The Alchemy of Blood is a contemporary literary poetry collection exploring love and grief, family and intimate relationships, personal growth, social unrest, ecological anxiety, and the shifting inner landscapes of modern life.
Nature, human connectedness, innocence, and darkness are evoked through a variety of confessional, critical, humorous, and probing voices. Vignettes and stories emerge in some poems as the author challenges and plays with form and tone.
Divided into the four alchemical stages interpreted by Carl Jung—Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas, and Rubedo—the poems trace an emotional and psychological journey from rupture and disorientation toward renewal and the fragile possibility of beginning again.
The arc of human life—from birth to death—forms a quiet thematic thread running through the four progressive sections.
At times intimate and introspective, at times confrontational or darkly playful, the poems explore how individuals and societies navigate instability, contradiction, rebirth, and the persistent search for meaning.
Richard LaBrie is a poet and musician who works primarily as a clinical psychologist in private practice in the Pasadena area of Southern California. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he earned a BFA in Film and Television Production from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He later completed his MA and PsyD in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, where he received the Jim Stophel Scholarship for his poem "Flaw."
"A thorny, probing, and occasionally moving collection. Each instance of connection in the "Rubedo" section makes this challenging collection worth completing." - Kirkus Reviews
"The debut collection from psychologist LaBrie is a magnetic amalgam of punchy, thought-provoking verses that, through a variety of thematic channels, express "our vaporous organic truth." - Booklife Reviews
"A collection that is unafraid to bite into the rawness of being alive. Psychology, philosophy, art, and life's stranger-than-fiction moments alchemically collide in The Alchemy of Blood." - Samantha Hui, Independent Book Review
"Raw, unguarded, and ultimately hopeful in the face of harsh reality ... a striking collection of sensitive artistry." -John Staughton, Self-Publishing Review
"The Alchemy of Blood feels less like a collection of poems and more like an emotional excavation. This book offers a powerful and thought-provoking experience. Readers will not easily forget the book, which might be its greatest strength." - Suzie Housley, Midwestern Book Review
"The Alchemy of Blood is a raw and visceral collection of poetry. It grasps with a strong fist and delights with its unabashed honesty and gritty truths." - Rebecca Fearn, Reedsy Discovery
"There are strong poems in this collection ... which any lover of modern poetry will enjoy reading and feel compelled to digest." - Mark Heisey, US Review of Books
