About the book
A debut collection of poems that question gender and embrace queerness through the natural world of North Carolina.
A tender imagining and devastating reckoning, Jennifer Conlon's debut presents a poetry collection of gender questioning, concerned with the survival of trans and nonbinary kids who live in places that do not allow them to thrive. The speaker of these poems wrestles with and envisions a life beyond their traumatic childhood as a genderqueer child in a small Southern Bible Belt town. Through retelling and reinterpreting moments of sexual shame and religious oppression, while navigating impossible expectations from a gender-binary society, Conlon shows readers that queerness and the natural world are inseparable. In their poems, Conlon comes to reject oppressive patriarchal figures, turning their gaze toward the natural world that catalyzes dreams of possibility, transformation, and safety--wasps protect them, an oak tree contains a new god, and flathead catfish guide them to a newly imagined body. Through thick North Carolina woods, Conlon searches for a language to celebrate queerness, finding it in ponds, hillsides, and within themselves.
Taking to Water was selected by Carl Phillips as the winner of the 2022 Autumn House Poetry Prize.
Editions of Taking to Water
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781637680766
Read an Excerpt
A debut collection of poems that question gender and embrace queerness through the natural world of North Carolina.
A tender imagining and devastating reckoning, Jennifer Conlon's debut presents a poetry collection of gender questioning, concerned with the survival of trans and nonbinary kids who live in places that do not allow them to thrive. The speaker of these poems wrestles with and envisions a life beyond their traumatic childhood as a genderqueer child in a small Southern Bible Belt town. Through retelling and reinterpreting moments of sexual shame and religious oppression, while navigating impossible expectations from a gender-binary society, Conlon shows readers that queerness and the natural world are inseparable. In their poems, Conlon comes to reject oppressive patriarchal figures, turning their gaze toward the natural world that catalyzes dreams of possibility, transformation, and safety--wasps protect them, an oak tree contains a new god, and flathead catfish guide them to a newly imagined body. Through thick North Carolina woods, Conlon searches for a language to celebrate queerness, finding it in ponds, hillsides, and within themselves.
Taking to Water was selected by Carl Phillips as the winner of the 2022 Autumn House Poetry Prize.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Taking to Water about?
A debut collection of poems that question gender and embrace queerness through the natural world of North Carolina.
A tender imagining and devastating reckoning, Jennifer Conlon's debut presents a poetry collection of gender questioning, concerned with the survival of trans and nonbinary kids who live in places that do not allow them to thrive. The speaker of these poems wrestles with and envisions a life beyond their traumatic childhood as a genderqueer child in a small Southern Bible Belt town. Through retelling and reinterpreting moments of sexual shame and religious oppression, while navigating impossible expectations from a gender-binary society, Conlon shows readers that queerness and the natural world are inseparable. In their poems, Conlon comes to reject oppressive patriarchal figures, turning their gaze toward the natural world that catalyzes dreams of possibility, transformation, and safety--wasps protect them, an oak tree contains a new god, and flathead catfish guide them to a newly imagined body. Through thick North Carolina woods, Conlon searches for a language to celebrate queerness, finding it in ponds, hillsides, and within themselves.
Taking to Water was selected by Carl Phillips as the winner of the 2022 Autumn House Poetry Prize.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Taking to Water?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Poetry / Poems
Where can I read a sample of Taking to Water?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781637680766
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Taking to Water?
Jennifer Conlon
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Taking to Water is available as paperback(ISBN 9781637680766)
Where can I buy Taking to Water online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Taking to Water from below
Where can I buy Taking to Water?