Light Filters In: Poems

Written by Caroline Kaufman

Narrated by Caroline Kaufman

In the vein of poetry collections like Milk and Honey and Adultolescence, this compilation of short, powerful poems from teen Instagram sensation @poeticpoison perfectly captures the human experience. 

In Light Filters In, Caroline Kaufman—known as @poeticpoison—does what she does best: reflects our own experiences back at us and makes us feel less alone, one exquisite and insightful piece at a time. She writes about giving up too much of yourself to someone else, not fitting in, endlessly Googling “how to be happy,” and ultimately figuring out who you are.

This collection features completely new material plus some fan favorites from Caroline's account. Light Filters In will thrill existing fans and newcomers alike.

it’s okay if some things

are always out of reach.

if you could carry all the stars

in the palm of your hand,

they wouldn’t be

half as breathtaking

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Aug 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062981462

Caroline Kaufman

Caroline Kaufman—known as @poeticpoison on Instagram—was only a freshman in high school when she began posting her poetry online, and since then she has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across social media reading her work worldwide. Her debut book, Light Filters In, released in 2018, and she was named one of Her Campus’s 22 Under 22 Most Inspiring College Women in 2018 for her work destigmatizing mental illness through poetry. Caroline grew up in Westchester, New York, and is currently studying English at Harvard University. When she’s not writing, she can be found eating pad thai, harmonizing with the radio, and refusing to believe she’s growing up.

Reviews for Light Filters In

[Karen Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am in love with this book. It deals with mental health so well. The best part is that the author herself is the narrator.

[anna · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is touching and heart wrenching, truthful, a nice surprise!

[Shalane Du Preez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was beautiful - hard and deep but so beautiful ❤️❤️ definately not a light read going in, may be a trigger for some

[Ionut Mirel AIONITOAE · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

If you're not depressed, at the end of listening to this audiobook you will be. If you have 'the sadness', you might kill yourself.
It's what it's being called insta poetry, don't expect much poetry in this. Subjective statements in the form of a journal from a teenager who deals with depression and anxiety.

[pagesandpieces · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Caroline Kaufman started out writing the poems in the book as kind of a diary, as a way to work through some $h!t. Then she started to publish her poems on social media. Those poems really resonated with people and she eventually published them in a book. These poems are the author’s way of processing depression, anxiety, abuse, violence, self-harm and other traumas. They also show strength, hope, and growth. I *got* these poems. I understood them and felt those teenage feelings again. Some of them were incredibly familiar in the way they felt; I could have written something similar myself when I was a teen. I’m sure I’ve seen some of these on images and photos online. I enjoyed reading them, even though some of them weren’t pleasant

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Poems talking about growing up, depression, recovery, and after recovery. These poems spoke to me. They could have been written by me as a teen had I been a poet. I understand her thoughts and feelings about shutting down then opening up again. Very well done!