Blast Radius

Douglas E. Self

Blast Radius is the first published volume of poetry by Iraq veteran Douglas E. Self. This book is a powerful examination of the devastating effects of PTSD on every aspect of a veteran's life.

What Others Say About Blast Radius

Doug Self's inaugural chapbook of poetry, Blast Radius, indeed creates wildly imaginative collateral waves of unforgettable language that continue to thunder and reverberate long after you close the volume. Self employs a deft matter-of-fact, often tongue-in-cheek, documentary delivery that makes its subject matter—the aftermath of unimaginable combat—percussive and absolutely inimitable. This is a fine debut from a fine poet.

—Joseph Bathanti, North Carolina Poet Laureate (2012–14) and Co-founder of the Charles George VA Medical Center Creative Writing Program

Blast Radius is an honest, unflinching, and soulful portrait of the impact of warfare and its aftermath. Douglas Self leaves no stone unturned, elucidating these grim realities by employing precise, powerful language that is sure to engage his readers' attention and empathy.

—David P. Ervin, editor of As You Were: The Military Review

A poetry collection that is both visceral and vulnerable, Blast Radius tackles the complexity of serving in the military and questions whether anyone can return "… home / safe and sound." Douglas E. Self employs psychological twists and raw physicality to shed light on the battlefields we carry within. A surprise at every turn, these musical lines will knock the wind out of you, in the way only a skilled poet can.

—Tina Parker, author of Lock Her Up

Explosions Are My Dreams

The conviviality I strive for because
I live lamenting the next breath
that lies in wait for me to scream—

Out, in and out, the efficiency of the power plant
that is my body denies my attempts
at suffocation.

I cannot wait to sleep
to forget about waking up.
Up the blast radius blows up

in a ring of Earthly debris and death.
Raising me above all.
The glorious goodnight.

Details and Ordering Publication Date: February 15, 2024 Format: Softcover, 5.5" x 8.5" ISBN: 978-1-961127-06-7 Price: $19.00
About the Author Douglas Self is a father, a poet, and a USMC, U.S. Army Reserve, and Iraq War Veteran who resides in Lexington, Kentucky. He has a bachelor's degree in English & Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, and an audio/video engineering trade school certificate from the Lexington School for the Recording Arts. His hope for this collection is that it inspires other military/combat veterans to seek help.