Perverts

by Kay Gabriel

Perverts traverses the psychic landscapes of Kay Gabriel and her community of friends, writers and organizers, piecing together a collective dream that both mirrors and transforms waking life.

Against the backdrop of the anti-trans panic, Perverts explores desire as a political problem. It asks two questions at the same whose desire is understood as dangerously excessive? And—a classic organizer’s question—how do we turn what we have into what we need to get what we want? Synthesizing her own dreams with those of her friends, Kay Gabriel’s Perverts is an exercise in turning private experience into shared consciousness and illicit desire into common cause..

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

two long poems both of which are quite special. "Perverts" is a variation on a theme of the best piece in Kissing Other People which i found to produce a wonderful effect and "TRANNIES, by Larry Kramer" is very funny and has, with time, kind of become more of the kind of writerly voyeurism that it seems interested in? really great last line too. anyway I loved it. has been inspiring me to write more poetry myself.

[Micaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was on my list prior to seeing that it was a local book club pick, so perfect timing. My notes are as follows: dreams, nightmares, body horror, mistreatment of the body proper, movies old and new, actresses. If I were to fill in the blank section of page 6, I’d write: M. who accidentally took sleeping pills with wine last night.

[Zhiliang Zhao · Rating 4 out of 5]

A window into a world

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to rate this four stars until I realized that was just bitter boots me wishing I were running around Brooklyn and Queens and Artemas, PA with this crew

[Ira Madison III · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poetry here is romantic, hilarious, and sharp. And the film references! Feels like a night out in Brooklyn in this current moment.