive, heal, and forget. In his most mature collection yet, Zane Frederick has written a book that is both mirror and window. Both drifting in the past and dancing in the future. You don't want to miss it." — Caitlin Conlon, author of The Surrender Theory