Gender transition, as Jay Orlando shows in his new book of poetry, is not only a physical transformation but a psychological adjustment as well. Orlando courageously addresses both elements of this transition. He does this in poems that support transgender people as they adjust to life on the various levels life requires them to adjust, both internally and externally. The book begins with “Dedication,” by addressing “every cousin that ever wrapped their teeth/around the barrel of a shotgun.” It ends with “So We Come to the End” where we are told that the point of the book is to remind readers that we are “the same and different all at once.” These are brave poems that must be written. People in transition will find themselves in these poems and people not in transition will come to appreciate the transition better and understand the people who have gone through it and those who inevitably will.

—Patrick Bizzaro, Author of Fog at the Manassas Battlefield

Jay Orlando was born and raised in a series of small towns in Mercer County, Pennsylvania and now resides in the much larger, but still small, town of Indiana, Pennsylvania. He is a rural, transmasculine writer whose work seeks to reclaim religious imagery and uplift the Appalachian LGBTQ experience. He lives with his spouse, Lucy, two friends, Rhys and Kez, and a combined total of seven cats. You can follow his work and antics on Instagram @jaybird.orlando