The Visibility of One’s “Ghost”
As COVID-19 continues to produce near empty streets across the country, or at least for safety’s sake one would hope so, one B.S.U. alum has kept pages filled with her poetry. These pages have come together to form the book Ghost of a Girl, now available for all to read. Amber Miller, who graduated from the university this past fall, is no stranger to the industry.
It has been nearly two years since she made her debut with Skeleton of a Girl. While she says that collection was “more about things getting rearranged in (her)”, Ghost of a Girl is a release of “what no longer suits (her)”.
“When I looked back at traits and times that no longer fit me, I had to look in myself and kill those parts of me.”
These things that no longer suit her? Having people that use her, including family and friends. Through her process she learned how to accept loss and learn how to deal with a breakup.
“I am very much more confident and eager to grow my audience much more now that I have more momentum. I keep telling my story and, as long as I’m alive, that story will continue and be shared.”
What she sees as the stand outs of her book, seen above, are distinct in that while one reminds her of her future, the other fixates on what she is currently trying to learn about herself.
This process took nearly a year and a half, with it just wrapping up during this time she surely never saw herself being in. And while a universal struggle currently surrounds us all, individual struggles will remain regardless of the presence of a pandemic. The goal is for her words to help guide her readers throughout all of them.
“I hope they realize that it’s okay to have ghosts, whether it be a past lover, a past friend or a past self. I want them to be okay with weakness and realize that dealing with what makes them uncomfortable is what is making them stronger.”
That is a reminder we could all use, especially now. Ghost of a Girl is available now for purchase from Amazon, and you can follow Miller on Instagram @askeletonofagirl.
