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!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

A lot of poetry books lately have really let me down. They can be really difficult to get through and some of them, even, annoying.

This one tho...ohhhhman this one.

This book was so impactful and moving I actually teared up. The authors poems about her eating disorder and body completely killed me. I've also suffered with these problems and to hear someone speak what I feel really brought it home for me.

She touches on a lot of other issues and all of them were so hard to probably write about. I hope this book gets the praise and acknowledgement it deserves. It should surpass so many of today's popular poetry books.

Adored.

Recommend.

Beautiful and poignant. Very thought provoking poetry. The only negative I can see is the length. Its too long and has way too many poems also most of the poems are really lengthy.

I loved this! Poetry is not my thing but I really want to give it a shot and start reading more of it. This collection of peoms were so powerful and hardhitting and although there were some I didn't understand/connect to I had a great time reading them and I'm definitely interested in reading more.
TW: rape, eating disorder.

Blythe Baird's first full-length poetry collection hurts. As the collection develops, we witness Baird grappling with her place in high school, experimenting, finding her identity, struggling with her parents, and, finally, being the victim of sexual violence that changes the collection. The poems develop formally, tonally, and the reader can follow their progression through elementary and high school and the author's changing sexuality. Trauma changes everything. This reviewer liked how the collection was in conversation with itself. As Baird performed these poems, and then her performance of them became part of her identity and healing. The poems in this collection engage themes of adolescence, identity, family, sexuality, violence, trauma, relationships, sex, experimentation, and meaning. The collection isn't "happy" and while the author seems to have reached some sort of healing she doesn't present herself as healed/fixed. How could she? This structure of the collection influenced the tenor of this review, and rightly so. The trauma isn't graphic but obviously it doesn't have to be to be real. The reader should be warned about this but by no means discouraged from reading this tightly crafted, engaging, and lucid collection of poems.


Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.. I thank Button Poetry for continuing to publish incredible books. I thank Ms. Baird for sharing her strong poems and her story with us.

I really enjoyed this collection of poems. They were touching, heartfelt reads that so many can relate to. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get in touch with issues of body image and more.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blythe Baird shows a talent for verse in If My Body Could Speak. The poems are handled with excellence, and the topics speak. There is life brimming from these creative poetic experiences. Love it.

Wow. If you have been disappointed by some of modern Tumblr poetry in the past, don't worry: this one is nothing like the same reinforced and repeated messages.

Fiercely original, heartbreakingly raw, perfectly well-formed in terms of writing and the poetics, and just delightfully feminist all around. I loved the messages it sent about expectations placed upon young girls, the misogynistic society of high school and the bodily image.

Important, and incredibly well presented. Please treat yourself to this one!

Thanks for an ARC.

This poetry collection tackled a lot of heavy topics like rape, trauma, and how one perceives oneself. I really liked how straight forward the poems were, yet simple and very accessible.

"If your body could speak
would she
forgive you?"

I never heard about Blythe Baird before, this is actually my first book of hers and it did not disappoint me. Books like this are important and needed to be shared with other girls.

This poetry collection is amazing. It is honest, raw, and it really spoke to me as a woman. This book talks about eating disorder, sexuality, harassment or sexual abuse, trauma, and feminism. The writing is good, honest, and meaningful.

Highly recommended!

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

Button Poetry has provided a gateway for very honest, real, raw poetry to gain traction in a world that let's art slip through the cracks. Baird's latest is no exception. Raw, honesty is in these pages, covering her eating disorder, sexual assaults, sexuality, and relationship with her mother. Some lines I felt deeply, and others I didn't, but even in those, you knew it was important to the author. You could feel that this work was for her. Congratulations on finding your voice, Blythe.

Incredibly relatable and really good writing style. Brought up some really important issues but made them feel raw and real which makes the reader feel more connected to the author through the poetry