Kate Baer uses the erasure poetry technique to strip down messages she received from online followers and detractors. She takes private direct messages, public comments, and unsolicited advice, then masks most of the text to reveal hidden subtexts. The poems deconstruct common microaggressions, political arguments, and domestic expectations. By physically crossing out the noise of internet trolls and overly critical strangers, Baer uncovers vulnerability and defiance within the original hostile or mundane prose. The collection focuses on the specific pressures of modern motherhood, body image, and the gendered labor of responding to public scrutiny.
This book serves readers who navigate the friction of social media interactions and the weight of public perception. It appeals to those interested in the interplay between digital communication and mental health. Readers find a method for reclaiming their own narrative from external criticism. The volume provides a template for setting boundaries and processing online vitriol, leaving the audience with a sense of clarity about how to handle the demands of a connected world.
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
