lowercaselena's reviews
84 reviews

The World Is God's Language by Dane Cervine

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

1.75

this collection seems to feature mostly vignettes of the author's life and his travels. although the first few poems about his childhood were compelling, i quickly found myself tired by the meandering and referential prose. i struggled to finish the collection, the prose felt bloated and the poetic language more there to be ornemental and obscure the meaning rather than enhancing it. all of the vignettes didn't really add up to anything for me and i felt uncomfortable about the way the author wrote about other cultures, in a way reminiscent of the "white gaze". the travel diary tone of it reminded me of gauguin's writings and the worst parts of kerouac's on the road.
overall it wasn't a badly written collection, but it's not for me.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend is My Girlfriend: Advice on Queer Dating, Love, and Friendship by Maddy Court

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

a great read for baby gays (and confirmed ones) in need of guidance. reminds me of the teen magazines i used to buy but ten times more inclusive. i loved the guest writers there to takeover some of the more sensitive questions, and the vibrant illustrations. the emphasis on queer community was especially heartwarming, can't wait for the gay bars to reopen <3

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Please Come Off-Book by Kevin Kantor

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

please come off-book is an intensely private poetry collection, sometimes to the point of discomfort. kevin kantor explores topics such as grief, gender identity, sexual violence, dysfunctional family dynamics, queerness, loneliness, theatre and more broadly art and how they all converge in the rich tapestry of their life and craft. Somewhat experimental with form, it not only embellishes but also complements the meaning. I especially liked the use of footnotes in "i am working a nine-month contract..." which reminded me of ocean vuong's "seventh circle of earth"
although I am not familiar with theatre and acting, i liked how it played with tropes and classics, and would highly recommend it for anyone who loves a poetic texts that retells them, subverts expectations and uncovers their queer subtext. i found the collection was steeped in a kind of americana that i always find endearing, like in "once upon a time in iowa" which had something of clementine von radics (who blurbed this!!) "courtney love prays to oregon"
it's a very self aware, playful and earnest collection, that slips in tenderness despite the violence of some of the lived experiences that are playing out in the text.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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