E

by Noa Micaela Fields

Like a game of telephone gone haywire, these mischievous mishearings and homophonic translations remix a classic of 20th Century American poetry.

C’mon, take the E pill (is it estrogen? ecstasy? something else entirely?). E practices mishearing as a bodily reworking of language alongside the poet’s hormonal transition, stretching the upper limits of homophonic translation to unleash the unexpected queer resonances of Louis Zukofsky’s “A.” E alchemizes mishearing into a political possibility of glitching, noncompliance, and protest. Not a translation, but maximally trans, mishearing transmutes language to generate new how hormones change the body; how relationships evolve, multiply, and implode over time.

Genres: Poetry

120 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection by Noa Micaela Fields, a trans poet with hearing aids, who describes E as an “alter-book embracing mishearing as a technology of transformation” (Poetry Foundation). Clever, erotic, and quick-tongued, it made for a great read for the Trans Rights Readathon 2026. Thank you to Nightboat Books for my copy!

[Megan Savell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read this the more I enjoy it. It’s challenging at first but it does start to flow. Would love to read again in a few months and see how my understanding of the poems may change.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever and enlightening collection about the transgender experience. Gender = Shapes

[Ulrich Baer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book by a beautiful person. An idiosyncratic and enthralling child to Zukofsky. Sexy, witty, and vulnerable with polyphonic polysemy. Absolute must read.