The Dilemma is the second poetry book by Danielle Holian. This collection of poetry discusses three different stages of relationships; loving, breaking, and healing. In The Loving chapter, Danielle’s poems are optimistic, passionate, and romantic as she shares her inner thoughts of the man she adores. However, there’s a change of tone in the second chapter. In The Breaking, Danielle’s poems reflect her realization that the love she was giving wasn’t being returned.  Lastly, in The Healing, Danielle learns what love really is and finds that love within.

The Dilemma is a well-written and relatable collection of poetry for anyone who has been or is currently going through a painful breakup. Danielle’s words are inspiring, genuine, and healing. Though in one of her poems she said, “To choose you or to lose you is my dilemma.”, Danielle realized the power in choosing herself.

Interview With Danielle Holian

1)Hi Danielle! Thanks for joining me for this interview. In what ways does your latest poetry collection, The Dilemma differ from your first collection of poetry, Beautifully Chaotic? Having read both, I know they have similar themes, but what would you say makes them stand apart?

Hi, thanks for having my back! I think my latest book, The Dilemma, centers more around love and heartbreak, compared to my first book, Beautifully Chaotic. I sat down with the intention to explore an experience from beginning to end, all while writing myself out of it all. To me, it’s a storytelling book compared to my debut that included brief stories about different topics.

2)If not too personal, would you care to share what the writing process was like for The Dilemma? Was it equally painful and therapeutic? Did the words come easily?

It was both painful and therapeutic that’s for sure. As I mentioned, I wrote this book as a somewhat project to help me let go of what I was living through. I found my voice and made sense of life through writing so it pieced together in a beautiful way, although some things to write about were quite difficult. I knew going into writing this book what I wanted and how to approach it all which was a different experience to any other project I had previously worked on. As a whole looking back, I am amazed I wrote a book in story form, but you can pick up any chapter and it still reads.

3)Is there a specific poem or poems from this collection that you’re the proudest of? If so, which one(s) and why?

No, as I feel each poem in this book captures the story well. I am happy I wrote individual chapters, the loving, the breaking, and the healing to give voice to individual moods when reading through the book so there’s something for everyone.

4)The Dilemma is incredibly vulnerable and powerful. What do you hope readers take away from reading it?

For me now looking back on the book itself, if I could only tell my past self that things will be okay and I’d make it through things I never thought I’d get over or find myself in a better place that would be something itself. I’d love for readers to connect with this book in their own way making it their own, but know that life constantly changes so you’re never stuck in one emotion or one place for too long.

5)Do you have any other writing projects in the works? 

I am currently working on book three that will be released in 2021.

6)Thanks again for this interview! Where can readers find your books?

Thanks for having me! You can find my books on Amazon.