The Naked Truth

About the Book

The Naked Truth, by poet Allen Richey, is a story about a never-ending love between a man and a woman—a relationship that will last forever and a day. The context is of raw emotion put into words; it is not for the faint of heart.

This story is a wild ride, with its ups and downs, laughter and tears. A few say that, while in love, only the strong survive, but sometimes it takes a strength outside ourselves to survive some of the things we live through.

While writing of life and love, Richey also mixes his poetry with politics, ideas of spirituality, and some Native American wisdom. The writing is not meant to be offensive, but, rather, thought- provoking. Some of the poems hit hard at the realities of life, such as the cruelties of a tax system and simply becoming a slave to a job ("Taxpayer Blues") or surviving the hardships of life ("New Beginnings"). Each and every poem was born from a personal experience of Allen Richey, but, in a broader sense, the compilation explores the real-life circumstances that we all live through daily. In essence, Richey's poems touch the soul and help one "look past the veil."

About the Author

Poet Allen Richey started writing poems and songs in the seventh grade. While in school he enjoyed visiting the library, drawing inspiration from authors such as Louis L’Amour, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry David Thoreau. To Richey, reading a book was like watching a movie. Amongst some favorite subjects were books on past civilizations, ancient history, and biographies of pioneers, explorers, and missionaries. Richey was always reading.

After high school, Richey traveled, ending up for a few years in places such as Ecuador and Mexico. These two periods in his life are significant because that is where he became an avid reader and firm believer in the Bible. In consequence, Richey has biblical references incorporated into his poetry and songwriting.

Also after living abroad for ten years, Richey was able to develop an outside perspective on United States’ politics, a subject which still intrigues him today. For example, while in Ecuador, Richey lived in a political atmosphere of Communism and military dictatorship, a complete contrast to the current democracy within the United States. Also, while in Mexico, he was able to see the stark difference between the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots”: the middle class was non-existent. Because of these contrasting experiences, Allen Richey shares a unique political viewpoint in his writing.