@bookstodon I've included books of poetry on "best of year" lists, but this is the very first time I've added a book of poetry to an all-time "kickass books" list: LORD OF THE BUTTERFLIES, by nonbinary poet Andrea Gibson is that book.
#BookReview: This is simply a remarkable collection by a talented poet.
The themes are varied, but connected by a thread of pain:
of gender exploration and the backlash it creates
of the longing and despair of unrequited love
of watching someone you love defined by their addiction
of seeing the violent hatred that others can have, simply because you exist
of battling anxiety and depression, those twin enemies from within
of battling even harder against unhelpful advice
of chronic illness and the invisibility of disability
of colonialism, and the domination of (rather than stewardship over) the natural world
of the history of this country that has been wildly distorted, and celebrated for exactly the wrong things
of the justification of evil
of grief
of being human
The poet is an artist, carefully surrounding that thread of pain with beauty, acceptance, celebration, strength, and purpose. Gibson creates what I call an "exploratorium," a place where someone can find the truth of themselves, a space they fit into, and safely wander a path until they are ready to love themselves and live that truth. No one can live fully without living authentically.
The poetry was so good, I became greedy for it, and I had to intentionally slow down.
