Mary Lambert

Beautiful and brutally honest, Mary Lambert's poetry is a beacon to anyone who's ever been knocked down—and picked themselves up again. In verse that deals with sexual assault, mental illness, and body acceptance, Ms. Lambert emerges as an important new voice in poetry, providing strength and resilience even in the darkest of times.

Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across: Poems by Mary Lambert

Tish

This was such a painful and powerful collection of poetry. Trust me when I tell you to listen to the audiobook, it really brings this work to life.

Beautiful and brutally honest, Mary Lambert's poetry is a beacon to anyone who's ever been knocked down—and picked themselves up again. In verse that deals with sexual assault, mental illness, and body acceptance, Ms. Lambert's Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across emerges as an important new voice in poetry, providing strength and resilience even in the darkest of times.

Montgomery Pierce

There is nothing easy nor held back in this particular collection of poetry. It's raw, in your face, and unabashed in what it's talking about. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for everyone (there is definitely a laundry list of content warnings that come along with this collection,) but I think in terms of how honestly Mary Lambert presents her life and the way that she's navigated things like sexual abuse, her ebbing and flowing mental health, with hits of hope and love in between, this is definitely worth a read (or, in the case of this edition, a listen.)

Leo <3

I was trying to think of just one word to describe this, but I couldn't. The right word just doesn't exist. So instead I will go with melancholy.
It was so exposed and raw that I can barely formulate a cohesive thought. I can liken it easily to piano, cold winter air that makes your cheeks turn red, swans, and wisteria, but I could not describe to you why I think so highly of this publication. It was so beautiful and so sad and yet I feel hopeful having finished it. Though perhaps that is the purpose? When listening to the audiobook, it felt as though it was listening to me, rather than the other way around. I feel both lighter and heavier at the same time, as though I have both been freed from some of my own personal burdens and picked up some of the author's simultaneously. 
It probably isn't for everyone considering the heavy topics it focuses on (seriously, check the trigger warnings) but it really was beautiful. Especially the audiobook, which had the author themself reading it.

Agustina Rodriguez Sartori

I really like it, it was eyeopenning and beautiful abd sad. I listened the audiobook nad itwas great to hear her telling her stoty and the music went well with the mood that the poems reflects

Ariel Himboi

I fell in love with this poetry collection very quickly, simply because I and maybe a million others can relate to the author’s topics. I quite enjoyed all of them and would say they were three and a half or four stars all around, with multiple five stars that made me gear towards the final rating. I truly loved listening to this at work, even when becoming highly emotional, and it inspired me to think about poetry and want to write it myself, since it has been a while. 

TW/CW:
- Rape, body shaming, fatphobia, PTSD

Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across: Poems by Mary Lambert

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