{{Short description|American poet, essayist and activist}} {{For-text|the singer legally named Alicia Cook|Alicia Keys|people with similar names|Alice Cook (disambiguation)}} '''Alicia Cook''' is a poet, essayist and activist. She is best known for writing bestselling book ''Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately'' and for spreading awareness on the impact of drug addiction.<ref>{{cite news |title=The cool, young female poets making poetry trendy again |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/books/2016/10/01/female-poets/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=The New Daily |date=1 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=10 Poets You Should Follow on Instagram Right Now |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/best-poets-on-instagram |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=Teen Vogue |date=2 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="Studybreaks 3">{{cite news |title='Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back' Is Refreshingly Honest About Recovery |url=https://studybreaks.com/culture/reads/sorry-i-havent-texted-you-back-is-honest-about-recovery/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=Study Breaks |date=24 April 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Anania, @billyanania |first1=Billy |title=Documentary features local writer discussing addiction |url=https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/10/20/heres-the-story-alicia-cook/92337858/ |website=Asbury Park Press |access-date=4 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ebenau |first1=Vin|title=Toms River native Alicia Cook addresses the drug epidemic in new book |url=https://wobm.com/toms-river-native-alicia-cook-addresses-the-drug-epidemic-in-new-book/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=92.7 WOBM |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Alicia Cook {{!}} HuffPost |url=https://www.huffpost.com/author/alicia-cook86-730 |website=www.huffpost.com |access-date=4 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Poet’s Perspective on Mental Health and Substance Abuse {{!}} Psychology Today |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/well-read/202406/a-poets-perspective-on-mental-health-and-substance-abuse |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.psychologytoday.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Education== Cook has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter's University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alicia Cook |url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Alicia-Cook/2139729086 |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=Simon & Schuster |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Berardi |first=Richard |date=2021-08-30 |title=New Trustees Bring New Talent, Insight to Georgian Court Leadership |url=https://georgian.edu/new-trustees-2021/ |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=Georgian Court University, New Jersey |language=en-US}}</ref>
She was named Distinguished Alumni of the Year in 2020<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alumni Awards Event |url=https://alumni.georgian.edu/alumni-awards-event/ |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=Georgian Court University Alumni |language=en-US}}</ref> by Georgian Court and was their commencement speaker in 2021.<ref>{{Citation |title=Georgian Court University Commencement Speaker Alicia Cook '08 | date=26 May 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K1rhc7f3VE |language=en |access-date=2022-09-23}}</ref>
==Career== Cook's writing often explores grief, addiction, healing, and mental health. Her poetry is characterized by "direct, unflinching honesty and rich compassion."<ref name="Studybreaks 3" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ebenau |first1=Vin|title=Toms River native Alicia Cook discusses mental illness in new book |url=https://wobm.com/toms-river-native-alicia-cook-discusses-mental-illness-in-new-book/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=92.7 WOBM |language=en}}</ref>
In 2016, Cook released poetry collection ''Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately''.<ref>{{cite news |title=6 Questions With Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back Poet Alicia Cook |url=https://www.readpoetry.com/6-questions-with-sorry-i-havent-texted-you-back-poet-alicia-cook/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=Read Poetry |date=7 October 2020}}</ref> The book tackled life, death, love, trauma and growth. It is split into two parts, part A contains original poems while part B were remixes of poems found in part A. The book was a finalist for Goodreads Choice Awards.<ref>{{cite news |title=Review: Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook |url=https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/reviews/2017/10/9/review-stuff-ive-been-feeling-lately-by-alice-cook/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=What Is That Book About}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Poetry! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-poetry-books-2016 |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=Goodreads}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cook |first1=Alicia |title=Stuff I've been feeling lately |year=2017 |oclc=1060189139 |language=en}}</ref>
Cook is also known for intersecting music and poetry.<ref name="Studybreaks 3" />
She was the main subject in ''A Family Disease,'' an episode of the documentary series ''Here's the Story'' on PBS.<ref>{{Citation |title=Here's the Story {{!}} Here's the Story: A Family Disease |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/driving-jersey-heres-story-family-disease/ |language=en |access-date=2022-09-11}}</ref> The episode focused on her advocacy and the ten year anniversary of the death of her cousin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anania, @billyanania |first=Billy |title=Documentary features local writer discussing addiction |url=https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/arts/2016/10/20/heres-the-story-alicia-cook/92337858/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Asbury Park Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
Cook released ''The Other Side of Addiction'' in 2017. It is a collection of essays about drug addiction. The book informs and comforts people who are affected by addiction, especially the families of who witnessed their loved ones suffer in addiction.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Alicia |title=Heroin is the worst thing to ever happen to me : a collection of essays |year=2017 |location=[Place of publication not identified] |isbn=978-1540423269}}</ref>
In 2018, her second poetry book ''I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip'' was released by Andrews McMeel Publishing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anania |first=Billy |title=New Jersey writer Alicia Cook says recovery from anything is possible |url=https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/arts/2018/06/05/new-jersey-writer-alicia-cook/672410002/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Asbury Park Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2019, Cook went viral with the poem ''Sorry I haven't texted you back''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Review {{!}} Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back by Alicia Cook |url=https://thewanderingwordsmithblog.com/2020/10/04/review-sorry-i-havent-texted-you-back-by-alicia-cook/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=The Wandering Wordsmith |date=4 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She released a poetry book of the same name in October 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Kara |date=2020-10-07 |title=6 Questions With Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back Poet Alicia Cook |url=https://www.readpoetry.com/6-questions-with-sorry-i-havent-texted-you-back-poet-alicia-cook/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Read Poetry |language=en-US}}</ref> It was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Poetry! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-poetry-books-2020 |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Goodreads}}</ref>
In 2022, Cook contributed an essay titled ''Why I Left'' to the anthology ''New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State'' (Rutgers University Press 2022) about her complicated feelings on her hometown.<ref>{{Cite web |title="New Jersey Fan Club - Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State". Rutgers University Press. June 17, 2022". Rutgers University Press. Retrieved July 17, 2023. |url=https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/book-details/ |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=Rutgers University Press}}</ref>
On January 9, 2024, Cook released the third and final book in her "mixtape" poetry series, entitled ''The Music Was Just Getting Good''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Music Was Just Getting Good |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176440189-the-music-was-just-getting-good |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Goodreads |language=en}}</ref>''.''
In 2025, ''Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately'' was adapted into an operatic song cycle by composer Evan Mack and premiered in Saratoga Springs, NY.<ref>{{Cite web |last=readpoetry |date=2024-08-06 |title=From Verse to Voice: Poetry Book 'Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately' is Being Adapted into a Song Cycle |url=https://www.readpoetry.com/from-verse-to-voice-poetry-book-stuff-ive-been-feeling-lately-is-being-adapted-into-a-song-cycle/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Read Poetry |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=WMHT |date=2024-09-03 |title=Song Cycles of Evan Mack |url=https://www.classicalwmht.org/concert-preview/2024-09-03/song-cycles-of-evan-mack |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Classical WMHT-FM |language=en}}</ref>
On January 22, 2026, she released ''More Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately'', a poetry collection meant to celebrate the original book's 10th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=More Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246956305-more-stuff-i-ve-been-feeling-lately |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Goodreads |language=en}}</ref>
Cook's writing success and efforts to combat the opioid epidemic earned her recognitions. This includes a Women with Voices Award from the Women with Voices Foundation and a "special voices" award from NJPBS. She was also a "public health hero" finalist by NJBIZ.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Serrano, @KenSerranoAPP |first1=Ken |title=Coronato among NJTV Everyday Hero Award winners |url=https://www.app.com/story/news/local/2017/01/18/coronato-five-others-win-everyday-hero-awards-njtv/96741800/ |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=Asbury Park Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=WWV AWARD CEREMONY {{!}} Women with Voices |url=https://www.womenwithvoices.info/wwv-award-ceremony |access-date=4 June 2022 |work=Womenwithvoices |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2019 Healthcare Heroes Awards |url=https://njbiz.com/event/2019-healthcare-heroes-awards/ |website=NJBIZ |date=7 February 2019 |access-date=4 June 2022}}</ref> In 2023 she received a "40 under 40" award from The Irish Echo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Top Irish 40 Under 40 Awards |url=https://www.irishecho.com/events/2023-top-irish-40-under-40-awards |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=Irish Echo Newspaper |language=en}}</ref> She won the 2026 Central Avenue Poetry Prize for her poem "The Squirrel Made His Way."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Instagram|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2KmPWiDnM/?hl=en|website=www.instagram.com|access-date=2026-01-29}}</ref>
== Bibliography == *''Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately'' *''Heroin Is the Worst Thing to Ever Happen to Me: A Collection of Essays'' *''I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip'' *''Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back'' *''New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State'' *''The Music Was Just Getting Good'' *''The Enduring Spirit of Mercy at Georgian Court University: Stories of the Past to Shape Our Future'' *''More Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately''
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Alicia}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Nationality missing Category:American women poets Category:American women essayists Category:Georgian Court University alumni Category:Saint Peter's University alumni