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I Don't Think I'm Straight
“To every woman I have ever loved, and to those I was afraid to.”
A poetic exploration of sapphic love and self-discovery from poet Isabella Dorta.
In this moving collection, Letters I Will Never Send author Isabella Dorta seeks to offer comfort and understanding through engaging poems that will guide you on a journey of exploring sexuality, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to live your truth. A coming-of-age, coming-out story for a new generation, I Don’t Think I’m Straight is sure to leave readers feeling seen, heard, and comforted, no matter which side of the closet door they’re on today.
A poetic exploration of sapphic love and self-discovery from poet Isabella Dorta.
In this moving collection, Letters I Will Never Send author Isabella Dorta seeks to offer comfort and understanding through engaging poems that will guide you on a journey of exploring sexuality, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to live your truth. A coming-of-age, coming-out story for a new generation, I Don’t Think I’m Straight is sure to leave readers feeling seen, heard, and comforted, no matter which side of the closet door they’re on today.
208 pages, Paperback
Published January 6, 2026
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January 24, 2026What is poetry? Like many categories, it feels like one that's almost best described by that old adage, I know it when I see it. But let's try, for a bit, to actually pin the idea down. The term itself comes from Ancient Greek, of course, with the original meaning of the process of emergence of something that did not previously exist -- or, more simply, to make. I like that meaning. Poetry takes a pile of words, all of which mean something (or many things) on their own, and builds something bigger out of it, something that didn't previously exist within the words, but emerges when they're arranged just so. Sometimes that's rhythm, or rhyme, symbolism -- metaphor, simile, ambiguity. While I think historically it's had a more general use, because of the sidelining of poetry and centering of prose in contemporary writing, it also ends up with the added onus of having meaning. Something special, something that justifies it being packaged in this form. I interrogate all of this because I think it's interesting, and I think it's relevant to my review. To show my cards, I did not like this book. Of course, I'm biased because despite having had many of the same experiences it didn't particularly "speak to me", and I think that's a lot of what it's selling. But on a deeper level, it made me question my perception of what is poetry, and why this felt like it didn't quite fit in my definition. Now, let's be clear, more than any other format poetry is very personal. Particularly since the late 50s and the confessional poetry movement headed by figures like Anne Sexton and (my favourite) Sylvia Plath, there's been an increased emphasis on poetry as offering up a piece of the author, and when it reflects back something of the reader that can make it stronger. While sometimes I think I can disdain relatability as the centre of what works of literature provide to readers, it's not something I'm divorced from! Lots of works are really important to me because they speak to something in my life or have changed my outlook & perspective. So, ok, if this book did that for you -- excellent. It succeeded at one of its core aims. But beyond that, I'm sorry to say I found it lacking. I've prepared some examples to illustrate my point. If you have your copy at hand, grab it and flip to page 24. I can't really get the right section in a better way because, oddly, there's no titles to any of the poems in this book, giving it a disjointed and somewhat free-flowing feeling. (Maybe that's good, but it still really annoyed me. It's hard to identify where poems begin and end, despite the fact they generally are separate thoughts so it doesn't seem to be completely one stream of consciousness.) Here is where we begin to get meditations on grief on this book. Someone has died, and Dorta writes about the experience, saying, "i am grieving,/ i am distraught,/ i am shrivelling and inconsolable./ i have lost someone who meant so much to me/ and now the only thing i can do/ is feel it all over." Now for the second part of this exercise, try read Alan Sexton's Effects. I tested this out on my mum earlier, and she ended up crying despite saying she "doesn't get poetry", so fair warning. This is one of my favourite poems, and I think it really effectively discusses grief by making you FEEL those emotions associated, introducing his mother first, then pulling her back away as the poem continues. It's complicated! I can't sum up everything it's about. Sexton discusses the difficulties of her having a smaller world than him, references his father and their relationship, meditates on how horrible her slow decline was, makes you feel everything with texture and image, before the final gut-punch line. I bring all of this up, because for me that's the something more I'm looking for out of poetry. Actually, after I read it to my mum we ended up talking for quite a while about grief, her own relationship with her father, the difficulties of these experiences. Poetry made us feel something, made us question things, brought us closer together. I think it's because I've read so many wonderful poems like this that Dorta's work unfortunately falls flat for me. In comparison, go back to those lines I picked out. I understand that it's also about grief, but it is direct, shallow. It tells me how she feels, but I don't feel the same. She is sad, she has lost something, and she is sad. Now of course, that being said, it makes it a very accessible form of poetry. Again, it's hard for me to suggest that's a bad thing. I'm a super fan of poetry and anything that gets people to be able to engage with it is a massive plus for me. And I'm sure writing this poetry was very cathartic for Dorta, working through and writing about her experiences. But unfortunately, I just didn't connect with this book in a way I would've hoped for.
PS: Let's also be clear, I'm not anti social media poetry. I'm going to take this opportunity to share some poems from some of my favourites on tumblr which I think have some similar themes of girlhood and fitting inside of your skin and complicated feelings of grief. shame is a girl's second skin by fatima aamer bilal is one I come back to over and over again, and I love the way it uses page space. my mother calls the new land unbearable in the same breath as miraculous by k.i.n.g. hits me HARD in its discussion of being an immigrant daughter. "I'm sure they would have preferred one of my cousins/ who don't mingle among foreigners/ or stare with longing at the sharpness of a/ woman's smile/ or want to be something more than this woman/ body given to them."
(Unrated because I don't really want to tank a brand-new book's rating -- there's not that many yet. But I'm sorry to say I would've given it 1 or 2 stars).
PS: Let's also be clear, I'm not anti social media poetry. I'm going to take this opportunity to share some poems from some of my favourites on tumblr which I think have some similar themes of girlhood and fitting inside of your skin and complicated feelings of grief. shame is a girl's second skin by fatima aamer bilal is one I come back to over and over again, and I love the way it uses page space. my mother calls the new land unbearable in the same breath as miraculous by k.i.n.g. hits me HARD in its discussion of being an immigrant daughter. "I'm sure they would have preferred one of my cousins/ who don't mingle among foreigners/ or stare with longing at the sharpness of a/ woman's smile/ or want to be something more than this woman/ body given to them."
(Unrated because I don't really want to tank a brand-new book's rating -- there's not that many yet. But I'm sorry to say I would've given it 1 or 2 stars).
February 23, 2026
It's giving notes app
June 7, 2026
isabella sei magnifica
“self loathing is easier than sorrow / and someone has to be held responsible”
“self loathing is easier than sorrow / and someone has to be held responsible”
April 20, 2026
Someone on twitter said that Francesca should read that. oh, whoever you are, you are sick (and right!)
July 7, 2026
I can feel myself becoming gayer by the moment!
March 31, 2026
The legend delivered once again
July 21, 2026
The university I attended offered three creative writing classes:
Fiction
Non fiction
And poetry
I never took the poetry classes because I thought I wouldn’t be good at it. But this read like the bad poetry I write when I’m high. Maybe it’s not bad. Maybe I just don’t know how to appreciate poetry. But this entire book probably should have stayed in the notes app.
Fiction
Non fiction
And poetry
I never took the poetry classes because I thought I wouldn’t be good at it. But this read like the bad poetry I write when I’m high. Maybe it’s not bad. Maybe I just don’t know how to appreciate poetry. But this entire book probably should have stayed in the notes app.
December 7, 2025
DRC via Edelweiss.
Oh how this made me cry and laugh and cry. Can’t wait to recommend!!
Oh how this made me cry and laugh and cry. Can’t wait to recommend!!
February 2, 2026
I found “I Don’t Think I’m Straight” in a small indie bookshop in Melbourne, the kind of place where books feel like they choose you, not the other way around. I didn’t know Isabella Dorta. I’m not on TikTok. I only just followed her on Instagram.
By then, it already felt close. As a queer poet myself, this book touched me in more ways than I expected. It felt like recognition. Like someone sitting beside you, not to explain, but to stay.
What struck me most is how gently this book dismantles the myth that coming out is a single, brave moment you tick off and move on from. It isn’t. Coming out is recurring. It’s seasonal. It happens in different rooms, with different people, at different ages.
What lingers is the fear we rarely name: not fear of loving who we love, but fear of doubting ourselves. The fear of the fear itself. The quiet what if I’m wrong? that lives in the background.
This book doesn’t try to tidy that uncertainty. It lets it exist. It trusts it. And in doing so, it reminds us we are not alone in our questioning.
I closed this book feeling softer. Less alone. Grateful for indie bookshops, for writers who tell the truth gently, and for stories that remind us we don’t need certainty to belong.
By then, it already felt close. As a queer poet myself, this book touched me in more ways than I expected. It felt like recognition. Like someone sitting beside you, not to explain, but to stay.
What struck me most is how gently this book dismantles the myth that coming out is a single, brave moment you tick off and move on from. It isn’t. Coming out is recurring. It’s seasonal. It happens in different rooms, with different people, at different ages.
What lingers is the fear we rarely name: not fear of loving who we love, but fear of doubting ourselves. The fear of the fear itself. The quiet what if I’m wrong? that lives in the background.
This book doesn’t try to tidy that uncertainty. It lets it exist. It trusts it. And in doing so, it reminds us we are not alone in our questioning.
I closed this book feeling softer. Less alone. Grateful for indie bookshops, for writers who tell the truth gently, and for stories that remind us we don’t need certainty to belong.
January 7, 2026
I Don’t Think I’m Straight is an honest, vulnerable collection of queer poetry that really shines in its rawness. Isabella captures the confusion, joy, fear, and humor of questioning your identity in a way that feels very relatable and very real. Some poems hit harder than others, but when they land, they really land. Overall, a solid and heartfelt collection — not every piece was my favorite, but the ones that connected will definitely stick with me.
January 7, 2026
i related to this book in so many different ways. thank you isabella for representing us <3
February 5, 2026
“press your heart against mine and let us forget where my blood starts and yours ends.”
June 3, 2026
to every woman
i have ever loved
and to those i was too afraid to
Me and poetry have a bit of a weird relationship. I often say I struggle with poetry, or that I don’t like it- but I also studied English Lit at A Level and did Speech and Drama as an extra curricular for years. I’ve been wanting to try and read more poetry again- and I saw this collection available through libby and picked it up.
I have since learned the author is a well known poet and creator on social media, but I hadn’t heard of her before I picked this up- so I went in with no preconceptions or expectations.
I found this to be a really raw and touching reading experience. It explores the author’s ‘coming out’ experience, and in particular explores the impact and unpacking of compulsory heterosexuality.
the languages is really accessible and as someone who can really struggle to understand poetry I read this in a couple of sittings. Of course everybody’s life experiences and relationship to their sexuality are different but there were parts of this that reminded me so much of specific moments in my life that I had to take a little moment to cry.
the author’s reflections that ‘coming out’ is an ongoing experience not just a one time big occasion were also important and relatable.
i'm not sure what i expected, but i think i thought that coming out just meant coming out once,
not every time
i meet someone new and every time
i speak to old friends.
you never really stop coming out.
it becomes part of the script, something you just have to adjust to.
because it isn't just an instagram post or sitting my parents down over dinner.
it is telling the world again and again and again.
and praying for a good reaction, again and again and again.
overall I’m glad I read this and it has I think motivated me to seek out more poetry in my reading in the future.
(do check content warnings which the author provides at the beginning of the collection)
i have ever loved
and to those i was too afraid to
Me and poetry have a bit of a weird relationship. I often say I struggle with poetry, or that I don’t like it- but I also studied English Lit at A Level and did Speech and Drama as an extra curricular for years. I’ve been wanting to try and read more poetry again- and I saw this collection available through libby and picked it up.
I have since learned the author is a well known poet and creator on social media, but I hadn’t heard of her before I picked this up- so I went in with no preconceptions or expectations.
I found this to be a really raw and touching reading experience. It explores the author’s ‘coming out’ experience, and in particular explores the impact and unpacking of compulsory heterosexuality.
the languages is really accessible and as someone who can really struggle to understand poetry I read this in a couple of sittings. Of course everybody’s life experiences and relationship to their sexuality are different but there were parts of this that reminded me so much of specific moments in my life that I had to take a little moment to cry.
the author’s reflections that ‘coming out’ is an ongoing experience not just a one time big occasion were also important and relatable.
i'm not sure what i expected, but i think i thought that coming out just meant coming out once,
not every time
i meet someone new and every time
i speak to old friends.
you never really stop coming out.
it becomes part of the script, something you just have to adjust to.
because it isn't just an instagram post or sitting my parents down over dinner.
it is telling the world again and again and again.
and praying for a good reaction, again and again and again.
overall I’m glad I read this and it has I think motivated me to seek out more poetry in my reading in the future.
(do check content warnings which the author provides at the beginning of the collection)
April 15, 2026
5⭐️
———
“I’ve never felt comfortable in the arms of a man. I just know that where I’m supposed to be.”
~~~~~
“I have a lot of big feelings, a lot of the time. I’m what you would probably call dramatic. But all I do is care too much and worry nonstop. All I want is relief, from my emotions, from my thoughts.”
~~~~
“Is that it? Am I out? Is it all over? Has the sky come crashing down and everyone I’ve ever loved disowned me? It hasn’t? I’m still scared. I’m still so scared.”
~~~~~
“How sad is it that something all about love can create so much hate.”
———
I’ve never related to something so heavy in a very long time. I’ve struggled and even to this day struggle with my being gay. Reading this makes me feel so much less alone. Every gay person or person who struggles is out coming out needs to read this.
———
“I’ve never felt comfortable in the arms of a man. I just know that where I’m supposed to be.”
~~~~~
“I have a lot of big feelings, a lot of the time. I’m what you would probably call dramatic. But all I do is care too much and worry nonstop. All I want is relief, from my emotions, from my thoughts.”
~~~~
“Is that it? Am I out? Is it all over? Has the sky come crashing down and everyone I’ve ever loved disowned me? It hasn’t? I’m still scared. I’m still so scared.”
~~~~~
“How sad is it that something all about love can create so much hate.”
———
I’ve never related to something so heavy in a very long time. I’ve struggled and even to this day struggle with my being gay. Reading this makes me feel so much less alone. Every gay person or person who struggles is out coming out needs to read this.
January 15, 2026
Poetry is not usually my cup of tea, but this came highly recommended by a close friend who loves the author.
I think this book has some beautiful language in it, with deep moments that I connect with from my own life growing up lesbian. While our experiences differ, the core stays the same: scared, joyful, awed, defensive.
Some parts were repetitive (and not always in the good way) and the imagery could be expanded upon even more. When the imagery was REALLY good, it twisted my insides.
I’m happy to own it and have read it. I definitely want to go back one day and highlight my favorite parts!
I think this book has some beautiful language in it, with deep moments that I connect with from my own life growing up lesbian. While our experiences differ, the core stays the same: scared, joyful, awed, defensive.
Some parts were repetitive (and not always in the good way) and the imagery could be expanded upon even more. When the imagery was REALLY good, it twisted my insides.
I’m happy to own it and have read it. I definitely want to go back one day and highlight my favorite parts!
February 7, 2026
"i came out and no pretty ladies / immediately declared their love for me. / what the fuck?"
4.5 ⭐️ This is the first novel in verse I've read outside of school literacy circles, and I think I needed it. The language isn't so dense or rhetorical that it's incomprehensible or overtly pretentious, and I'd think this poet would be a great gateway into poetry for those like me who struggle to interpret it. It's a vulnerable story of a teenage girl coming to terms with her sexuality and how it changes the world around her -- it's innately unique but also so relatable to young queers. Glad I picked this up on a whim at a Books-a-Million.
4.5 ⭐️ This is the first novel in verse I've read outside of school literacy circles, and I think I needed it. The language isn't so dense or rhetorical that it's incomprehensible or overtly pretentious, and I'd think this poet would be a great gateway into poetry for those like me who struggle to interpret it. It's a vulnerable story of a teenage girl coming to terms with her sexuality and how it changes the world around her -- it's innately unique but also so relatable to young queers. Glad I picked this up on a whim at a Books-a-Million.
July 31, 2026
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. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ݁ ₊ ݁⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
"How sad it is that something all about love can create so much hate."
- [ ] Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
- [ ] Discovery: Browsing
- [ ] Read Time: 1 Hour
- [ ] Reading Format: Digital
Depressing hopeful gay poetry
It's not flowery or pleasant but it is vulnerable and unfortunately relatable.
/ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ݁ ₊ ݁⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
"How sad it is that something all about love can create so much hate."
- [ ] Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
- [ ] Discovery: Browsing
- [ ] Read Time: 1 Hour
- [ ] Reading Format: Digital
Depressing hopeful gay poetry
It's not flowery or pleasant but it is vulnerable and unfortunately relatable.
/ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ
Review of advance copy
Deeply personal and unique personal experiences that are also experienced by so many. Aspects of our lives are written in these printed words. Perhaps discovering who we are and eventually summoning the courage to accept ourselves and everything that comes with it, are far more universal than any of us dared dream.
January 11, 2026
wow what a beautifully written book!! loved every second, so raw but yet so relatable and real for so many young queer individuals. the essence of the difficulty and pain of coming out and the whole process could not have been captured any better than this, really incredibly moving and heartfelt. LOVED IT!
April 5, 2026
I literally read this in one sitting. Wow. Isabella this is absolutely amazing and such a beautiful collection. A proper poetic mastermind. This is the embodiment of modern poetry I want to see more often. Love this.
January 7, 2026
So gay. I loved it
January 14, 2026
Such an amazing book. Helped me so much with understanding my queerness and many other parts of myself. I’ve read another of Isabella’s books and I love her writing style. She is an amazing poet
January 18, 2026
a really great poetry book. you can feel all the emotions. definitely some relatable things in there... very vulnerable and honest! really enjoyed reading it!!
January 18, 2026
3.5⭐️ I love Isabella Dorta’s poetry and I loved this compilation of her poems but I do prefer the letters I will never send but this was beautiful and so rich with such raw emotion
January 20, 2026
so gay. so beautiful. so seen. I love it!
January 29, 2026
The heart wrenching story of Dorta’s own coming out told through poetry. So raw and vulnerable while maintaining a glimmer of hope.
February 1, 2026
it was really good and very gay, which we love! however, i thought i would identify with more of the poems :)
March 17, 2026
let's go lesbians
April 29, 2026
3.5/5☆
"And just when I have almost given up on love, she shows up."
Raw, relatable, real, and definitely a good read.
I love queer poetry!!!<3
"And just when I have almost given up on love, she shows up."
Raw, relatable, real, and definitely a good read.
I love queer poetry!!!<3
May 24, 2026
Made me ugly crie. The first chapter absolutely destroyed me and I should tell my therapist about some lines, because I didn't know how to put it but there it is. Thank you
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews