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I Wrote a Poetry Book 🦷

Hello, friends! I haven’t posted anything on here for a while, apart from reblogging gif sets when I get into a new fandom lol, but I wrote a poetry book, and I want to share more information about it!! I would really appreciate anyone skimming over this and/or reblogging. ❤️

A few months ago, I finished my first poetry manuscript, Is It Bad if My Gums Bleed When I Floss? If you’re a fan of the macabre, poems about trauma and self-acceptance, or you happen to love teeth like I do, this book might be for you! 

Is it Bad if My Gums Bleed When I Floss? is a collection of poems following Netty, a dental student, from childhood to adulthood and the relationships she forms throughout, including a sexually abusive relationship with her professor. When she emerges on the other side, it’s with heavy trauma and a newfound desire to fully accept her own sexuality, as well as heal her fractured relationship with herself. It’s a lot of body horror—it is pulling teeth and probing gum pockets and tasting blood on someone else’s lips. It’s literally teeth poetry. It’s not pretty, but I think that’s the beauty of it.

Because I know it’s easy to see this and not really know what the hell “teeth poetry” means or what my writing is actually like, here’s an example—this is a concrete poem I want on the back cover of the book, which touches on a lot of the themes and images in the collection (please excuse the poor quality; I don’t know how to fix that lol):

I want her, I want her 

under my pillow are my baby 

teeth soaking up saliva 

in his mouth 

I taste my blood

under my fingernails 

press into her skin 

is so pretty

little lips saying

“It’s Netty,” and I—

I’m really proud of this manuscript; completing it was like putting to rest years of hatred and shame that were festering within me. But I can’t say any of this without giving a BIG thank you to @tigerlilycorinne​ and @jovialobservationanchor​ for supporting me while writing this. If it weren’t for them reading it, leaving feedback and suggestions, and generally just being the best cheerleaders in the world, I probably would’ve just let it sit in my Google Drive.

One last note: I have an author Instagram and a Ko-fi if you want to follow or support me elsewhere! I’ll keep you guys updated on any news I hear from the indie publishers I’ve sent this manuscript to, as well as new things I’m writing. (Between you and me, I have another book in the works…!)

Again, I would very much appreciate if anybody reblogs this! Tag a poetry lover, the dental hygienist you follow, a Dead Dove fan, or the casual tooth enjoyer in your life. I want my poetry to find the audience I’m certain is out there. If you know me, you know I’m not always confident in my writing, but I think this is it. 🦷❤️