Gut

These poems follow the aftermath of and recovery from trauma. Amanda Larsons Gut begins with an epigraph from Frank OHara: Pain always produces logic, which is very bad for you. From there, Larson launches an unflinching interrogation of how a young woman maintains agency in the wake of trauma, violence, and desire. Larson spins a conversation between works of feminist theoryincluding the those of Cathy Caruth, Susan Bordo, Patricia Hill Collins, Anne Carson, Hlne Cixous, and bell hooksand her own experiences. The book moves through Larsons recovery while questioning the limits of the very term and of language as a whole. She employs a variety of different forms, including prose, Q&A poems, and a timeline, reflecting both the speakers obsession with control and her growing willingness to let it go. With a measured voice, Larson finds a path for how to move beyond logic during processes of trauma and recovery. Gut won the Omnidawn 1st/2nd Book Contest, selected by Jericho Brown.