A Girl Who was His House is fearless feminist poetry
to challenge adventurous readers.
A GIRL WHO WAS HIS HOUSE
Poetry
By Sarah–JeanKrahn
A Girl Who was His House is a collection of experimental poetry centering on themes of feminism, political agency, and madness, penned by Canadian writer Sarah-Jean Krahn. (Gothic Funk Press, May 28, 2020, Poetry, $14.00 USD, $18.00 CAD, Trade Paperback).
A Girl Who was His House offers up a cast-iron innovation of courage in women’s writing that howls a cacophony of both the (im)personal and political. Krahn’s forceful experimental voice illuminates a body and elucidates a mind steeped in the madness brewed by a (f)rigid patriarchy.
Stark and sassy images illustrate the chaos of a woman’s selfhood infected by old traumas. The landscape around her is warped into twisted triggers that are yet absurd, sarcastic: “books ooze with thickredfoldedhalfwaysjam” as she marvels at execution videos against crimson cloud-cover and “moonwalks past the whole ‘whore’ aspect.”
She answers the Mandela Effect with the word “queer” and dares to eat a peach that “laughs an earwig out across the counter.” Her “tender French rabbits” grapple with “A Giant Pair of Scissors” as she induces miscarriage with a sprightly sprig of parsley.
She’s “a sad, yet beautiful egg” who hopes you will surrender to this provocative read.
Gothic Funk Press is an independent publishing company based in Flint, Michigan. The Press promotes experimental work marked by the scars of romance, darkness, depth, and swagger.
A Girl Who was His House will be Gothic Funk Press’s first poetry publication.
About the Author:
Sarah-Jean Krahn is the co-founder and Managing Editor of the feminist creative writing magazine S/tick, where she has been dedicated since 2012 to giving space to voices that have challenging things to say. Her unforgiving experimental writing has appeared in several anthologies and journals, including Arc Poetry, Berkeley Poetry Review, and Feminist Studies.
Praise for Pushcart-nominated Weed Apologue (e-chapbook available at dontdiepress.org): “Krahn weaves language.. like a so-called weed: insistent, seemingly effortless, hardy, and, ultimately, beautiful.” (Terrence Abrahams.) “Stunning, extraordinary and highly accomplished. This is the sort of work that people will be talking about in the future as a key work of Canadian literature.” (Emily Cargan.) Sarah-Jean is a long-time writing support specialist and tutor who endeavors to foster a love of and confidence in writing. More from Sarah-Jean can be found at sarahjeancreates.com.
Excerpt:
“Gramarye, or, Whatever happened to the fate of our monarchye, er, democracye, never before
stopped by boredom, panic, guilt, or even inane repetition, and, being so late in the performance,
whatever happened to Sarah Jane?”
from A Girl Who was His House.