In Holy Wild(Book*hug), award-winning poet Gwen Benaway lays bare her experiences as a trans woman of Anishinaabe and Métis descent. She charts sexual intimacy and self- and other-love but also transphobia and settler colonialism through gorgeous, expansive poems, like the title poem we've featured below.
Gwen Benaway is of Anishinaabe and Métis descent. She has previously published two collections of poetry,
Ceremonies for the Dead and
Passage. A Two-Spirited Trans poet, she has been described as the spiritual love child of
Tomson Highway and Anne Sexton. She has received many distinctions and awards, including the Dayne Ogilvie Honour of Distinction for Emerging Queer Authors from the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Her poetry and essays have been published in national publications and anthologies, including The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s Magazine, CBC Arts, and many others. She was born in Wingham, Ontario and currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.
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Remember: buyHoly Wild or any of our
READ INDIGENOUS books and get this stunning limited-run tote bag featuring colourful artwork from Indigenous visual artists Kaya Joan, Alan Syliboy, Dawn Oman, and Lauren Crazybull until November 15th (while supplies last). And don't forget to check out today's other READ INDIGENOUS feature,
As Long as the Sun Shines by Janet Rogers (Bookland Press).