“Lord of the Butterflies” by Andrea Gibson is a collection of poems that deals with a wide variety of issues from deeply personal topics -like mental health and queer relationships- to social issues -such as gun violence and homophobic acts in America-.

There are some very personal stories/poems in here and the rawness they bring with them makes this read even better. Also, the messages that were conveyed were mostly incredibly powerful and, to some extent, even necessary. (one of my favourites was the “Orlando” poem)

That being said, some of the techniques that were used did not really work for me. The pacing and the way the poems were structured made it harder to read, which in turn made the impact of some of them decrease.

However, after finishing the book i learned that Gibson is known for their slam poetry and that made everything clearer. In my opinion, some of the poems did not translate well into written work but that does not make them bad. I remember writing down “would love to hear a live reading of some of these poems from the author” while taking notes about the book, and now i know why i felt like that. And i still feel the same: hearing a live reading would be astonishing!

And a note about the physical aspect of the book: the cover art is stunning!

This was my first Andrea Gibson and it will not be my last. I devoured this in less than 2 hours! It was amazing, sad, raw, pure, funny, and truthful. Wow! Would recommend this to anyone. Plentiful trigger warnings to all.

it's so F*** beautiful, I want to read everything from her!!!
she really knows her way with words, If you want to read something beautiful that is actually gonna make you think, please pick this up, you will not regret it.

A beautiful collection of poetry. It did everything poetry is supposed to do - speak to the heart, make you think, and make you want to share it with those who you love.

There is no doubt that this poet has talent. She has the ability to transport you into her world, actually into her mind. The mind of herself as a teenager struggling with the identity issues of who am I? What makes her tick? What has she been searching for? and what about her own identity and sexuality? This collection was very well put together. It's also a quick read, as one poem flows into the next.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Button Poetry for the ARC of #LordOfTheButterflies

I am not one who often reads poetry, but in a spurt of curiosity, I decided to give this collection a read.

Goodness, am I glad I did.

This collection of poems was heartwrenchingly beautiful and brutally honest all at once. I found a number of poems to be very relatable and thought-provoking in their message, and especially appreciated that the writings were done from an LGBT+ perspective.
A few of the poems were political in nature and thus deeply uncomfortable and painful to read, but that was the point of them - such feelings *should* be evoked with mention of the particular topics being addressed.

There were a few poems that fell short for me though, as I felt I could not relate to them at all, but these were few.
It is my understanding that these originated as spoken-word poems, and I do feel some of the impact was lost without that element, however -
I did enjoy this collection overall, and it is absolutely worth the read.

This book is an honest reflection of America through queer eyes. Andrea Gibson became one of my favourite poets after this. From a heartbreaking poem about the massacre in Pulse, Orlando to the so many other shootings in schools, the current political situation or simply what it means to be happy, this book is able to touch something in us in every poem.

Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson is a book of poetry that is intimately and stunningly beautiful. I don’t typically read poetry and had actually never heard of this poet before but felt so profoundly connected to Gibson and the writing style. Thank you @andrewgibby for sharing a piece of yourself with us.

Thank you @netgalley and @buttonpoetry for the copy of this book. It is currently available!

A collection with some thought-provoking and heart wrenching lines. A pleasant read.
A must read! Cannot wait to read more of Gibson's work.

All the Good in You

When all the good in you
starts arguing with all the bad in you
about who you really are,
never let the bad in you
make the better case.

*Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I finished this book some time last week and I honestly don’t remember what I thought of this book anymore. So let me browse my copy for a minute or two. … Okay, so, so, this book has got some powerful messages, pages that made my heart ache and a theme I don’t always read but is close to my heart. There are also many subjects in this collection and I think that’s why it didn’t feel repetitive for me.

Overall, I liked this book. There are important messages inside this book that are thought-provoking and timely. Though, I have to say that the writing style is not for me and I have my favorites, yes, but I didn’t connect with this collection as much as I hoped I would.

When she’s down I want to give her my best
pick-up lines. What’s your sign?
My sign has historically been STOP
but since meeting you I’ve changed it
to MERGE.

I had never heard of Andrea Gibson before reading this book of poetry. I definitely know her now. In fact, very intimately as a result of her vulnerability and frank openness.

The overall feeling while experiencing these poems was moroseness. My heart broke with each new page. Sure, there were sprinkles of positive reflection. But there was mostly a theme of sadness.

Sexual Identity, Sibling struggles, Tragedy, Religion, Anxiety, Depression, Politics, and Suicide are all tackled topics within the pages.

Gibson definitely has a way with words. Here are several of the many tidbits that resonated with me:

<strong>"...realizing you are the only boy you ever wanted to tear your dress off for."

"They told me the same thing
about Santa always watching and I didn't mind
because he was bringing presents."

---

"If you've never had a panic attack,
there's a good chance you've been an ass
to someone who has

JUST RELAX
and CALM DOWN
always seems like helpful things

to scream if oxygen
has never been over your head,
if your body has never become its own corset."

---

"I love myself, but I don't
love myself
back."

---

"...What if you are the love your life? I think, Oh my god, I hope

that's not true,
because I am absolutely
not my type."

---

"...never let the bad in you
make the better case."

--
</strong>
There were also things that made you think. Gibson feels we should be making more snowwomen than snowmen. Why don't we? And her thought on open heart valves was swoon worthy.

How do you rate poetry? Isn't it all subjective? While this was entirely depressing material, it did make me FEEL. And for that level of connection and the aforementioned vulnerability, there is no other option to than to give this a 5.

I received a copy through Netgalley from Button Poetry for an honest review.

I got an ARC of this book.

This book of poetry is pretty fantastic. There were a few poems that either went entirely over my head or I just didn't enjoy them, but overall there was an emotional punch here that I enjoyed. The topics ranged from break-ups to the Pulse nightclub shooting to the current presidency. 

There was a lot more about gender in this collection than the last one I read. I enjoyed the gender conversation. If I had read this when I was first coming to terms with being trans and what that really meant, it would have been even more important to me. There are references to Stone Butch Blues and Leslie Feinberg throughout the book that just made my heart soar. Feinberg helped me to come to terms with my own gender by being this incredible gender warrior and activist. I am not surprised to see someone else had similar feelings and it just made me feel more understood that I ever have before. There is that power in this collection.

The political poems were straight to the point, powerful, and didn't hold any punches. Gibson really went there saying that a vote for Trump was a vote for racism and violence. POINT NEEDED. It is so hard to watch what is happening and stay "civil" and "polite". Gibson showed, again, that we don't need to be polite or civil. We need to fight for good. Locking kids in cages: evil. Actively supporting racism: pretty nasty. Actively hurting poor people for your own profit: seems like a bad idea at the very least. So not saying he is evil, but not not saying that too. The comparisons to Hitler were pretty fantastic. There may be some good in Trump somewhere, but that in no way negates all the evil he has done and supported. So while I am still trying to find the good, so I can still see him as human, this book gave me the permission to let his actions speak for him instead of me hunting for a reason to rationalize what he has done. So Trump is greedy, racist, and misogynistic. Is he evil? Probably, like I am pretty sure he is. At the very least he is a terrible person. There may be some good lurking, but it is so far buried and tiny that it doesn't matter (like Hitler being a vegetarian isn't enough to redeem him). If he saves a kitten from a fire one day, it still won't redeem what he has done to so many people. I have to thank Gibson for that permission. 

There is just so much in this book that is heavy. Take your time reading. Take a minute between pieces to really prepare and settle. Reading straight through will not give the words justice.

I received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading poetry and discovering new poets, But unfortunately, this was not for me, I couldn’t connect with the pomes or relate to any, and I only liked a couple of lines.

some of the poems were too long to the point where I forgot what the beginning was.

I loved the cover and the title but not so much the content.

I receieved this book complimentary through Netgalley (so thanks to you and to Button Poetry)!

Holy. Moly.
Do not read this book if you are wanting to just feel totally fine afterwards. Definitely don't finish it on your lunch break at your desk at work because you will cry, and your makeup will smear, and people will ask if you're okay and you just may get pathetic glances from your co-workers.

Now that that's out of the way. This book was phenomenal. I felt the cuts made by their poems through my bones. Also, I have never in my life related to someone as much as I related to their poem regarding panic attacks. Way too real and relatable, wow.

I would absolutely tell any of my friends (especially my queer brothers and sisters) to read this and then make a plan with me to go see Andrea do spoken word live, deal? Because I clearly didn't feel these cuts enough reading them myself, I need to feel them shatter my bone in real life too.

Andrea Gibson has been one of the most potent voices in poetry for the LGBTQ community at large. Although since this genre of poetry (spoken poetry) is best consumed if heard live (or watching a video of one of their readings), I suggest that in conjunction to reading this book that you also see them live, because they’re a force to be reckoned with. The poetry comes alive in ways that wouldn’t be able to on print, making you feel just how raw, visceral, and gut-wrenching this experience can truly be.

Many of the topics they explore are things that society is still dealing with such as gender identity, gun control, homophobia, and mental illness. I’m usually not a huge fan of contemporary poets as for someone who majored in Classics, I’ve got a penchant for the likes of Charles Baudelaire, Poe, John Keats, and William Blake. However, much like Sylvia Plath in her days, Andrea Gibson has the courage to shed her skin and allow us to see what’s inside and challenging us to do the same.

I recommend this book if you’re okay with having to nurse a cracked heart afterward because Gibson’s poems cut deep.

This stunning collection of poems by Andrea Gibson is as topical as today's newspaper. Touching on topics from mass shootings to Syria, from childhood awakenings of sexuality and Thanksgiving celebrations to gas chambers, trump and Hitler, these poems are often angry cries of injustice, and always powerful. I like political poems, agreeing with Shelley's statement that poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. While love plays a role here, it is far from the focus of this work.

I had never heard of Andrea Gibson before reading this book, but now that I know her work, I will actively search for her books in the future.

Lord of The Butterflies
by Andrea Gibson
2018
IPBA/Button Poetry
5.0 / 5.0

Powerful and beautifully written, deep and invigorating, this is poetry and prose that reached into the depth of my soul, taking random, yet strong emotions and putting them into words. Giving them a voice.
Good poets make us feel like we belong, are understood and less alone.
Great poets can make us more aware of ourselves by sharing their own feelings. Can make us see beyond just ourselves, the interconnectivity of life.
Andrea Gibson is a good poet. She's an even better great poet. I love her!
The poems are all gay centered on topics that influence our world today....love, family, politics, friendship. The poems "Orlando" and "America Reloading" brought tears and were the most powerful, to me. "Dear Trump Voter" and "Until We Act" remind us how necessary it is for us to involved in the change we hope to see for our futures. "Your Life" and "America Wakes Up In The Middle Of The Night" were my two favorites. Stellar.....every poem.
Gibson has won a place on my bookshelf and has opened my heart and spirit to feelings I've let sit inside too long.
Amazing.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #LordOfTheButterflies for the
e-book advance copy for review.! Loved it!

https://en.wikipedia.org/w*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free poetry collection!*

I really enjoyed "Lord of the Butterflies" by Andrea Gibson, who is an American activist and poet. Their poetry (as far as I can tell from this poetry collection) focusses on gender identity, LGBTQ and political issues such as gun violence, war and the possibility of social reforms. Some poems were hard to read and made me sad. Nevertheless, I already recommended the book to a colleague at my department at University to use for his classes focussing on North America. He heard just one poem, but will now buy the collection it and use it in class.

Although I didn't enjoy all the poems, most of them were excellent in their simplicity. Here are just a few quotes of poems that moved me the most. I will check out more of Gibson's poetry.

"Your name is not a song you will sing under your breath.
Your pronouns haven't even been invented yet."

"Patti Smith hanging like a Christ
above the checkered tile."

"in the dream
america elected a president
who told the truth"

"White Feminism (noun):
1. A racism that claims
it is at least better
than no feminism at all,
like at least Hitler
was a vegetarian,
like we could actually
get comfortable
being the uneaten animal
in the lap of a man
making lampshades
out of human skin."

"Of the twenty children murdered at Sandy Hook,
not one of them needed an ambulance.
That's how dead they were.
That's how well the Second Amendment works."

"I imagine because Syria is 6,677 miles away
but would still be called our neighbor
if her children were as white a our eyes.

I know the white of the eye
is the part that does not see."

5 Stars because some poems were utterly beautiful. iki/Andrea_Gibson

Excellent, gripping, and striking poetry that manages to be both incredibly subtle and also hits you like a freight train. I really enjoyed this book, and I would very highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an especially good book of poetry, particularly if they enjoy themes of gender and sexuality. The collection stands really beautifully together, but each piece is also very strong on its own.

A thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t care for the politics. I wasn’t expecting there to be politics in this one. The poetry itself was good, I just didn’t care for the content. I don’t like to read about politics of any kind.