Columbus writer and poet Schyler Butler is set to debut her first poetry collection, Phantom Hue, with two public readings this week. The events will take place at Prologue Bookshop on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m., and at Streetlight Guild on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the same time.
Poetry that refuses to tiptoe around hard truths
In Phantom Hue, Butler confronts the most painful memories of her life, from generational trauma to the lingering effects of racism. She writes about the complicated relationship she has with her parents, the emotional bruises that survive long after physical wounds heal, and the way she once lost herself in a romantic relationship that centered on the concept of whiteness.
One of the collection’s most striking pieces, “Pulled Pork,” juxtaposes the everyday comfort of a beer and a simple meal with the stark reality of Black men and women dying on the streets and children being gunned down. The poem forces readers to confront what is often ignored in daily life.
From anger to forgiveness
Butler says many of the early drafts were raw with anger, finger‑pointing and name‑calling. “In the second draft, third draft, it’s just pure emotion,” she explained. “When I kept revising, the poems became cleaner, and I realized the message was getting lost if it was led only by anger.” She added that the later revisions required her to make peace with the painful experiences she was writing about, resulting in a strong undercurrent of forgiveness throughout the book.
Her exploration of racism was sparked by a return to Columbus after college. “Seeing the difference between a Linden and a Victorian Village in terms of infrastructure and the people who live there made me realize racism was still a thing,” Butler said. The poet also credits her partner, poet Akhim Yuseff Cabey, for encouraging her to write about these topics.
Family history and hope for the future
The collection opens with a poem that shows how race is casually introduced to children and closes with “Star‑Crossed Daughter at 23 Months,” a hopeful piece about her infant child standing “sure‑footed” against the world’s ills. Butler also tackles the painful legacy of her great‑great‑grandmother’s rape by a white man in the poem “Intersectional Guillotine,” questioning how that trauma reverberates through her own bloodline.
“Racism isn’t something that started last night; it’s been going on for hundreds, if not thousands, of years,” Butler said. “I began to ask my parents what they knew, what they didn’t, and to look at my family members not just as relatives but as Black and white people whose lives have shaped me.”
Finding her poetic voice
Although Butler has loved language since childhood, she did not fully embrace poetry until after college, when she discovered writers such as Rita Dove, Natasha Trethewey and Tiana Clark. Early in her career she admitted to using “pretty words” that sounded nice but lacked honesty. A turning point came with the poem “Bonnaroo, 2012,” which she says forced her to write with bone‑deep clarity.
Now, with Phantom Hue, Butler feels she has finally learned to write vulnerably and directly, allowing readers to see the raw truth behind her experiences.
Upcoming launch events
Those interested in hearing Butler read from her collection can attend the launch events at Prologue Bookshop (6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12) and Streetlight Guild (6:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14). Both venues will feature a brief Q&A session where Butler discusses her creative process and the healing power of poetry.
Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.
