Nikki Burian, photographed by Kale Chesney
Nikki Burian is a natural storyteller. Their book Letters In my Nightstand is an poetic reminder of why everyone is uniquely great — and why that’s okay to celebrate.
As a project manager at Marmoset, Nikki reinforces tenacious positivity wherever they go; a determined spirit, they dig deep into interactions, working toward meaningful connections and building quality relationships. But this everyday practice of cultivating authentic connection isn’t just something they live by, it radiates through their writing.
Originally from the Midwest, it was in Iowa where Nikki discovered poetry as their channel for sharing personal stories and experiences.
“I ended up getting a relatively large Tumblr following and the feedback was kind of the driver for me,” says Nikki. “When somebody is telling you that your writing is making a difference for them, to know this means something to people, it’s really hard to not keep creating more.”
A willingness to share more with their community, Nikki soon branched out into slam poetry. While it took months to collect the courage to step onto stage, the outpouring of acceptance was the right dose of encouragement for Nikki to keep coming back. Later, they would go onto compete and represent Portland, Oregon in both the 2018 National Poetry Slam and the 2018 Individual World Poetry Slam.
Nikki honors this passage of time and how far they’ve come from first sharing poetry on a blog, to citing their truth on the public stage and to today, becoming a published author. The aforementioned torch of honoring human connection grows even stronger, their book Letters In My Nightstand serving as a testimony of loving oneself.
Designed to fit in the back pocket of someone’s jeans or coat pocket, Nikki hopes readers will keep the book on hand wherever they go — a tiny, tangible tool for empowerment.
“I get the most stoked about holding it in my hands, and then when other people hold it in their hands,” says Nikki. “I want people to destroy it. I want them to use it so much that it’s totally unusable, or like burn it in a ritual, or something that totally obliterates the book.”
The book carries a powerful message, gently reminding readers how positive affirmation can change the landscape of one’s perception. Its contents encouraging readers to recognize their own self-greatness, Nikki notes the book applies to every situation — it’s for every moment of our lives.
“As women, as queer people, a lot of the times we’re taught we can be excited about something, just not too excited, or else we won’t have it anymore” says Nikki. “I want this book to be a thing where you can whip out in even happy situations.”
One reviewer notes the book “urges you toward self-love, without ever scolding you for your doubts. It is less a poetry book and more a defiant manifesto of compassion.”
“We’re entering this really interesting time and culture, the Lizzo era, where people are feeling really good about themselves and they’re giving less fucks about how they look, what they wear, and what people think of them,” says Nikki.
And if this foreign notion of self-love escapes readers, the author stresses to turn the page, to keep reading until it feels right.
PRE-ORDER Letters In My Nightstand here. All of the books’s net proceeds will go to Al Otro Lado, a bi-national, direct legal services organization serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico. Learn more about their efforts here.