A review by ghostkey
My Art Is Killing Me and Other Poems by Amber Dawn

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This is a wonderful book of poetry, simultaneously challenging and accessible. The poet is thoughtful and intentional with form, position of text, and white space. Several poems span several pages and change shape as new dimensions to the theme are introduced. Comedy and grief interweave. This is contemporary, dealing with emails and tweets and the particulars of FOSTA-SESTA as much as more intangible themes of trauma, queerness, and wh*rephobia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Racism and Rape

Amber Dawn wrote, in an author statement at the beginning of the book: "Please know that the word 'rape' appears sixteen times throughout this book. Several of the poems explore how trauma--sexual violence, in particular--shapes story, both how stories are told and how stories are consumed by observers and audiences. Other themes include criminalized poverty, racism, cyber bullying and internet harassment, and mental health crisis."