...I dream for the queer future most of all that exists...
Loathe/Love/Lathe
by Aeon Ginsberg
Aeon Ginsberg (they/them) is a writer, performer, barista, and bartender from Baltimore City, MD. They are a Taurus sun, Aries rising. Other works include Until The Cows Come Home published by Elation Press (2016), and publications with various journals, magazines, and anthologies.
They tweet @anotherginsberg
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CHECK AeoN READING AN EXCERPT FROM THEIR N!P CHAP(!):
Praise for Loathe/Love/Lathe
"As a poet, Aeon Ginsberg is resourceful with language and imagery, finding metaphor and anecdote where the reader had previously thought language had already dredged all it could out of that instance; as a vocally transgender poet, Aeon Ginsberg is a poignantly necessary voice. There is often a lot of talk in literary communities about what makes a "trans poem" a "trans poem," and while the majority of Aeon's poems mention they are trans somewhere within the text, there is never a sense of force or plea; rather, while Aeon's gender is influential in all aspects of their work, it does not define their work. Aeon's work is instead profoundly influenced by the daunting task of humanizing and unraveling trauma, from abusive relationships to harassment by customers at their food-service job, and throughout their narrative, Aeon never lies to their audience or sugarcoats the circumstance. Instead, Aeon presents their truth unflinchingly, letting the audience know they've got some heavy shit to talk about, but it's our choice if we want to listen. And goddamn, I am positive y'all will want to listen."
–Linette Reeman, writer, performer, Aries
"Loathe/Love/Lathe is a phenomenal book written by an even more magnificent poet. Aeon Ginsberg brings to every poem a rawness that only they are capable of bringing. Exploring topics such as bodies, gender, safety, and the self (whatever the "self" is), Ginsberg provides not only understanding but an honest gentleness that is so necessary. No other book of poetry that I have had the privilege of reading does justice to the lived realities of young queer Americans in the same way Loathe/Love/Lathe does. Having read this book a few times over now, each time being left without words yet with an intense desire to hold every person I've ever loved, I truly recommend this work."
–Erin Taylor, writer, interviews for Maudlin House, Sagittarius
"The language in Loathe/Love/Lathe is beautiful and filled with incredible imagery, my favorite example being from the piece “Dude at DuPont” — “My jazz goes off signature, /my bass is free form/my rhythm asthmatic.” I read that line repeatedly and found more to be in love with in that tiny fragment of poem each time. But while Aeon uses beautiful words, they address some deep and terrible issues that haunt the LGBTQ+ community, such as the violence that trans, nonbinary, agender, and genderqueer people face. Knowing that their words are autobiographical, readers can feel Aeon’s fear in lines like “I walk home barefoot, holding/my shoes like hammers” from the poem “above average.” Many people try to sweep the conversation of the violence that surrounds LGBTQ+ under the rug, but Loathe/Love/Lathe faces it head on and Aeon speaks plainly of their experiences."
–Ella Ann Weaver @ Crabfat Magazine
"Hopefully in our lifetime, some of the tenets of Ginsberg's queer utopia will become facts. I want to see "only articles / about the successes of trans women of color," live in a world where we will be "only anxious of counting the stars / and not of how many years we have left to live." Accessible and conversational, while in conversation with heavy and complicated topics like politics, identity, literature, and history, Loathe/Love/Lathe is an essential read in the evolving canon of young queer poets."
–Anna Press @ Glass Poetry Journal
"Ginsberg explores what makes a man or a woman, a human or a ghost, a life or a death. Anything can be changed, shaped by the mind into something else, something that many eyes don’t see or understand. Imagine a queer utopia, where the minority is flipped to the majority: “in the queer future cis people aren’t allowed to look at me unless they are using everyone’s correct pronouns.” What a drastic consequence, a simple wish. It should not be hard for people to learn how to address others. It should be as easy as learning your own name."
–Bethany Mary @ Vagabond City