The Ego Rhythm poetry by Kenan Wilson Phillip
In this inaugural work from Kenan Wilson-Phillip, the poet balances neatly between the white-hot and the surreal, exploring what it means to be alive and human in the here and now. Expressed as a series of snapshots from the author’s internal universe, the poems in The Ego Rhythm are born of the poet’s fascination with the heat and tension that exist between people and inside of ourselves.
In this inaugural work from Kenan Wilson-Phillip, the poet balances neatly between the white-hot and the surreal, exploring what it means to be alive and human in the here and now. Expressed as a series of snapshots from the author’s internal universe, the poems in The Ego Rhythm are born of the poet’s fascination with the heat and tension that exist between people and inside of ourselves.
In this inaugural work from Kenan Wilson-Phillip, the poet balances neatly between the white-hot and the surreal, exploring what it means to be alive and human in the here and now. Expressed as a series of snapshots from the author’s internal universe, the poems in The Ego Rhythm are born of the poet’s fascination with the heat and tension that exist between people and inside of ourselves.
Kenan Phillip is a Dominica-born poet living along the Texas-Mexico border, where he is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Currently, he serves as Volunteer Coordinator and board member of the Unfolded Poetry Project, a poetry-centered nonprofit based in the RGV. He is currently working on a creative thesis exploring intercultural and Afro-Caribbean/Latino poetics, decolonialism, and the poetics of relation.
This powerful collection pulses with the beat of the human heart, capturing love, identity, and existential reflection. It offers the resonant harmony of an orchestra tuning to the concertmaster’s, exploring the depths of youthful rebellion, disillusionment, and complex relationships. The storytelling is beautifully direct, illustrating an emotional knot trapped within a man’s throat before the animalistic bellow roars, mirroring the chaos of modern life and philosophical musings on existence. The Ego Rhythm is an endorsement of life’s intricate dance, a compelling invitation to embrace the chaotic beauty of being.
—Victoria Lopez, author and McAllen Poet Laureate, 2022 & 2025
Kenan Phillip’s The Ego Rhythm explores what it means to be alive in the 21st century, informed by the past and the present, yearning for more and in awe at the same time amidst “the insistence / of existence.” The work comes of age as it grapples with the meanings of desire, suffering, death, and life. And more, if that is possible. It sings the blues as it uplifts, reminding us that to seek deeper meaning in our lives can be a bittersweet and affirming process.
—Emmy Perez, author and Texas Poet Laureate, 2020