Kate Baer is the reason I now read poetry.  This is my second book by this wonder and I am blown away once again by her words.  I Hope This Finds You Well is literally "kick-ass", unique and utterly empowering for women.  Baer responds to comments, quotes, and words from some unfamiliar and very familiar people from the internet with poetry.  This book is an absolute SACRED GEM!

Kate Baer has made poetry accessible for all of us. These erasure poems are witty, cathartic, and beautiful. I was quick to gift her first book to every friend of mine, and I’m so excited to add this one to the mix.

When you turn the last page and want to start all over again.

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Kate literary turns crap (from nasty internet trolls) into wine and I’m here for it. She had me doubling over in laughter, nodding my head in agreement and also heavy hearted at the world we live in.

Not into poetry? I beg to differ. 😉 Give Kate a try. Be sure to check out her IG feed where she shares quite a bit of her poetry.

Buy her books. One for you, all your sisters and friends too.

I was not familiar with Kate Baer before reading this book but she's apparently fairly well known and has written a number of books of what she calls erasure poems (basically just a different take on black out poetry). She uses comments on news articles, spam letters and letters from readers to isolate just a few words and create poems from them on topics like women's bodies, LGBTQ issues and other social and personal issues. Many of the letters are negative, trollish and mean. She transforms them very well. Recommended for adults and teens, and also in the classroom.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I love Kate Baer so much, and this collection of poetry was perfect. I'm already highly anticipating her next collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Kate Baer's poetry is so powerful and modern and has an honest voice about feminity, motherhood, and American politics. I've followed her on Instagram for a while now, and her use of DM messages to create poems is something I've loved most about following her.

This is an incredibly quick read that carries a powerful punch. I really enjoyed this one!

Here with the latest poetry collection from the phenomenal @katejbaer.
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This one deals with a topic we could all deal with a lot less of: online hate and internet trolls.
Within this stunning collection, Kate Baer takes messages of (mostly) hate that she and others have received and turns the words into poetry of hope through a method called erasure poetry.

It’s a thoughtful meditation on how beauty and light can come from darkness and one I would definitely recommend.
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This book is hitting shelves on November 9, 2021. Thanks partners @harperperennial @netgalley for my copy.
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*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from the publisher and Netgalley.*

I don’t usually read a lot of erasure poems, but this collection wasn’t terrible. For those who don’t know, erasure poems are very similar to blackout poems, if not the same thing with a different name.

Baer uses erasure poetry to turn social media comments and political speeches into reworked poems of social justice. Covering topics of misogyny, racism, transphobia, anti-LGBTQ issues, body shaming, and a plethora of other harassment, she reworks each piece to portray more care, love, and light.

While I wouldn’t say I liked every poem, but they all had something to them – they're funny and poignant and full of humanity.

It’s not the best collection of “poetry,” but I liked the idea behind it. It is a reminder that we cannot control what others say, but we can choose whether to give their words weight.

The only thing I didn’t like about it was how political it was in some parts because I like to escape politics when reading. However, this is her collection, and she should be able to express whatever she wants! Many of the poems felt like responses to the comments rather than using the words to create art/poetry.

But if you’re looking for something a little out of the box and quirky- check it out!

I loved this collection of poetry. I don’t normally read a lot of erasure poems, but this collection was amazing. The book contained both negative and positive messages (emails, comments, etc.) from people. I loved how Kate was able to turn many of the toxic emails, articles, and words that people said into positive messages.

THIS BOOK. I devoured it in one sitting and every single poem made me feel something – they're funny and poignant and gutting and full of humanity. This would be the perfect gift for anyone, so I highly recommend picking up not just a copy for yourself, but a few extras too. If I could, I'd buy 100 copies and give one to every single person I came across. Just read it. And then read her previous collection, What Kind of Woman.

This was really tough to read knowing how much ugliness is out there, especially on the internet, but I loved the creativity of accidental art. What a unique book

This was a really interesting mix of what goes on online and poetry. I enjoyed the format and I think that women of a certain age will definitely relate to I Hope This Finds You Well.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this arc ebook. All opinions are my own

In this short collection of revisionist poems, Kate Baer uses erasure poetry to turn social media comments and political speeches into reworked poems of social justice. Covering topics of misogyny, racism, transphobia, anti-LGBTQ topics, body shaming, and a plethora of other harassment, she reworks each piece to portray more care, love, and light. Some of the original comments express gratitude and the importance of being seen and not feeling alone in one's experience, which is also as important as the negative comments she remakes.

The collection itself is short, making for a fast read, and fans of her instagram account will recognize some titles, but there are statements made within that are definitely ones to sit with. Some of the adaptations I found to be most inspiring included "Re: Women in the White House," "Re: My Black Friend," "Re: An Hour of Your Time," "Re: Holding Police Accountable," and "Re: Poems Made From Online Messages."

As the louder social media gets, and the less oversight we have from its founders on hate and harassment, I think Kate Baer took all the good and bad coming at her and transformed it into something beautiful. Very poignant for our times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have a difficult relationship with poetry, forgetting — sometimes for years at a time — that it was once a source of joy and wonder. Kate Baer's slim volume of erasure/blackout poetry brought that joy and wonder sparkling back to life. Skillful, playful wit combine with a powerful focus on transforming bitter abuse and audacity into messages of beauty and grace. With just the right amount of cheekiness. The result is pure joy. The first time I sat down with it, I read it through twice, went back a third time to read parts aloud to my partner, and then preordered it.

This book did NOT find me well - it found me on a 0/10 nogoodverybadday, and it turned out to be the very thing I needed.
In this collection, Baer has taken internet messages and comments from strangers (both sweet and sour), and re-purposed them into poetry. The poems themselves are little droplets of irony and earnestness, that make a wonderful introduction to this style of "erasure poetry," which is quickly becoming a fave of mine!

Read if:
- you're in the mood for a quick pick me up
- you've deleted Twitter at least once
-you loved V.E Schwab's "Vicious"


Thank you to @HarperPerennial, @Netgalley and @Kate Behr for this early copy! Out next month!

I wanted more! I love Kate Baer. I discovered her on Instagram and was an instant fan of her erasure poetry. This is a collection of those poems along with the messages that inspired them. I love that Baer is able to find clever retorts amongst the rubble of her hate DMs but also among her beautiful and heartfelt fan letters. Four and a half stars.

All the stars. Every single star.
Thank you Kate Baer for another amazing collection of poems that make readers laugh one moment and cry the next. In awe of your ability to say so much about important topics in such a succinct way.
This collection of erasure poems is brilliant, heartfelt, and entertaining to read. And a absolutely wonderful companion to Baer’s “What Kind of Woman”. *(A book bundle of both collections would be a fabulous gift for readers)
I always mean to savor these poems but end up reading the whole book in one sitting. So glad to own both collections to revisit at anytime.
I preordered a copy of “I Hope This Finds You Well: Poems” from The Bookshelf Thomasville the day the publication was announced but am so grateful to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for an advance electronic copy to review.
PS- Publication date for this gem is right around the corner on November 9th.

I Hope This Finds You Well is Kate Baer’s second poetry collection, and it’s one I’ve been looking forward to since reading her first! This collection of erasure poems transforms missives from strangers into reflections on how we communicate. As a writer and internet presence, Baer is inundated with the types of messages you’d expect she’d receive as a writer and as a woman: propositions, criticisms, weight loss ads, and messages from readers. I love how simple and subversive this collection is: setting the original message by her transformation of it creates something that is more than the sum of its parts — it is an examination of internet anonymity, a love letter to women, and a reminder that we cannot control what others say, but we can choose whether to give their words weight. You can check out @katejbaer’s work on instagram or pick up a copy of I Hope This Finds You Well when it publishes on November 9th!

feminist non-fictions are my kryptonite.

beside romance and fiction in general, activist and feminist are a big part of what I read and a constant source of education.

i particularly enjoyed this one because even tho we are aware of how judgmental people can get, it’s shocking to see some people so blind-sided.

the take on this poetic book, is that kate the author, a white woman mother of kids, find articles, comments on social medias, respond on her own blog, that are problematic or negative on different parts and turn them into life lesson, positive messages.

it was a great read, eye opening and educational.

since I try to fight micro-aggressions, sexist / racists actions and comments, on a daily basis, I go kinda of numb over it and to see comments like the one she exposed was shocking. people be telling their rude and uneducated opinions at every single seconds of their life…

this book is a reminder to never take shit, stop forgiving irrespective things and to try to found positive even in negative saying. because words have power only if you allow them to.

4.5/5
arc received through @netgalley
release on November 9th, 2021

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

This poetry collection really was something special. It’s incredible to see how Baer takes words that at times are so spiteful and cruel and turns them into uplifting messages. Personally, I am a huge fan of blackout poetry to begin with, but the premise of turning ugly hate comments into something beautiful really struck a chord with me. I enjoyed this collection very much!

Thank you again to NetGalley and to the publisher for the eARC!