Biting Thorns Off Roses

Biting Thorns Off Roses is a transmutation of deep pain.

Through poetry, Hoffman strives to not only remove, but to also intimately examine the masks we all wear to hide from the world—and perhaps most importantly, the ones we wear to hide from ourselves.

Hoffman brings into question the ways in which we, as individuals and as a society, approach trauma. She shakes the very foundations of our judgements around mental health, challenging us all to walk through our own suffering with open minds and empathetic hearts.

A collection of work designed to thoughtfully carry readers on a journey, from hopelessness to hope. Biting Thorns Off Roses lyrically illustrates what pain has to teach those of us with the courage to sit still in the dark,

and listen.

"I would say at heart, I'm just an artist. It's quite tough to sum yourself up in a little bio, you know?

I've written all my life. It was always my goal to write a book, yet every time I sat down to do it, I'd only spin out poetry. Then one day a lightbulb lit up; and thus began the birth of my first book, Biting Thorns Off Roses.

Seven years ago, I had my sights set on music. I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA to study singing, and to pursue a career as a recording artist...then I left after my first year.

This unexpected decision marked the end of an era, and the beginning of something much greater. I packed my things, booked a flight, and within one month I was lying on a beach in Los Angeles, CA.

Since then I've solo road-tripped all across the United States, hiking through places I'd only ever dreamed of. I carried with me my well-worn copies of some favorite books: Into the Wild by John Krakauer; The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Tutu, and Douglas Abrams; When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi; Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

I am inspired by those who refuse to abide by the status quo; those who question, and relentlessly search for Truth in all areas of life.

My greatest poetic influences (and spiritual teachers) are Mary Oliver, Rumi, and Baba Ram Dass.

In my downtime, you can find me lounging on empty beaches wherever they may be found, performing full concerts in the shower, or cruising across mountain roads with all the windows down, headbanging to Nirvana."

Megan E. Hoffman is a twenty-five year old, Vermont native. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her two beloved dogs; Tsintah, and Tahoma.