Citizen – Claudia Rankine
There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about how vital and important Citizen is. This book knocked me on my ass, and I am forever grateful.
Stacy Doris Fledge
Fledge holds one’s heart aloft even mired in a day’s minutiae. It’s a cadence that catches you in the diction, and holds you close. This book transcends everything I knew about what a book was capable of. It shattered me and helped me heal.
Divine Comedy Book 1: Inferno – Dante
I love this book for its mirth and meter, its pained line breaks, its whirlwind of blood & guts. Revolutionary
Letters, Diane di Prima
You can’t fuck with this book. It will replace your sorrows with a stubborn joy.
Dictee – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha
This book transcends everything I knew about what a book was capable of. It shattered me and helped me heal.
Melissa Eleftherion is a writer, a librarian, and a visual artist. She is the author of field guide to autobiography (The Operating System, 2018), & nine chapbooks, including the forthcoming trauma suture (above/ground press, 2020). Born & raised in Brooklyn, Melissa now lives in Mendocino County where she manages the Ukiah Library, teaches creative writing, & curates the LOBA Reading Series. Recent work is available at http://www.apoetlibrarian.wordpress.com.
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