Lavender Is a Boring Color by Kevin Courtney Black
Publisher: Satin Colorway Publishing
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Lavender is a Boring Color follows a collection of poetry woven together through the vivid experiences of the author, as he depicts his early adulthood struggles with debilitating depression, anxiety, heartbreak, self-doubt, and his journey of self-love. The author wrote this book longing for better days when life feels blissful and fragrant as if it were lavishly engulfed by the fiery sweet nectar of lavender. Divided into three sections, Lavender Is A Boring Color takes the reader through the turbulence of life-questioning thoughts and reflective healing. This is his first book of poetry.

Life is full of second chances.

Some of the most memorable poems were the ones that explored how relationships can be affected by mental illness. “A Somber Sky of Aurora Lights” was one of the best examples of this in my opinion. Part of it was dedicated to the speaker’s relationship with a woman who was as dark, gloomy, and beautiful as an aurora borealis against a cloudy night sky. Interspersed with these descriptions were allusions to how her deep, unrelenting sadness was forever changing their relationship. It’s important to remember who a person is beyond their illness, but it’s also a good idea to recognize how diseases like depression can affect not only the person suffering from them but also everyone who cares about that individual.

It would have been helpful if some of these poems had gone into more detail. “Please Find Us in Me and Our Alternate Universe” was one such example of this. No sooner had the narrator described the overwhelming thoughts of the character in this poem than the whole thing was finished without much of a resolution. As much as I appreciated Mr. Black’s brevity when he had a quick thought or image or share, I would have loved to see him dive even more deeply into what it feels like to go through a day with the heavy thoughts that often roll around in his head. This is something I’m sharing as someone who has struggled with many of the same things he has. While I was able to make educated guesses about what he left unsaid, readers who don’t have this same personal experience with the subject might not be able to do the same. My hope is that his next book will do just that as I’m quite curious to read more from him.

I resonated with the descriptions of what it’s like to have anxiety and depression. There were far too many examples of this to list as almost the entire collection fit into here in some way. Those diagnoses can make even simple tasks feel insurmountable and can also wildly distort the way one thinks about oneself and their relationships with others. As someone I know once said, depression lies. Not every frightening thought the human mind comes up with has any basis whatsoever in the truth.

Lavender is a Boring Color was thoughtful.