The Inadequacy of Words

by Amanda Shortman

This short collection of poetry attempts to describe life through the lens of disability, chronic illness, mental health, and neurodiversity.Written from the perspective of someone who has lived with chronic health issues all her life, but took until her 30s to really understand herself as a disabled and neurodiverse person, the poems are filled with a combination of frustration and hope.

Genres: Poetry

62 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2023

Reviews

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant collection of poems I'll definitely be dipping in and out of in the future.

[Sarah Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A raw and powerful poetry collection that doesn't hold its punches. Shortman does a great job of both finding the words for what she has to say and also showing how words alone will always be inadequate for everything she has to say.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous cover!

The front cover on this book is stunning and eye catching. The poet writes really well. It’s a short read but a great one and perfect for boosting your goodreads.

[Emily Ansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inadequacy of Words is a very apt title for this poetry collection, and not just for the reasons given by the author in the introduction. I find myself trying to describe the raw, hauntingly beautiful words that I’ve read, words speaking from the depths of the soul trying to make itself heard and understood, and I can’t find ones to do it justice. This collection is short, but it is magnificent.

One thing I really like about this book is while the language is very moving, it’s also very direct. From very first poem, Lockdown, it pulls no punches in giving you an unvarnished look at the ups and downs of living with disability and neurodivergence. There is sadness, rage, desperation, but also resilience, defiance, and beauty. There is not a word wasted in these poems, as each one takes you on a new journey through the author’s life experience. But it is also universal and accessible; as a fellow neuro-spicy, some of these words really hit home. It implores you to see and hear those who are often made to be invisible, to understand what that means when trying to live that life. There is also an extensive resource section at the end for anyone seeing themselves in these words and looking to reach out.

In conclusion, I implore you to read The Inadequacy of Words for yourself, because words are truly inadequate to describe it.

[franka reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inadequacy of Words is a collection of words so masterfully wielded into powerful poetry. It reveals the "silenced" or "omitted" or "not customary to talk about" things about the human experience of being disabled, chronically ill, or struggling with mental health. It sheds so much light on the things that are so often shoved at the back as "inconvenient".

It is a small collection of human life and human struggle and it's absolutely beautiful. A Bag of Bones, My Mind is a Beast, and Resilience are three of my favorite poems, the poems I related to the most. Though I assure you, I loved the other poems in this collection as well.

The Inadequacy of Words is raw, truthful, and absolutely authentic! It might be small but the voice in it is very loud.

[Hayley Anderton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection was very raw and relatable. It mostly explores mental and physical health and how the two can often intertwine, but there's more to it than that. These poems explore experiences that we have all understood at one point in our lives - loneliness, feeling abandoned, wanting to be seen, before linking back to how these experiences come around when we are at our most vulnerable. These universal topics only bring to light even more how our culture has abandoned those who need help the most, and how medical negligence can be an isolating and lonely experience. A hard read at times, but also an inspirational one - this author has clearly fought a lot of battles and proved that not only strength gets us through these moments - perseverance is important, but so is acknowledging our own limitations. If you enjoy poetry I highly recommend this!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Amanda online for years and built a strong friendship with thousands of miles between us. I loved reading these short poems to get an additional view into her world.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inadequacy of Words by Amanda Shortman is an incredibly powerful collection of poetry that explores the lived experiences of people with chronic illnesses, disabilities, mental health issues and neurodiversity. Though brief it encapsulates so much that I think it should be essential reading for not only people living with these issues but also their loved ones and friends as it manages the almost impossible feat of explaining what it is like to live with one or more of these conditions. As someone with a chronic pain condition I found myself tearing up at points and underlining passages that really resonated with my day to day experience.
This is an amazing book and one that I will be recommending to family and friends.

[EM Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always say that a good poetry book leaves you with a line that you won't forget. As I was reading, I was thinking a lot about my relationship with my body and specifically my pain since I developed fibromyalgia, so when I read the words "the faithful friend, you never asked for" they really hit me. When you have chronic pain, you build a relationship with it out of necessity, but I've noticed recently (now it's under my thumb a little more), I've begun to make friends with it. It's teaching me a lot about the boundaries I should have set years ago, for myself and others. I may hate what it takes away from my life, but in some ways, I'm healthier for its presence. All that is to say, this was a very punchy little poetry book. Well done, Amanda 💙

[Alice Lorentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Pain-the biggest thing you'll never see."
Please excuse me while I cry. As a writer who is also neurodivergent and physically disabled (although my disability is more mild than Ms. Shortman's) I saw a lot of my own experiences reflected in the pages of this short but poignant and powerful volume.
My favorites are:
A Name For People Like Me
Sometimes
Do You See Me?
As Scared As I Am (this one really got to me)
Superpower
My Mind is A Beast
The Greatest Asset
Migraine
The Absurdity of Illness
Only Human
Little Things
A Million Voices

[Aubrey Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry of grieving

Crying causes immune flares and energy crashes and migraines. A side of suffering to add to our suffering. It's not even safe to feel this poetry. But the words here make me feel not-so-alone. So it's ok to cry when reading it. It's important to read it and feel it. Thank you.

[Amy B Garratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a late diagnosed AuDHD woman, I found this collection so relatable and refreshingly honest about the experience of neurodivergence. Cleverly crafted into succinct sentences that relate this writers lived experience with chronic illness and neurodiversity. Really great poetry!

[Library of Dreaming (Bookstagram) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw, real, and relatable!

[K.E. Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep and Applicable

A great collection of poems! There were a lot I connected with personally. My only gripe is that there were a few I felt could have been longer, and had me wanting more from them.