Ascend Ascend

Janaka Stucky is an American poet and mystic whose work is deeply engaged with esoteric traditions, ecstatic verse, and the pursuit of transcendence. He is the author of The Prelude to the Prelude (Black Ocean, 2013), Your Name Is the Only Freedom (Black Ocean, 2016), and Ascend Ascend (Third Man Books, 2019). He co-founded Black Ocean, an independent poetry press. His performances combine poetry with ritual and sound, drawing on Gnostic and occult philosophy. His work has been praised for its spiritual urgency and formal daring.