RECLAIM / RESIST is a two-part anthology series that ultimately seeks to raise the conversation on feminisms and influence critical thought on the current state of women through contemporary literature, with the aim of instigating collective action among women, regardless of race, class, disability, and orientation.
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The woman's body is but one of, if not the most controversial, most anatomized out of all political venues. The first installment of the series, RECLAIM: An Anthology of Women's Poetry, is a collection of poems intended to address the need for reclamation of women’s autonomy over their bodies, as a response to their endured oppression as members of a society tainted with capitalist-patriarchal standards.
The anthology puts together great talent across different forms of art and feminism—from 47 brilliant, internationally-acclaimed women poets, art by award-winning visual creator Ann Kiernan, and thoughtful curation by fast-emerging editor and visionary Elizabeth Ruth Deyro. |
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“A book of bones, of bodies, of language--RECLAIM: An Anthology of Women’s Poetry is an existence in itself. Marching crowds manifest within these pages and their footsteps reverberate through these poems, until the rhythm of this collective movement becomes stuck in your head. It is a collection of poets reclaiming their rightful space while stretching their arms in the direction of one another. It is a force, and it must be read.”
— Kailey Tedesco, author of Lizzie, Speak and She Used to be on a Milk Carton “RECLAIM: An Anthology of Women’s Poetry centers the experiences and reflections of women through an unflinching depiction of truth, survival, and rage. The result is a majestic tapestry of voices, woven together to form a refuge of hope and resilience despite trauma, abuse, harassment, and the barrage of discrimination and oppression that arises from being a woman and person of color. Find liberation in the words of Umang Kalra who defies expectation and constructs of race through 'Decolonizing the Body'. Uncover self awareness and affirmation through the poem 'Portrait of a Black Woman Considering Her Future' by Shirley Jones Luke. Explore generational hardship and transformation through Yvonne Cannon’s 'My Mother’s Story'. These poems and others reimagine poetry as a form by shifting the language we use to express anger and heartache into interactive exchanges and conversations of determination and conviction. RECLAIM, not only recovers what has been stolen, lost, or broken but rebuilds upon these heartaches to cultivate growth, change, and renewal.” — Denise Nichole Andrews, editor-in-chief of The Hellebore “Shining a light on intense topics such as colonization, sexual assault, fatphobia, and much more, RECLAIM is an undeniably empowering read from the first poem in the anthology to the last. Each poet masterfully conveys an individual experience that achieves the near-impossible task of expressing what it’s like to be a woman in today’s [sociopolitical] climate. Every poem in this anthology is an achievement for both the poet and the literary community as it uplifts conversations that are often pushed to the side and diminished. Not only is each poem striking, but the overall curation of the anthology seamlessly succeeds in assuring a diverse narrative surrounding women’s autonomy is told without hesitance.”
— Tiana Coven, senior editor of Coffin Bell |
