Entwined: Essays on Polyamory and Creating Home

by Alex Alberto

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Pub Date Feb 19 2024 | Archive Date Jul 31 2024

Quilted Press

Biographies & Memoirs | LGBTQIAP+ | Nonfiction (Adult)

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Description

In a series of genre-blending essays, Entwined tells the story of Alex Alberto’s decade-long polyamorous journey toward a new kind of family.

In these essays, Alex:

attempts to build two committed relationships at once, though everyone involved is new to non-monogamy
develops a powerful bond with the woman their partner loves
comes out to religious in-laws at a tense Thanksgiving dinner
questions the need for rules and hierarchy in their relationships
experiences the intensity of a triad
wrestles with the fragility baked into the nuclear family after their father’s stroke
and embraces their queerness and gender identity in New York, while reconciling the tension that arises with their native French-Canadian language and culture.

Entwined dances in the fuzzy lines between friendship, romance, and family using various essay forms, including a play, an advice column, and a love letter. As in other memoirs of consensual non-monogamy, Alex's polyamory brings unique challenges, but rather than wallowing in the throes of jealousy, this collection celebrates the hard work of creating a love life that resists conventional narratives.

In a series of genre-blending essays, Entwined tells the story of Alex Alberto’s decade-long polyamorous journey toward a new kind of family.

In these essays, Alex:

attempts to build two committed...

Advance Praise

"Entwined is a goddamn bible for poly-curious people."
—Chloe Caldwell (she/her), 37, questioning author of Women, Legs Get Led Astray, and The Red Zone: A Love Story

"Entwined is about the desire to create a life outside of capitalism, heteronormativity, and the patriarchy."
—Samantha Paige Rosen (she/her), 33, queer and monogamous writer (e.g., Slate, The Rumpus, Shondaland)

"The variety in content and structure makes it a quick read. Entwined deepened my understanding of polyamory’s possibilities; it’s not all swinging and sex parties."
—Melissa Gopp-Warner (she/her), 43, queer/questioning and monogamous writer (e.g., HuffPost, Publishers Weekly, Salon)

"Entwined shows us a non-monogamy we haven't seen before. Sex is beside the point; polyamory is a quiet revolution that makes romantic love one of many tools for building queer family."-- Don Edmondson, PhD (he/him), 44, queer polyamorous psychologist

"For Alex, polyamory is about creating a family. By getting to know them and their reality you gain entry to a world that might otherwise seem intimidating."
—Sofia M. (she/her), 64, mother of a polyamorous person

"Entwined had me captivated from start to finish. It will no doubt influence my approach to romance and family."
—Rio C. (she/her), 21, queer, trans, and curious about polyamory

"I laughed, cried, and felt my heart fill the fuck up."
— Dan D. (they), 36, queer and newly navigating non-monogamy within a lifelong partnership.

"Entwined is a goddamn bible for poly-curious people."
—Chloe Caldwell (she/her), 37, questioning author of Women, Legs Get Led Astray, and The Red Zone: A Love Story

"Entwined is about the desire to...

Marketing Plan

About the author: Alex Alberto (they/them) is a queer and polyamorous storyteller, publisher, and educator. They grew up in Montreal and currently live in upstate New York. Their essays have been published in Huffington Post, Write or Die Magazine, and elsewhere; their plays have been featured at Dixon Place and Theatre Row in New York City. Alex founded Quilted Press as a publishing collective with two other queer authors in 2022.

Website: alexalberto.com

Instagram/TikTok: @thatalexalberto

About the publisher: Quilted Press is a collective of independent authors. Quilted books queer traditional narratives of love, family, and identity—to offer new visions of ourselves and the future.

Website: quiltedpress.com

Instagram/TikTok: @quiltedpress

Recent media appearances (Podcast/Radio):
No One Like You (11/1/2023) -- Entwined: Alex Alberto on Polyamory and the Art of Creating Home
Memoir Land (10/13/2023)—Publishing Books as a Collective

***Book Tour (February 2024)***

Kansas City, MO: Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference
February 8, 10, 11 | 9am to 5pm

Come see Alex and author Caroline Shannon (Mother-Eaten: Notes on my Postpartum Body and Identity) at the Quilted Press table at AWP! You can buy their books and get them signed. You will also find K.G. Strayer’s Stellar Nursery: On My (Trans) Body and My Choice.

Indianapolis, IN: Entwined reading at Tomorrow Bookstore
Tuesday, February 13 | 7pm

As part of the Midwest book tour for the Entwined launch, Alex will be joined by author Adrian Shirk (Heaven is a Place on Earth: In Search of an American Utopia). Book influencer Nathan Shuherk (Schizophrenic Reads) will moderate a conversation and Q&A.

Chicago, IL: Entwined reading at City Lit Books
Thursday, February 15 | 6:30pm

As part of the Midwest book tour for the Entwined launch, Alex will be joined by author Lauren Emily Whalen (Tomorrow and Tomorrow) at City Lit Books in Chicago. Readings will be followed by a conversation, Q&A, and book signing.

Cleveland, OH: Entwined reading at Mac’s Backs
Saturday, February 17 | 7:30pm

As part of the Midwest book tour for the Entwined launch, Alex will read excerpts from Entwined at Mac’s Backs—Books on Coventry in Cleveland. The reading will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Delhi, NY (Catskills): Entwined reading at The Lost Bookshop
Saturday, February 24 | 5pm

Come hear excerpts from Entwined at The Lost Bookshop, in the beautiful town of Delhi in the Western Catskills in Upstate NY. Alex will be joined by author Adrian Shirk (Heaven is a Place on Earth: In Search of an American Utopia). The reading will be followed by a conversation moderated by Adrian, a Q&A, and book signing.

Brooklyn, NY: Entwined reading at Books Are Magic
Thursday, February 29 | 7pm

Come hear excerpts from Entwined at Books are Magic (Montague location) in Brooklyn. Alex will be joined by author Chloé Caldwell (Women), and writer/musician Aly Tadros (who will perform publicly for the first time in 4 years!). The reading will be followed by a conversation, Q&A, and book signing. Tickets cover the price of a book ($20), or a gift card ($10).