a body more tolerable

by jaye simpson

Ferocious and vulnerable poems about redefining acts of creation, destruction, deconstruction, and recreation, from a singular Indigiqueer point of view


a body more tolerable is a collection of powerful and haunting poems full of mythos, fairy tales, allusion, and magic. Divided into three parts, the book takes an intimate exploration of Indigenous grief, trans identity, and frustrated desires in ways that reject perception. Author jaye simpson conjures up dazzling multiverses throughout their mythic journey as they dance and run wild in their own manifestation of girlhood.


In these visceral poems, teeth gleam, graze skin, or sink into flesh, becoming bloodied and exposing the animalistic hunger that lies within. Pulsating with yearning and possibility, a body more tolerable is a book that resists typical notions of physicality and sex to dream of a world more divine.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous, Queer, LGBT, Adult, Lesbian, Nonfiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed this collection of poetry, although a few lines/poems were a bit too academic for my taste. (It reminded me of Billy-Ray Belcourt's work in that way, and he edited this book, so that checks out!) Anyway, this Indigiqueer book is filled with poems about grief, trans and Indigenous identity, desirability, myths, hunger, and more. Unusual and interesting play with form, format, spacing, and punctuation.

"Let's not lie to one another; / i have come to quench my thirst / & you look oh so refreshing, / a decision i would sooner like to regret / but here i am, parched & petty"

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just…so beautiful. SO beautiful. The tension between the words and the formatting was excellent. I can’t wait to read and devour this again in the future.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Nadia Moonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m very impressed with the layout choices in this collection, the use of white space was intentional and pungent which sometimes gets lost in new wave poetry. I tend to enjoy the queer lit the arts council of Canada sponsors and this collection didn’t disappoint. The subject matter was interesting and vulnerable although the style wasn’t anything new the author did it well.

[Chelsey-Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

sat in the public library and read this collection in its entirety instead of doing any class readings. oops. queer poetry and indigenous artistry about grief and desire and being that nourishes the soul. formatting is beautiful, words touch deeply, transing my gender feels delicious.

poems and excerpts that really got me below :
a body less tolerable (p. 34 à 36)
are we just consequences
of mispronounced love?
(i mean, am i a body or am i a human lost
in an ocean of hungry grey squares stark
raving mad to carve my flesh from my
bone?)

snow on lavender (p. 37)
spread honey on my lips
to shut me thefuck up
(an old witches' trick)

& i digress (p. 43 à 48)
(p.44) ii.
the queerest part of our body is our hands,
the anxiety of grazed fingers, an interlocking
puzzle of disquietude, nerves firing dazzling displays
red-flag firework catastrophe of wanting
& their small hands enveloped
by the magnitude of the conduit of my dysphoria.
as of late i have been burdened by the nature
of my own mundanity
overwhelmed by the cacophonous temperament of being
just okay enough but not extraordinary enough
in any way that matters to preserve the illusion
that i am worth any sort of reprieve from the script

queer icarus yearns too close to the sun (p.49 à 51)
i am dragging this about
tired of this endless herculean task
of wanting to be wanted
in a way that makes any sort of sense
without ever having asked such
from anyone.
(...) p.51 - HIT SO HARD :
this hindrance: gender
for what purpose other than
to bog down the bliss that is simply existing

teeth touched god // an unreality of divinity (p.67 à 69)

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite poems in this collection were "i forgave me" and "oh mercy!" 

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pre-ordered simpson's second volume of poetry from the publisher, and they sent it a bit early, which was a treat. The first volume, it was never going to be okay, is one of my favourites, especially the poem "Sea Glass," but this new book is even better, highlighting simpson's growth as a poet in her incredible use of metaphors, allusions, and creative structural features that both confront and comfort. These are the poems of a writer both confident in their identity and in their abilities as a poet.

I read through the whole book in one evening, unwilling to put it down, and I'll need to read it again more slowly (which is also another great excuse to appreciate its excellent cover art and design).

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

a body more tolerable is a stunning read that tugged on my heart strings more than most poetry books have. I always struggle to remember poems in collections but I know I’ll never forget the way I felt while reading this one.

There are intricate and delicate lines that speak to very difficult topics, and it really goes into the core of not feeling quite right in your body, when you know yourself and your heart but it isn’t always translated in other ways. Although this gets into jaye’s experience being trans and being in the foster care system, I related so much to that yearning of belonging and the questions of why parts of yourself feel out of sorts. This book extends beyond what they were written for and I think the emotions in this are something everyone can relate to on some level, or from some point in their life.

“i have known where i fail in the battleground / of desirability from the beginning. i was never / guaranteed that young, fumbling wanting interspersed / with stolen & knowing glances, / there was no misplaced knowing in the different hallways / rather the overbearing glare of how many knew / & decided that was more than enough.”

I will be recommending this highly.

Rep: Indigiqueer, bi, polyam, trans author.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Arsenal Pulp Press for the E Arc, your titles never disappoint.

a body more tolerable is jaye simpson's sophomore poetry collection and again jaye is able to compose words that walk the balance between soft and angry. I really enjoyed each poem and I did so much highlighting on my digital ARC copy. She truly is a wordsmith, and I will read anything that is planned after.

At a time when we need more books by marginalized authors more then ever, I think a body more tolerable should absolutely be added to your TBR when it releases on March 25th. Trans voices are pivotal and writing like this creates a safe shore for Trans, Non Binary, Two Spirit and Indigenous Folx.

I have already pre ordered this in anticipation, I suggest you do the same and through your local bookstore.

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was literally everything! These poems were so beautifully woven and each poem just picks apart your heart, and stitches all back together. The amount of crying I did while reading this and amount of love, emotions, and rawness that was poured into these poems just stole my heart. This has me so excited to read more from this author because you can tell just from this poem collection that they have so many more stories and wisdom to share. Highly recommend if you're looking for some quick, emotional, Indigenous literature to pick up!


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.


Instagram|Ko-fi|Throne

[grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oof... I'll definitely need to sit with this one for a while. This collection is absolutely beautiful in a way I cannot fully articulate. There is so much experimentation with form and syntax, as well as painfully brilliant imagery. It was so interesting to see how the poems progressed from beginning to end, going from more grounded in reality to abstract. It was a full-body experience, and I loved every second of it.

[junoh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this remains an absolute: i am woman.

Haunting. So glad I stumbled upon this collection. Unfortunately, I'm not nearly poetic enough to understand the intentionality of the white space. At places it clicked, in others it felt gimmicky (a product of my ignorance, most certainly). Regardless, the multifaceted rage in this was poignant and I felt it deeply. The author put a whole lot of herself in this.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of poetry by a new to me Indigiqueer author was a bit more literary and high brow than I was prepared for. I'm still glad I picked it up but as a CIS woman I fear I just wasn't the intended audience and they didn't resonate like I had hoped for. I would still highly recommend this book for fans of authors like Kai Cheng Thom.

[Margaryta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm usually not a huge fan of poetry that is spread out across the page, but simpson won me with several of the poems in the collection. The poems themselves are so personal that they draw you in, like being given a glimpse into a life through the speaker's eyes but only just enough to be given a taste, one that is bitter and biting.

[alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sort of poetry that bites, sinks its teeth slowly into your psyche and takes you for a fleshly ride. Indigenous grief and being trans are explored in such a visceral way. The element of divinity and rage is striking asf.

A collection I will revisit as a guide for mastery. Easy five stars.

[Cow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful and insightful. They blend a number of styles and approaches, and process grief and life and love and spirituality and trauma. I need more time to process it all myself, especially where our lives (and pain and rage and joy) overlap.

[Carina Stopenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

striking, visceral poetry with a hyperfocused perspective. simpson manages to capture a microcosm of her world through her words and while i may not be a part of many of the groups that identify her, i felt so tethered to her while reading.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poetry is gut wrenching, as you read about the struggles, the wants, and the things unable to possess. A punch of reality and truths to the heart. a body more tolerable is gorgeous in the way that, even through these traumas, we get the spark of unrelenting love. Unforgettable.

[Heather Larocchia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short collection of poems. I felt the beginning was stronger than the ending. I found the formatting to be unique and the work with color to be interesting. My favorite poem is “& i digress”, found in the second section of the collection.

[Evie O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

for the dolls

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the best poetry I’ve ever read. Each poem is better than the next. My personal favorite is Girl Teeth.

[Iara Moure · Rating 4 out of 5]

ME ENCANTÓ
La forma en la que está escrito, la forma en que la prosa se va deshaciendo, el intelectual depth, TODO.
Me lo tragué y me deshizo por adentro.
10/10

[Meadow ✨🧚🏼‍♀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful and evocative

[Ghost]

I did like the poetry

[Liz Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written, some of the poems brought me to tears. Definitely worth the read.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, but powerful collection of queer, indigenous poetry focused on grief and gender. I loved the formatting of this collection and thought the poems about grief were especially powerful.

[Julie!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible