- Kade Hollis
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1
by Kadius Hollis
Most people ask, "What are you reading?" Well, here’s my favorites: I like classics that bite. I like poetry that bleeds. I like authors who died haunted or at least had the decency to write like they were. Here are writers that made me who I am, whether you call me a poet, a bastard, or both.
(This is not a tier list, nor is it in order.)
Catullus & Ovid
I swear by these two poets: They wrote and accomplished history itself.
Catullus was spiteful and raw, and Ovid was elegant and exiled for his work. They're both the blood and fuel when I write.
Anton Chekov
His stories and plays hit deep, and he has a way of telling you everything and nothing all at once, and they resonate with you, which is what I seek in my writing.
Edgar Allan Poe
His collective works live within all of us, either through curiosity or because school forced us, yet no one has a bad thing to say. His discussion of the short story is incredible and is a great tool to learn from when trying to master the art.
John Keats & W.B. Yeats
Keats wrote beauty that outlasted his death, and though he died early, fifty poems stand out in exquisite glory, and Yeats wrote as if death never touched the soul; boundless and lingering was his view of love. Both leave your heart in ache.
Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo
This story is my absolute favorite. I have read it at least five times. It's not just about revenge, but about earning and transformation. Edmond becomes more than just a man; he is fate itself.