[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

It's no secret that I am a sucker for poetry, especially from spoken word artists, and <i>especially</i> especially books from Button Poetry. And Blythe Baird's performances of pieces from this collection, especially <a href="https://youtu.be/16Tb_bZZDv0">"When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny</a>, have been among my favorites for a while. But after Sabrina Benaim's disappointing <i>Depression and Other Magic Tricks</i>, I guess I got a little soured on the whole "collections-by-performers" concept, and I did not expect this entire collection to be this great.

<b>But I was wrong. This book was amazing.</b> I read it in a single sitting. Seriously, even when I needed to brush my teeth, I took my Kindle with me and kept reading. Despite the fact that she is only 22 years old (literally my age?? what??), Baird writes with passion and eloquence that few poets--established or otherwise--manage to achieve. Her writing is not pretentious, but it is also not the all-too-popular "Instagram poetry" that is so popular as of late (Rupi Kaur, I'm looking at you...). The pieces are long enough to feel like fully-developed concepts, but short enough to feel compulsively readable and lend themselves easily to the "one more chapter" phenomenon.

<b>The collection largely focuses on issues of body image, trauma, sexuality, and personal identity.</b> Though the topics are serious, Baird presents them in such a way that they are not overwhelmingly heavy--just raw and honest. From her own sexual assault to coming to terms with the fact that she is a lesbian, from conflicts with her family to her history of disordered eating, she covers a series of themes that are at once intensely personal and resoundingly universal. All of her thoughts are incredibly relevant and timely in a world where women are increasingly under pressure from society and the men around us to be a certain way, act a certain way, and accept terrible things as being "just the way things are."

<b><i>If My Body Could Speak</i> ought to be required reading for all young women today.</b> It is a testament to the strength of the individual and a pointed callout of the problematic society we live in. It is beautiful, personal, readable, and so, so important.

<b>Trigger warnings for eating disorders, sexual assault, homophobia, mental illness, and mention of self-harm.</b>

<i>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I have been watching Blythe Baird's spoken word poetry on Button Poetry's youtube channel for a long time now. I was very excited to read this collection by her. I think one thing that is special about Baird is her delivery of her poems. I wish that I could have seen all of these performed, and the ones I have seen enhanced my reading experience. I felt like I could hear her reading some of these because her delivery is so specific.

This collection of poems could be grouped into poems about eating disorders, poems about assault, and poems about Baird's relationship with her mother. While there are many poems, it often felt like three long poems about these three topics. One thing that I admire greatly about this collection is that Baird's poetry is so personal. She is not afraid to lay her traumas bare, and I felt for her with every line. She is quick to criticize herself and slow to love herself. The lines about embodiment, what it means to have a body, what it means to be seen by others, are some of my favorites. I just wish that there had been more about Baird's relationship with her mother and her sexuality. There were more poems about her eating disorder and her assault, and I wished that these ideas had been connected more.

‘If My Body Could Speak’ is a collection of poems charting a course through the various modes of womanhood and women’s bodies. It discusses love, loss, and the struggles of disordered eating with visceral imagery and sharp narratives to get to the heart of a many-layered existence.

The moment I saw this book appear on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it. As someone who struggles with disordered eating and body image in general, I’d hoped to resonate with the content in this book and understand my own thought processes a little more. Needless to say, this book did that and more.

I’d never read the work of Blythe Baird prior to starting this book, yet this definitely won’t be the last. Each poem was brutal, concise and raw. The power of words shined through the pages of each poem, flowing onto the next without taking a gasp of breath. Although, the themes explored depict a very difficult and lonely period in a woman’s life, where they may feel not enough for the world, the feelings you’re left with after completing this book are the opposite. As someone who related to a fair amount of the poems within this collection, I found myself less alone in my struggles.

Some of my personal favourites are:
When The Fat Girl Gets Skinny
When Your Therapist Asks
Evolution of Healing
Smoke
Lipstick
Everything is Fluid
Balancing
If Your Body Could Speak
Relapse
Eat
On An Empty Stomach

Overall, I’m incredibly grateful to Blythe Baird and her bravery. The honesty throughout these pages has inspired me to confront my own battles, and do so as unapologetically as possible.

“If My Body Could Speak” is a poetry collection by Blythe Baird. The poems are about being a woman in today's society, body image and also the youth -specifically young girls. It focuses on some hard topics such as anorexia, rape, and self-love.

First of all, i was surprised to learn that the author is the same age as me (22)! The subjects of these poems are so mature and heavy that you can feel the exhaustion of the author while reading them. And to learn that these hardships were felt so intensely by such a young person goes to show just how important such literature is.

People tend to avoid certain issues because they are seen as “taboo”. However; the more we don’t talk about them, the more they gain power over the younger generation.

Baird talks about body issues, “fat” being used as a characteristic that defines the person and how this affects them; about rape, the psychology of “victims” and where young girls stand in relation to this issue; and most of all, about being a girl in today’s world.

It is mostly written with a slam-poetry technique and sometimes it felt short for me. There were times that the narrative got monotonous and the style felt a bit callow. But overall, the emotions prevailed.

It is brutally honest and sometimes hard to read; but still a necessary literature in my opinion.

Raw, intimate and powerfully honest, Baird's poetry strikes you at your very core. Her work is heavy with the weight of real, human experience and moments - pivotal or everyday - every woman can relate to, putting so clearly into words the feelings familiar to each of us. Baird is not one to shy away from the topics as uncomfortable as they are important, choosing to take control of her own narrative and in doing so, giving all people the push to join her. An emotionally gripping read with many memorable lines, "If My Body Could Speak" is a modern feminist anthem that took me by surprise.

Once again I'm a bit contradicted because of modern poetry. In general, I tend to like a bit more old-fashioned poems (I mean in style, like rhymes and verses, not in theme/topics!) at first I thought that this would be the case with this collection, too, but all in all I have to say that it convinced me by the end. These poems are powerful and they all made me feel something. I could relate to so many things mentioned in them, and I love that the poet says what's on her mind and heart. I could feel for her. I think these poems are ones that very young people can understand and relate to, but the poet also shows a more mature side of thinking - because of the topics and life stage I knew she must be young, but I was actually surprised to find out how young she is. I'll be on the look for more work of hers!

This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Button Poetry and Netgalley!

"Silly girl. She thinks this is what she wants,
but she does not understand how it will hurt."

If My Body Could Speak is a poetry collection about love, LGBT+, loss, rape and eating disorders. If My Body Could Speak is the first book I read by Blythe Baird and I loved it!

"Looking back, I wonder why survival
was my entertainment of choice."

If My Body Could Speak was such a beautiful and honest collection. I could relate to so many poems and a lot of them had a big impact on me. For example, I’ve never had an eating disorder but I often struggle (d) with food and some of these poems were really relatable and I could really get what Blythe Baird was talking about.

"She would rather take a photo
of me wincing with a boy
than smiling with a girl."

Favourite poems:
Before the Starving
Dress Code
Girl Code 101
Blood-rose
Pocket-sized Feminism
I Don’t Have to Forgive You
The Ghost Who Stars in My Poetry
Class Clown
Too Pissed to Be Sad Anymore
The Way I Was Taught to Love
The Kindest Thing she Almost Did
Smoke
Lipstick
For The Rapists who Called Themselves Feminists
Balancing
The Aesthetic of Rape Culture
To Live in the Body of A Survivor
Relapse
Horoscopes for Self-Doubt

Well, what to say.

I always want to give modern poetry a chance... Unfortunately, it keeps disappointing me. It does not seem or feel like poetry to me.

But when I saw this one I wanted to give it a chance.

The first several poems were good. They did not feel like poems to me. But I enjoyed reading them.

And the comment where the author talks about the feel of water in the empty stomach, I could so much relate, and I could remember the feeling. I expected that the majority of the poems would be about eating disorders. However, only a few were about it. The majority was about being harassed (even raped), bullied and shamed for being a woman. And I must say that the American Dress Code in School seems utterly ridiculous to me. The idea that I would have to kneel down and the principal would measure the hemline? I cannot fathom who thought this is okay.
But overall, I did not like this book of poetry and I had a hard time to finish. Not because of the topic but because it did not create a feeling of understanding.

An up-front, but still quite pretty, collection of poetry confronting eating disorders, sexuality, and rape and rape culture. I really liked the different formats that Blythe Baird used and I thought her poems were very moving.

This collection of poems is astonishing. I'm a fan of Button Poetry in general, but this collection just floored me. If you have dealt with rape, trauma, and/or its aftermath, these poems will speak to you. I related more to Blythe Baird than I have almost any other author out there. She's brave and talented and you should definitely read this book.

I absolutely adore Blythe Baird—she can do no wrong in my eyes. I'd heard some of these poems before, but still loved every single one of them.

If My Body Could Speak is a collection that dives deep into the topics of relationships (both toxic and not), feminism, eating disorders, assault, and the relationship of victim/survivor to an individual's traumatic experiences, which could be triggers to someone who has been through the same experiences.

The collection has many poems that have appeared in other places, so some readers may be familiar with a few of these pieces. Each piece works to speak in simple language, but that doesn't mean that it skimps on turns of phrase that you need to stop and appreciate. I think that many people would find this collection relatable, specifically because no matter what someone has been through, there is no clear happy ending in sight, and this collection doesn't end on one of those either.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!! I have listened to some of Blythe Baird's poems on Button Poetry and was excited to get the chance to read her book.

Poems I loved:
DRESS CODE
HIGH SCHOOL
TOO PISSED TO BE SAD ANYMORE
SMOKE
AN INVITATION
LIPSTICK
FOR THE RAPISTS WHO CALLED THEMSELVES FEMINISTS
TO LIVE IN THE BODY OF A SURVIVOR
PRUNING INTO ART

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great poetry book. A lot of trigger warnings about eating disorders. The author came off very truthful and genuine. Some the poems really resonated within me. She showed her struggle of the male and female dynamic when she was young. Would definitely recommend.

I am no longer a person, I am just the throbbing open wound this book has left in its wake.

I think that is why I always find myself falling into poetry, to feel un-alone in the most meaningful way.

Blythe Baird lays it all out, and refuses to make apologies for writing about her trauma.
This one of the rawest collections I have ever experienced.

Yet another amazing collection that Button Poetry has put out. I bought a copy knowing only that I have yet to be disappointed by the publisher’s previous titles. Now, having read Baird’s poems, I can say that I was blown away and wish I had more from the poet to read.

The poems are filled with honesty and beauty, all while not shying away from heavy subject matter. Baird could easily be my new favorite poet. I’ll be keeping on eye out for anything new from now on!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Blythe’s wonderful collection of poetry. Now, I have never suffered with anorexia, but I have suffered the bullying that comes from looking the way I am. I have suffered from the pressures of society to look a certain way and to behave a certain way in order to be deemed ‘acceptable’. Quite frankly, I think I am far too much for our society to deal with. Although I have said that I have never suffered with anorexia, this poetry anthology has made me feel and has granted me this connection to the survivors and to those who are currently experiencing it due to the writing being so personal.

This isn’t my first Blythe rodeo, I once discovered her on YouTube when she was performing her poetry on ButtonPoetry, how raw and how real her voice is, so when the chance to read this collection of poetry, I jumped and grabbed hold of it. It was absolutely wonderful to read her other poems, and to revisit a few of the ones I have seen her perform, because regardless of how many times you read a poem, I feel the subject and themes change dramatically in different points of your life.

Wow.  There was something calling out to me about this book, and I'm glad I listened.  This is one of the most powerful compilations of poetry I've read in a good long time.  Baird discusses, rape, sexuality, eating disorders, make-up, growing up a woman, and love.  My personal favorites in this collection include "The Kindest Thing She Almost Did", "The Lesbian Reevaluates", and "Horoscopes for Self-Doubt".  These and the other poems are just so articulate and beautiful.  They're truly poems to behold.  I cannot wait to purchase this book--be sure that you do!

Wow! This collection of poems really captured what it is like to be a woman! I couldn't believe how much I related to several of them. Highly recommend!