“What is a Love poem if not a declaration of the ways we love ourselves through others? In This is Not About Love, Krystal A. Smith does just that, showing us pain and healing and lovin’ on yourself. Smith writes, “Forgiveness is not a weapon / it is a learning, it is a lesson / to give to yourself” and this is so true and evident in this collection. This is Not About Love is not about shame, it’s not about holding grief, it’s not about sorrow; Krystal is writing about forgiveness and we all needed that.” —Jason B. Crawford, author of Summertime Fine

“The poems in author Krystal A. Smith's debut collection, This is Not about Love, are everything we need in this moment of isolation. They examine loneliness and togetherness in all their forms -- by choice, by necessity, and by force of circumstance. These poems' longing, desire, pettiness, humor, and devastation mirror all that it is being in and out of relationship.” —Jason Herndon

This is Not About Love: Poems explores the complexities of human emotion and relationships via memory, experience, and imagination. Smith reminds us that love is not a singular emotion, and romantic relationships are not paramount to happiness.