In The Orange and Pink Sunset, Ivy L. James weaves a tapestry of her life as a queer woman, from childhood crushes to the labels she’s tried on to religious discrimination. Her raw words express agony and joy in equal measure. She provides a refreshing perspective with an understandable voice, and her narrative style feels like sharing a pot of tea with a close friend. This impactful poetry chapbook is a vulnerable discussion of what it’s like to find herself as a lesbian, and in the end, James chooses love over hate, even in moments of pain. Content warning: Some poems touch on the author’s experiences with familial homophobia and religious homophobia. This collection also includes mild adult language, sensual content, and brief violent imagery.
I’m always looking for books or collections that are a different experience from my own so was happy to check this poetry chapbook out when the author reached out to me. This collection is short and sweet, not only exploring the happiness the author has found in exploring their identity and finding their partner but also delving into the hardships and negativity they experienced in both their coming out but being accepted by their surrounding community, family and friend – while also learning to accept themselves. I’m very picky about poetry and which types I enjoy, but I loved the lyrical language and imagery. Also, acknowledgements as a poem? Brilliant. I did find myself wanting to read more once it was done, which was the only downside for me since it was over. All in all a wonderful collection full of raw emotion that will speak to many.
Make sure to look for this one when it releases on April 30th! Thank you again to the author for sharing this collection with me – happy reading!
The Wandering Wordsmith 