Reviews

More Than Organs, by Kay Ulanday Barrett

soupdumpling's review against another edition

5.0

Beautiful writing as always. I've followed Kay on social media for a while now and have attended their virtual readings often. I am constantly inspired by their words and poetry to create my own as well. (When the chant comes is easily one of my top 5 books of poetry I own). As a fellow queer pilipinx asian american, I greatly relate to so much of Kay's stories and poems; I feel like they are so necessary to be shared and heard so I am deeply grateful for their voice.

A few of my favorite poems/lines from More Than Organs:

- "What is it to come from an invisible place, when even your nation is unnamed and yet, funny story--you're still somehow able to breathe?" -- Notes from Brown People in Mackinaw City, MI.

- "...currently, there is only one show on air in 2018 that depicts two women of color who love each other on screen. what's a body when it has never witnessed love from their own?" -- actually, jenny schecter wasn't the worst...

- THE ENTIRE POEM Albany Park/Logan Square 1993-2000, Chicago IL. IS AMAZING

- Same with (Jungle Asian)

- "why does the sound of laughter have a bullet behind it?
why does a fist, just the circumference of the heart, now hold its hackles up?
how can this universe be a pillow and not a landmine?
what ways do I make my soul a swallowing and a shield?" --Loving in the Apocalypse Years
(also the stanza that came after this sent chills down my spine but I'm going to omit it because you just need to read it for yourself)

finnamony's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

heni's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

reneereads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

kevinmccarrick's review against another edition

challenging emotional relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.5

mxpringle's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

mixedreader's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

butteredgarbage's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

whateverimsleepy's review against another edition

5.0

This is the kind of book you keep on your bedside or tucked into a backpack when traveling. These words need to be somewhere within reach. Kay's poems are touching, challenging, beautiful, and haunting. There's no better time to curl up with a book of poems that can make you cry, make you feel seen, make you swoon. More Than Organs is the kind of book I'll be returning to for a very long time.

mad_taylh's review against another edition

4.0

"If what they say is true,
that bathrooms are where we are all most human,
then I am a dilapidated national geographic,
barely mammal, told to leave in the dirtiest of places."