Love Is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends

by James Crews (Editor), Brad Peacock (editor), Lisa Congdon (illustrator)

Edited by James Crews with his husband, Brad Peacock, and illustrated by Lisa Congdon, this luminous and open-hearted anthology of contemporary love poems from the LGBTQIA+ community celebrates that there is nothing more universal than love.

These poems of tenderness, affirmation, and hope are a beacon and a celebration, not only of romantic love, but the love within families and chosen families, friendship, self-love, and love for the natural world. The poems are gathered from a diverse group of contemporary writers, with a special focus on queer, nonbinary, and trans-identifying poets, and from a generous selection of allies as well. Contributors include Andrea Gibson, Ellen Bass, Nikita Gill, Mark Doty, Audre Lorde, Richard Blanco, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Danez Smith, Joy Ladin, Carl Phillips, Li-Young Lee, and many others. Brief essays called “Stories of Becoming" act as touchstones throughout the book, telling the inspiring and touching stories of LGBTQIA+ people whose experiences may bring hope to others.

Genres: Poetry, Queer, LGBT, Lesbian

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Justine Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the foreword, written by Richard Blanco, I felt a very intimate connection with this work, to the themes that would be presented in this anthology. And in the introduction, James Crews makes an undeniable point relating to the power of poetry.
This anthology holds a great weight. The poems here tell stories of love, of grief, of laughter, of loss and heartbreak. Some poems tell of intimacy, love, passion laid bare not without fear but despite and even in spite of it. Some poems tell of the loneliness that comes from carrying the weight of all that is heavy in life, for even when your loved ones surround you, there is a loneliness there.
This work speaks so clearly to a poetic, queer soul such as mine. It speaks to the true rawness of love, of queer love, of the ache and the break and the togetherness. It unveils the very everything of the human condition. So much is packed into these poems that have so, ultimately, few words that brought wondrous tears to my eyes. I felt so deeply understood, and I feel deeply grateful to have had to opportunity to read and digest this as a budding NetGalley reviewer. A heartfelt thanks to Storey Publishing for the opportunity!
I’d like to add that while it is difficult to pick favorites, some that spoke to me in particular and especially include: Ada Limón’s “On A Pink Moon;” Dorianne Lux’s “Enough Music;” Michael Blumenthal’s “Small Love Poem;” and Jason O’Toole’s “Father’s Day,” as well as “Dear Son.”

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

These poems reveal, each in their own ways, the many forms love might take-romantic love, self-love, love for nature, and love for the friends and family members who embrace us as we are.

A lovely collection of poems.
My favorite:

There should be more to life
than disruption
and survival
but there isn't.
There should be birds
singing your name.
There should be paintings
the size of skyscrapers
memorializing your body.
There should be love
for you in everything.
There should be a billion women
jumping at the same time
to move the earth off its course.
There should be parties
to celebrate
the end of this world.
There should be flowers
To welcome
A new one.

[megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Normally I don’t rate the non-fiction I read but I absolutely have to give this a 5 stars. This anthology was so beautiful and many of the poems will stay with me for a very long time. The dedication & foreword were very moving and made me feel connected immediately, and I loved the inclusion of help hotlines and donations towards The Trevor Project. The illustrations were beautiful. Each and every poem is so special and, (as someone who has never cried at a non-fiction book before!), I was even brought to tears by a good handful of them.

Here are a few personal favourite poems.

☆ Bonneville Bathtub
☆ Father’s Day
☆ DEAR SON
☆ A Reminder from the Stars
☆ HOW TO TALK ABOUT IT, 2016
☆ DEAR DAUGHTER
☆ NOW IS OUR TIME

This anthology touched my heart and soul. I cannot recommend it enough and can’t wait to pick up my physical copy! Thank you very much for this gorgeous ARC. 🖤

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading a poetry collection and I liked it! Some poems resonated and spoke to me very deeply, others less so, but I thought it was a good collection overall.

[Ags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature! Butterflies! Hummingbirds! Gay! Yay! Lots of nature references, really - very "some tree in the forest loves you," as well as mundane/everyday descriptions of love and intimacy. Mostly about committed, monogamous love - but also some pieces that could be more about friendship, and definitely some parent-child love. Cuuuute, and sometimes sad but never totally depressing. And, score: this explicitly includes trans writers and poems that are explicitly about trans people/experiences.

I read this when I was super beat down, and this was a much needed, restorative break. I also recommend it just for that!

One main highlight that I really appreciated: this has a very thoughtful ordering of poems. The topics/imagery flowed really well, so that this felt like one complete collection. For example, one poem would include butterfly imagery, and then the next poem would start with that imagery; or, a series of poems in a row (all by different writers) would, together, depict changing seasons. Very cool, and made for a lovely reading experience.

This is like a hug and it is easily digestible. In addition to the ordering being so good, the selected poems are all all contemporary, free verse, and short, and there are micro-essays/reflections throughout that serve as beautiful benchmarks/transitions/pause points. Also, there is grief and sadness (e.g., referencing queer people dying by suicide), but the grief and sadness is always more of a bittersweet presentation (e.g., describing missing a person in a more wistful way, or balanced with love, rather than in a totally soul-crushing way). Relatedly, the epilogue really hit me and gave this whole collection a final, meaningful weight at the end.

This is a great "coffee table" book or gift - including for folks who don't regularly read poetry, on account of the modest length, consistently contemporary and short poems, and the beautiful illustrations.

Some of the poems were particularly uneven - but! These poems are always earnest/heartfelt. So, I'll take it.

Got this from my library, so I read in print -- really high quality printing! Loved the cute, colorful illustrations.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of my favorite things about poetry is how subjective it is and how it can touch you each person it finds in a different way.

This anthology of poems was just that - i really liked how each poem seemed to use nature and the world around us as imagery. It was truly a beautiful reading experience when it came to imagery and just a basis level of enjoyment.

I loved how the poems weren’t all styled in the same manner. Some were short and to the point. Some were written in more of a paragraph story essence, and some were rhymes that followed a poetry stanza pattern. I truly loved that because the voices telling these stories are so diverse and inclusive and the variation made the book mirror that in such a beautiful way.

How to Talk About it by Patrick Ramsay was probably my favorite work in the anthology. It felt so impactful and made me pause and just listen to what the author was saying.

[Alanna-Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Pride-filled stars

I LOVE this beautiful LGBTQIA+ poetry collection, edited by James Crew and Brad Peacock - and will be purchasing a physical copy for my shelves.

The illustrations throughout the book were done by one of my faves, Lisa Congdon. She is the perfect artist to bring together this anthology, with her penchant for bright colours and quirky wood-cut style drawings. It adds an extra level of joy to this book.

The poetry itself comes from a disparate representation of poets/writers/advocates (modern and elders) who identify within the alphabet family. The subject matter ranges through everything from self-love/acceptance, queer joy, friendship and community. Tying everything together, are the addition of essays entitled "Stories of Becoming" submitted on lived experiences from the community.

The whole package comes together to deliver welcoming/knowing hugs to all those immersing themselves into this experience of a book.

[Nici · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this very interesting because, unlike other LGBTQIA+ poetry I've read, many of the works in LOVE IS FOR ALL OF US heavily draw on nature imagery, which was cool. Personally, the style of most of the poems wasn't my favorite, but it's soooo subjective that I don't want to give a lower rating because of that. I found ON A PINK MOON by Ada Limon, DARLING by Alex Dimitrov, and ENOUGH MUSIC by Dorianne Laux particularly striking and well done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love is for All of Us is a beautiful and heartfelt anthology of poems about love, acceptance, and celebrating our differences in a world where the goal is, quite often, to "fit in." I was deeply captivated, and frankly, enraged by each shared experience in which the poet describes how they were alienated simply for being themself. It's absolutely devastating to think that even your own family can so quickly turn their back on you for something out of your control, but it truly does open your eyes to how important it is, now more than ever, to love carelessly; to hell with restraint!

I realize how fortunate I am that I struggle to connect and relate to such stories and experiences, but the overall message is one I wholeheartedly support. I find, today, that love is a limited resource. There simply just isn't enough of it. But love is also a necessity; we live and breathe it without a thought. We need it. A LOT of it. It is my belief that only through love and compassion can the world experience positive growth and development in any context; that love, truly, belongs to us all.

[cocopuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of vulnerable poems and essays from a whole range of authors! My heart is so full <3
Thankful for this early ARC for connecting me to a group of writers and families that make me feel so seen. And thankful that I got to see them.

[Christine Fitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An uplifting book of poetry and essays from a diverse group of LGBTQ+ poets. Really enjoyed the imagery in some of these, and especially loved the illustrations - they are BEAUTIFUL, and really reflect the poetry well. Great quick read, very sweet.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me cry more than once (in a good way).

[Jenny Radloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bei dieser Gedichtanthologie haben sich verschiedene queere oder queer-nahe Autor:innen zusammengeschlossen und eine wunderschöne Kollektion erschaffen, in deren Gedichten die Liebe in all ihren Farben und Varianten zum Leben erweckt wird. Ergänzt wird das Buch durch gelegentliche farbige Zeichnungen und einige kurze Textbeiträge zu persönlichen Erlebnissen. Alle Autor:innen und die Titel der Gedichte sind im Inhaltsverzeichnis zu Beginn des Buches aufgeführt, und am Ende finden sich noch ein paar Informationen zum Hintergrund der Autor:innen.

Obwohl in den Gedichten teilweise auch traurige Ereignisse und schwere Schicksale angesprochen werden, ist die generelle Stimmung dieser Anthologie fröhlich und hoffnungsvoll. Die schönen Seiten an der Liebe werden beschrieben, und dabei wird sich nicht nur auf die partnerschaftliche Liebe beschränkt, sondern auf alle Formen der Liebe eingegangen. So entstand sowohl thematisch, als auch aufgrund der unterschiedlichen Stile der Autor:innen viel Abwechslung. Die kurzen Textbeiträge waren zusätzlich abwechslungsreich und haben mir unerwartete Perspektiven eröffnet.

Mir hat nicht nur die Aufmachung und Abwechslung an dieser Anthologie gefallen, sondern ich konnte mich auch in viele der Gedichte einfühlen. Es war schön, wie positiv viele der Gedichte waren und wie sehr sie Hoffnung und Freude in mir auslösen konnten. Zugleich haben mich auch einige Gedichte sehr betroffen gemacht und tief bewegt; insbesondere die beiden Beiträge von Jason O'Toole, der seinen trans Sohn an Krebs verloren hat, möchte ich an dieser Stelle hervorheben.

Ich habe selten so einen hochwertigen Gedichtband gelesen und kann eine ganz klare Empfehlung aussprechen.

In English:

In this anthology of poems, various queer or queer-related authors have come together to create a beautiful collection whose poems bring love to life in all its colors and variations. The book is complemented by occasional color drawings and a few short text contributions about personal experiences. All the authors and the titles of the poems are listed in the table of contents at the beginning of the book, and at the end there is some information about the authors' backgrounds.

Although some of the poems deal with sad events and difficult fates, the general mood of this anthology is cheerful and hopeful. The beautiful aspects of love are described, and the focus is not only on love as a partnership, but on all forms of love. This created a lot of variety, both thematically and due to the different styles of the authors. The short text contributions were also varied and opened up unexpected perspectives for me.

Not only did I like the layout and variety of this anthology, but I could also empathize with many of the poems. It was nice how positive many of the poems were and how much hope and joy they could trigger in me. At the same time, some of the poems also affected me and moved me deeply; I would particularly like to highlight the two contributions by Jason O'Toole, who lost his trans son to cancer.

I have rarely read such a high-quality volume of poetry and can give it a very clear recommendation.

[Brianne Cail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is a love letter in every sense—written by many hands, held together by hope, honesty, and the belief that love, in all its forms, deserves to be seen and celebrated.

Edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock and brought to life with illustrations by Lisa Congdon, Love Is for All of Us is luminous and deeply compassionate. The poems inside range from romantic to platonic, familial to self-loving, earthly to spiritual. Each piece feels like a hand reaching out, a moment of connection—sometimes gentle, sometimes aching, always honest.

What makes this collection sing is its diversity of voice and experience. Queer, nonbinary, transgender, and allied poets come together in this space to reflect on what it means to love and to belong.

Woven throughout are short essays titled “Stories of Becoming,” where LGBTQIA+ individuals share moments of identity, growth, and self-discovery. These glimpses of lived experience bring even more tenderness to the collection—they remind us that poetry is not just words, but survival, remembrance, and joy.

This is a book to gift, to return to, to keep beside your bed. It’s a celebration of queer existence, of chosen family, of soft resistance. And in a world that so often tells us to harden, it’s a welcome reminder that love—expansive, inclusive, vulnerable—is for all of us.

[Leane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully heartfelt, beautiful, enchanting, and soul-spoken collection of poetry that encompasses love and belonging in all its wondrous forms.

Written by members and friends of the LGBTQIA+ community, the raw emotion ripples through the pages and reaches out to all who need to hear.

This is no small collection, and I found many favourites among the multitudes shared within.

###

You chose a tattoo like the sun for your fortieth birthday
and I wondered— do you know that you are sunlight, lit from within?
And that I feel warmed when standing next to you?
- Extract from 'Golden Hour' by MAYA STEIN

###

These are the connections and simple acts of kindness that can and will save lives. I know this to be true, because my community opened its arms and helped save mine.
- Extract from 'Now is Our Time' by BRAD PEACOCK

###

This collection has something for everyone, and I recommend it to all who want to fill their hearts with love.


*I received an advance reader copy for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review*

[Frances Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Sexual Orientation is Spring by Kyla Jamieson

We change time,
make the days longer.
I start to forget
the pact I made
with unhappiness,
take myself
to the ocean,
say I just need
to catch the last
few minutes
of light. This is
how spring is love,
the way it pulls us
towards pleasure.

This is just one of many poems I highlighted, re-read and re-read and adored in this collection of queer poetry. There was such a gentle and loving energy sewn in and out of each poem, despite the works being about so many different things from intimacy to loss to hope to pain. While I read the ebook - thank you NetGalley for the early ARC - the illustrations were still charming to see and I can imagine a hard copy of this book being something I'd display proudly on my coffee table, or maybe selfishly keep on my bedside table so I can revisit the poems again and again.

[Parsnip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you're a big poetry reader or not, Love is for All of Us is for you.

Tender, hopeful and so loving, from and for lovers, siblings, parents and children or just ourselves, these poems are pockets of warmth and community that I loved reading throughout this pride month.
The multiplicity of voices and themes guaranties there's something that will speak to you in this collection. They share the simplicity and mundanity of queer life and love in a way that just made me feel loved and seen, calmly and evidently.
This could maybe sometimes be considered cheesy, almost naive in some aspects, but it offers a quiet and peaceful place we need and deserve at times. Focusing on one soft moment at a time, taking a short break to acknowledge growth and change and beauty as it's not always possible in our daily lives.

3,75/5

[KA Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poems in this collection will speak to many people at different stages of their journey. I found the ones of transformation were the ones I related to the most, I'm not sure what that says about me but life is an ever changing journey and we have to adapt or make the world adapt to us.

Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community can be difficult but it can also be quite wonderful. Knowing that people have put their love stories into poems and added them here along with some of their stories is an interesting read. Some will identify with others more.

Poetry is meant to speak to different people in different ways.

The epilogue stayed with me though. The final story of honour and pride and the betrayal of that faith.

I hope that you will find something that makes you feel seen.

[Karly Thayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌿☀️🌈🪻🍂⛈️🌙🏔️🦋🌷

Love Is For All Of Us is a beautiful collection of poetry about being a queer person and/or loving queer people. These works also share a common theme of nature imagery, which is woven into each story of beauty, hardship, grief, joy, transformation, grit, loss, and strength.

A couple of my favorite quotes:

“Don’t hold back for fear of those who despise rainbows and stardust, and the magic of you have always been.”

-Stephanie Burt

“The power of prayer won’t fix what isn’t broken”

-Aby Ray

Also, the epilogue is badass and serves as a good reminder to keep standing together and rebelling against the people trying to erase us. Love wins 🏳️‍🌈

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I said to some reading friends of mine, my word for this book, is beautiful. Love is for All of Us is an absolutely beautiful anthology of poems and reflections offered by writers in/allies of the lgbtqia+ community. The selections were beautiful. The layout was beautiful. The themes were beautiful. The organization was beautiful. The art was beautiful. And seeing all of these beautiful works in one beautiful place... was beautiful. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of many diverse voices, incorporating both poets I was already familiar with as well as those newly emerging. It was a beautiful testament to that which draws us together no matter the background... love. Just love. For all of us.

5 beautiful stars

[Line Magnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection. Inevitably, any kind of anthology will contain pieces that resonate more than others, but most of the poems contained here resonated with me to some degree. They radiated warmth, comfort, love and tenderness. I appreciate that these were mostly poems celebrating queer love and joy -- there are plenty of other works that focus on the struggles and hardships. This collection was like a warm hug, which is much needed in the times we live in. I will definitely be rereading it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Roxana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m not usually a big poetry reader, but I’ve been trying to branch out lately and have picked up a few poetry books this year. As an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, I was really excited to check this one out. I loved how each poem was tied to nature, it gave the whole collection a really grounded and beautiful vibe. I also liked how the poems flowed into each other and felt connected, like they were all part of a bigger picture. The different voices coming together to share their truths was powerful, and the overall message that love is love and nothing is stronger really hit home.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the foreword, after having just watched Annie Ernaux’s interview with Louisiana Channel about the act of writing being political, I really loved to see that parallel made here. Something special she’d said during that interview I felt applies here is, “It is a moral fault not to write about something that you’ve experienced. It’s metaphysical.” This is echoed in this lovely compilation of some of the most tender poems by talented artists. Such a beautiful way to showcase the creativity & heart cultivated in this community. I also really loved the colors and pictures, truly a beautiful project here. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Please read this book! It is important.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The arrangement of this book of poems into different themes relying on imagery was lovely. I enjoyed the transformative visuals of people as stardust, of change as a caterpilalr becoming a butterfly, and of love as the small things we do in our lives that have a lasting impact.

The vulnerability of these stories made me feel deeply, even moving me to tears on multiple occassions. My favorite poem of the set has to be 'Anniversary'. I also found the stories of becoming to be a good interlude between the poems, allowing you to stop and process.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, this was a lovely read.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Poems of tenderness and belonging" sums this book up perfectly. Each poem flows so well into the next. The organization and thought that went into the flow of how each poem ends where another starts to begin is immaculate. It really ties together this nature style poetry together quite lovely. The artwork and colors within the pages do a lot to add to the overall atmosphere of the poetry written as well. You can tell a lot of thought and love went into creating this poetry collection. I hope to see this on bookshelves everywhere, as it feels like an important light that needs to shine for all who need it.

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for an early copy of this book ❤️

[Megz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always struggle to review poetry collections, but I can say that Love is for All of Us is more than a collection about love: it is absolutely about queerness, and beauty, and family. Like much of life, and in this case LGBTQ life, it is tinged with grief and regret, but is also undoubtedly and overwhelmingly bright and beautiful.

Like many revered poets of old, the poets featured here often make use of nature for both setting and symbol. It would go well on a bedside- or coffee table, to be picked up and enjoyed at random moments, again and again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing an eARC.

[bárbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essa coletânea é um aconchego e um presente para nós da comunidade lgbt+, ter um espaço para expressar atráves da linguagem, a nossa existência e amores com as nuances que passamos durante a vida, de forma terna ao mesmo tempo poderosa.

Nossas palavras e nossos sonhos, assim como nosso sofrimento diante de um mundo que nos anula, persegue e nos nega a cada chance, e apesar de tudo a nossa existência e estar no mundo importa sim, resistimos e florescemos pelo processo singular, identitário e como seres sociais e políticos e obras como essa fortalece, abraça e são facilitadoras durante os percalços nas passagens diferentes da vida.

Agradeço ao netgalley pela cópia antecipada da obra.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This is a book-sized dose of queer joy, tenderness, and unexpectedly love for nature. Most of the poems are about quiet little moments, touches, and many of them involve the wonders of nature, trees, animals, flowers. There are also some nature illustrations that brighten the book further.

Some of the poems are by parents of queer people, which was also great to read.

Each poem is about a loved one, and sometimes that loved one is yourself.

[Dipali · Rating 4 out of 5]

** A copy of Love is for All of Us was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

Love is for All of Us is a timely and necessary anthology of poems on love, belonging, life and hope for queer people. This felt like a much-needed long hug after a stressful day. Like James Crews' previously edited anthologies, this is a welcome addition to everyone's bookshelves.

[Nakitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is absolutely beautiful too! Lisa Congdon did a fantastic job. 👏

Every word was so raw, wholesome, and emotional.
The letters especially tugged on my heart strings and brought more than one tear to my eye.

This book is full to the brim of incredible writers, some of which I've not heard of prior, but I can't wait to dive deeper into their work.
I honestly can not recommend this book enough, and I'm very excited to see everyone's reactions and reviews once It's released.