Author: Richard Kydd, Jr.

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2003-04-09

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 0595274331

People who are not addicts themselves cannot understand the irrational, self-destructive actions of those who are, and often judge them morally. Few feel compassion for those they call "dope fiends." Poet Richard D. Kydd Jr. opens a window into the deep suffering of the millions whose lives are dominated by the endless search for the next high. His unsparingly authentic snapshots of life in the grip of addiction make the entire drug culture vividly real. But Kydd's real power lies in his ability to elicit understanding and compassion for addicts. His grittily real but lyrical descriptions of the tragic but compellingly human lives of addicts will change the way you look at these social outcasts forever. This book speaks powerfully to three groups. Non-addicts will get a glimpse into hell, and come away more accepting, less inclined to judge. Reformed addicts will experience their pasts vividly, and come away determined to remain clean. Addicts will be frightened by this unsparingly honest look, and will hopefully come away determined to heal. Kydd is a spokesman of the downtrodden and despairing - yet he is a poet of hope. Chasing the Dragon is one of his most focused, powerful works.