Blythe Baird

Blythe Baird's If My Body Could Speak is a celebration of girlhood and all of its struggles and triumphs. In poems that dig deep into sexuality, acceptance of the body, survival of trauma, and learning to love yourself in spite of everything telling you not to, Baird's voice is a rich addition to her generation. Searing, soaring, and heartbreaking, If My Body Could Speak balances the softness of femininity with the sharpness that girls are forced to become. Includes poems such as "Girl Code 101," "When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny," and "Pocket-Sized Feminism" that have been watched by millions online.

If My Body Could Speak

Saskia Klemm 

To live in the body of a survivor is to never be able to leave the scene of the crime.

 I cannot ignore the fact that I live here. I have tried and failed many times.

 At a leadership retreat, we play an icebreaker activity called Cross the Line. 

The instructor says, "Cross the line if you've survived an assault." 

I think to myself, Did I survive it? Or did I just get through it? 

Who is entitled to the trophy of a survivor?

 I carry a bouquet of fear, even now, even here.

 I am still struck by the thunderbolt of a predator shaped like an educator. 

I have always hated The Game because I always lose.

In this room, I try to write a poem about anything other than my sexual assault, but all that comes out 

A few hours before one of my best friends raped me on our college campus, we talked about astral projection.

 He couldn't understand why I wanted to experience it so badly. He laughed,

 Why would anyone want to leave their body?

How do I stop carrying everything that has ever happened to me?

Kayla Jardim

Amelie

Very deep and good :) I read it over time and I keep reading it. It never dissapoints.

While I admire the author's bravery in tackling eating disorders, the book could benefit from a longer format to allow for deeper character development and exploration of the complex themes. Additionally, refining the narrative style might enhance the reader's connection to the characters and their experiences.

Liana

Stacey 

I didn’t like this book when I first started reading but after about 10 poems I got in the rhythm of Baird’s style. There were some cliches and a little bit of cheesiness; I thought. I would read this collection again and also other poems of her’s. No poems as a whole stayed with me. There’s parts of poems that I connected with. Those will stay with me. I would recommend! The words that stuck out to me the most is “she is the street I grew up on” from Taxidermy 
p.39.

Ariel Himboi

I read this at work in-between freaking out over Mother's Day meals and unruly customers. 

I am so glad I picked up this poetry book, filled with feminism and the story of someone who continues to fight what was done to her and others- and everyone whose ever been hurt. 

This includes mentions of rape, anorexia, depression and other depictions of mental illness. 

This was beautiful, and as a victim and aspiring survivor of assault.... These feelings were real and genuine and so full of... Something I can't describe. 

Every poem was a soft blanket around my chest, even the ones that brought back horrible memories or trauma, or the ones that made me stop and think, "What should I be doing differently?"

This book made me think and want to change and for that I'm grateful. 

We need more voices. We need people to speak up. We need women. 

This is a place to start. I recommend this to anyone who is in the right mindset to. Take care of yourself, but if you're okay, definitely listen. 

This is important. And im incredibly happy I picked it up. I adored several of these poems.

[I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.]

I love this book! I am a huge fan of Blythe Baird's poetry, so when I saw this book on NetGalley I had to request it. 

The topics in "If My Body Could Speak" are very emotional and include self love, mental health, sexuality and the authors experience as a rape survivor. 

Her poems very really touching and inspiring and they made me think a lot. As a queer person, my favorite poems were "The Lesbian Reevaluates" and "Everything Is Fluid".

I really look forward to reading more of Blythe Baird's poetry!

5/5

Shannon O’Connor 

Wow. A raw and deep touch to the authors reclaiming of her eating disorder and rape. It is not a light book, and can be very triggering to anyone who is recovering from either. But it is beautifully written and it is something I continued reading because she is not apologizing for her past, she is reclaiming her voice. I would definitely not skip this one.

If My Body Could Speak

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