Writer, spoken word poet, and mental health advocate Steven Licardi recently completed a collection of twelve original poems that pay homage to the narrative, lore, locations, and easter eggs of the iconic Silent Hill 2, entitled “The Last Poem: A Silent Hill 2 Poetry Tribute.”
The collection was released on World Mental Health Day for the #SchpookySZN to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the release of the game. Licardi says the intent of his collection was, “To honor one of the greatest psychological horror games of all time.”
The author of a billion burning dreams, a work that traces Steven’s personal mental health journey from patient to professional, says his work has been profoundly influenced by the narrative structure and subject matter of Silent Hill 2.
SH2 has had a profound influence on my writing as well as my career as a mental health clinician. The game’s unapologetic focus on dark, even taboo, subject matter remains unmatched, even after two decades.
The collection is donation-based and pay-what-you-wish via Venmo and PayPal. The collection can be found here.
According to Licardi’s website:
Raised amid the vibrant and complicated Long Island arts scene, Steven T. Licardi expanded his stomping grounds to Manhattan, Los Angeles, and abroad. His stage presence has become widely known for its positivity, energy, and powerful use of spoken word poetry to raise awareness of many social justice issues.
He discovered visual art as a means of coping with a childhood diagnosis of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), an Autism Spectrum Disorder that entailed his emotional state maturing at a slower rate than his mental state. This meant he could not emotionally comprehend his own thoughts. Art, and consequently writing, provided him with a way to express himself emotionally – So he could better understand himself and his place in the world.
He returned to complete his Masters in Social Work in 2016 and is currently the administrator of the blog Cross My Heart And Hope To Write, which explores the absurd and often curious nature of the human condition.
For more information and to read Licardi’s collection of Silent Hill 2 Poetry, you can check out his website here.
