I Belong Deeply to Myself

by Dallas Taylor, Nikki Gomez (Illustrator), Kate McCall (Photographer)

After repeating the same relationship patterns, author Dallas Taylor sought to break them through therapy, during which time, she wrote prose to make sense of the things she was learning and the world around her. Finding herself through heartbreak, healing, and the tumult of the mid-twenties identity crisis so many twenty-somethings face, she shares vulnerably about loss, pain, grief, triumph, friendship, and love. In I Belong Deeply to Myself, readers can expect to find hope, understanding, and compassion both for themselves and others.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

121 pages, Paperback

Published August 19, 2023

About the author

Dallas Taylor is a California-born, Brooklyn-based writer who hopes her words help you feel less alone in times of turmoil, heartbreak, transition, and triumph. With a degree in communications and an emphasis in critical cultural media studies, Dallas is passionate about the way the words we speak over ourselves and others become the narratives we live in. Her passion for storytelling is intrinsically connected to her passion for making others feel seen and heard, and her hope is that her words help to create a world you find belonging in.

Reviews

[Kendra Staver · Rating 5 out of 5]

i may be biased because my cousin wrote this book but my god. the way she writes brings you into the exact moment and relation of feeling to what you’re reading. she is an amazing author and i highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone

[Marisa Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for making me feel what i needed to a long time ago.

[Aletha Laughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book both broke my heart and felt like a warm hug. I have never felt more seen by words on pages.

[Madison Moitoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! Knocked it out in one sitting, on a plane. I will be rereading so soon. This one brought me so much peace and felt truly accessible being written by another confused girliepop in her 20s.

“The whole truth is right here, right now in the present, which is where we’ll find something much more beautiful than nostalgia: the incredible, fleeting gift of being alive.”

“I stopped waiting for the next benchmark to bring my life meaning. Instead, I decided what gave my life meaning was that IT WAS MINE, and I was determined to enjoy every moment of it to the best of my ability.”

“This love I’ve found, it’s evergreen. It’s endless and it’s patient. It sees me through my dark times and it holds my hand when things get scary. It’s an early Sunday morning with pancakes and coffee just because, and it never lies because we have no secrets. It’s honest when it needs to be, but it’s never harsh or judgmental. This love is slow and steady and I know that no matter what, at the end of the day, we’ll be okay. This love I’ve found is timeless and peaceful, a homecoming after a long time away where your room looks the same but you suddenly have a newfound fondness for the way it makes you feel safe. This love is everything I have been looking for and more.”

[Serine ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 2 AM and I just finished this and I’m sobbing uncontrollably. I feel like I needed to hear so many things that were said in this book. It hit too close to home, I felt understood and somehow relieved hearing that it’s okay to feel as deeply as I do. This felt like a warm hug; beautiful and relatable. I could not have read this at a better time. If you’re feeling lost, in a period of turmoil, transition and heartbreak, I wholeheartedly recommend this book

[Maggie Smardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I liked the themes throughout each chapter and there was a list of Taylor songs that go with the theme of every chapter so that was obviously a plus.

[Abigail Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can tell this was a very important project for the author. Lots of little nuggets of truth and wisdom to navigate life & the challenges that come with, while teaching love and empathy and self acceptance. A lovely book that all women should read if they have a chance!

[kayla joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a nice break from fiction, i haven’t read poetry in a MINNIEEEEE but i enjoyed this. couple of good highlights. 4-stars because i found that it lost me right in the middle.. could be my slump though.

[Sam]

A more mature version of milk and honey, I feel like you can't really rate someone's personal words/poems but this was amazing also reminded me of everything I know about love which you know I love

[Bailey Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Therapy in a book

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

girlhood in a book..it was like a collection of all of those heartfelt and vulnerable conversations you have with your sister or best friend as you go through life together

[Hannelore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book last year and put it down until some days ago. I think that was for a reason, as I resonate so much more at this point in my life. Dallas made me feel seen. And comforted.
Love the format, love her writing.

[Natalie Berwald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this is beautifully perfect. Wow

[Hannah Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only place I’ve felt this seen was in my therapists office.

[Brette · Rating 5 out of 5]

So honest, raw and real. I cannot recommend this poetry book enough for any woman in her twenties!

“You sit on the floor of an apartment that doesn't really feel like home, with your head in your hands as you think, "This is supposed to be the best time of my life" What if this is as good as it gets? What if you're wasting this time? What if? What if? What if?
What if, possibly, this is the time where you learn how to breathe deeply in the face of fear?
What if instead of trying to figure out what you want to do with your entire life at the very beginning of it, you figure out what brings you joy?
What if you started making choices based on what felt authentic to you, rather than what you feel you're supposed to choose?
What if you decided your twenties don't need to be the best time of your life, they just need to be yours?
You may start to feel at home (and I don't just mean in the apartment).” 😭

[Sally Shadrach · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to give a review to something that is so personal. This book is fantastic. She gives insight and words to parts of the human/female experience that I could never quite explain.

It’s interesting reading this book as a Christian. Simply because the core of the gospel is that we do not belong to ourselves but belong to God. So there was an interesting shift in how I read the book because I don’t fully ascribe to her same view of the world and of myself. Nevertheless, I still loved reading this one!

[Claire Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! I don’t know how she does it

[leah rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

will definitely be rereading

[V. Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My best friend and I are working on ourselves and focused on healing. We were chatting and she was raving about this book and sent me a picture of one of the poems. I knew right then that I needed this book! Before I could pick up my copy, my BFF bought me one. It was such a lovely and thoughtful gift. There was a period when I had a bookmarked poem and would read it myself every morning for a reminder that everything would be okay. The sun will rise again.

If you feel lost, these poems can help you feel seen. I keep it on my bedside table.

[bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let it wash over you, then let it wash out.

I don't think I've ever highlighted more of a book ever, even for classes. This was so fun, it came into my life at such an important time. One of those books you pick up randomly that makes the world a bit brighter. Relationships, self love, being in your early 20s. It's full of angst and cheesy metaphors and beautifully sweeping language, and I'm excited to revisit this in the future.

[Mandee Kunkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, yet it somehow found a way to be a true testament of girlhood through and through. Did an excellent job of encapsulating every aspect of the female experience. So much of it hit home and allowed me to expand on thoughts I’ve had before, but I did not have the words in me to express how I felt or what I thought. This book made me feel seen and understood. I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my girlfriends <3

[britnei · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved the concept that you belong to yourself, before anyone or anything else. i did really enjoy some parts of this. however, a lot of it felt inconsistent and like there wasn’t really any cohesiveness to it despite there being different sections. some of the writing was pretty though and i did underline a few things. 2.75 ⭐️

[Ashley McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel so seen & understood. It’s beautiful to read about another human’s experience that helps you better understand & love yourself. Can’t recommend this enough for a nice, easy read for women in their early 20’s.

[Marin Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dallas came to visit my sorority and let me tell you, this was life changing. Her prose is so incredibly beautiful and resonated deeply with me as a girl entering her 20s. Thank you Dallas for this wonderful read :)

[Kayleigh Helgesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those pieces of art where every reader can find something that speaks to them. A truly beautiful, yet at times heartbreaking, account of what it’s like to be a woman learning to find love IN and around herself. ❤️

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried my eyes out, the whole time, in the best possible way. It was like the author was in my brain, feeling my feelings, and putting them on paper.

The part about growing pains and how they change from physical to mental, I was not well.

[shaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this while scrolling on KU and was immediately hooked. I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend, an older sister, a mom, an aunt, and a therapist. I find it hard to rate poetry and human experience. I think it was amazing for what it was!

[bay · Rating 4 out of 5]

love when i read something that feels like it was conjured from my own thoughts; 26 can be weird, sad, and lonely, but not bad 🩷

[Lexi Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so beautiful, so many highlights (thank you kindle). I could have highlighted this whole book.

[Christine DeSomma · Rating 5 out of 5]

quick read good for reflection and self love