Hello all!
Today I'm reviewing Joseph Anthony's Poems of the Modern Gay Boy, which was published in 2016. I originally received a copy of this collection from my uncle, who read his own copy along with me. I absolutely adored this collection- while I found the subject matter very relatable, I think it would be informative for just about any audience, regardless of sexuality or connection to the term "modern" (haha!). The collection consists of six sections (all tied to a strong emotion), and while I could review all six sections on their own, I'd rather pick some of my favorite poems from the collection and dig into those. Let's get into it!
One of my favorites, which rests neatly on page twenty eight, is called 'not gay at all'. The second stanza, "wrapping my arm/around his waist/poking my pinky finger into his belly button"- so quaint and comfortable. The line is a gentle reminder that concise language can tell the whole story- you don't need to detail every corner of a room to describe it fully on paper. And the final line, "he leaned into me then/and we went on to do more things together/that were not gay at all." Such a cheeky line, really made me smirk. It's a great nod to the denial of the act while also paying off the first stanza's opening line ("i am not gay, he said") and the title of the poem. This is definitely a favorite of mine.
On pages one hundred and ten through one hundred and eleven sits another favorite: "letters". The concept of writing letters to someone through poetry is a huge cornerstone of my writing (and new poetry collection) so I really vibed with this poem. There are twelve letters, each letter composing of a name and two-ish lines. I really adore Anthony's ability to enrapture a whole relationship in just two sentences; you really get a feel for what happened and for how Anthony feels about each person. I have a feeling that this poem was really therapeutic for Anthony to write.
Overall, I really adored this collection. I think I'm learning through works like this that it's okay to consume media that reflects my experiences- forcing myself to consistently read and watch heteronormative content isn't good for the queer soul. Of course, as a good citizen of the Earth, everyone should consume media that doesn't relate to their experiences, but it's also good to consume media that represents your experience and puts it at stage center. Above all else, consuming queer media created by queer people has been a really validating activity for me. Anthony's Poems of the Modern Gay Boy is but one of the many wonderful queer poetry collections on my list. I'd recommend this collection for everyone! It's a solid read.
Till the next,
Zack Hodges