These poems follow the aftermath of and recovery from trauma.
Amanda Larson.squo;s Gut begins with an epigraph from Frank Oisquo;Hara: edquo;Pain always produces logic, which is very bad for you.edquo; From there, Larson launches an unflinching interrogation of how a young woman maintains agency in the wake of trauma, violence, and desire. Larson spins a conversation between works of feminist theoryldash;including the those of Cathy Caruth, Susan Bordo, Patricia Hill Collins, Anne Carson, Hélène Cixous, and bell hookskdash;and her own experiences. The book moves through Larson squo;s recovery while questioning the limits of the very term and of language as a whole. She employs a variety of different forms, including prose, Qe poems, and a timeline, reflecting both the speakerwsquo;s obsession with control and her growing willingness to let it go. With a measured voice, Larson finds a path for how to move beyond logic during processes of trauma and recovery.
