Deviant traces a trajectory of queer self-discovery from childhood to adulthood, examining love, fear, grief, and the violence that men are capable of in intimate same-sex relationships. Richly engaged with the tangible and experiential, Patrick Grace’s confessional poetry captures profound, sharp emotions, tracking a journey impacted equally by beauty and by brutality. Coming-of-age identity struggles are recalled with wry wit, and dreamlike poems embrace adolescent queer love and connections as a way to cope with the fear and cruelty that can occur in gay relationships. Later poems in the collection recall vivid moments of psychological trauma and stalking and explore the bias of the justice system toward gay men. Collecting memories, dreams, and fears about sexual identity, Deviant makes important contributions to queer coming-of-age and intimate partner violence narratives.
Authors
- Pages
- 80
- Published in
- Edmonton, CA
- Series
- Robert Kroetsch Series
Table of Contents
- Front cover 1
- Title page 6
- Copyright page 7
- Contents 10
- Dedication 12
- I 14
- Why Not 16
- Dastardly 17
- Nick the Dick 18
- The First 20
- A Cone of Light 21
- Watergun 22
- Ravine 23
- Traffic Light 24
- Nightcall 25
- II 26
- Layover 28
- Strawberry Island 29
- Arthur 30
- Teardown 31
- Student Debt 33
- Caterpillar 34
- The Dark Gap 35
- It ’s Like That, Is It 36
- The Circuit 37
- III 38
- The Big Dark 40
- Someday You Will Ache 41
- You look older 42
- Afloat 43
- Touch Anywhere to Begin 45
- As If 46
- The Floor Was Water 47
- The Gaslighter 48
- As You Were 49
- switchrail 50
- IV 52
- A Violence 54
- Heatwave 56
- document 57
- Vermilion 60
- Therefore 61
- soft stalker 62
- The Tunnel 64
- Tilt 65
- The Mayfly 66
- Make Good 67
- V 68
- The Calling 70
- fullblown 71
- Fission 73
- Meanwhile 74
- Notes 76
- Acknowledgements 78
- About the Author 79
