Forgive Me My Salt

by Brenna Twohy

Widely known for her performance poetry, which has been viewed over 3 million times on YouTube, author Brenna Twohy's debut collection reads like a letter to all that haunts her-- letting them know that despite her wounds, she's still alive.

Genres: Poetry, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Adult

68 pages, Paperback

Published October 29, 2016

Reviews

[Jessica Gadziala · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This is the hardest part/ the way a fish is still a fish/ even after she's been gutted"

I have waited for Brenna's first collection since the first time I saw her do "Fantastic Breasts and Where To Find Them" (which is in this collection, by the way). This was well worth the wait. Absolutely amazing. Not only is it emotionally raw, but it covers multiple topics.

I have read a lot of poetry collections lately where each poem has no more than maybe 15 words, like suddenly the writers have become afraid of words. Brenna is a definite exception to that modern rule. Which I appreciate even more about her.

Read it. You won't be sorry.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Brenna Twohy's poetry. Between the Harry Potter references and the abusive relationships, I find her to be a kindred spirit. Her talent for weaving words together in a way that yank my heart out of my chest makes me so jealous. I highly recommend this.

[Edward Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread several of the poems in this collection last night and had to upgrade my rating from 4 to 5 stars. Ms. Twohy is an extremely talented poet and her poems on mental illness, how she described what it was like to live with anxiety, hit close to home. I am looking forward to hearing more from her. I recommend checking out some of her work on You Tube, particularly "Fantastic Breasts and Where To Find Them," which packs a very strong message about the negative impact of pornography on men.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in the back of my classroom while my students took the ACT and I cried quietly. I cannot wait to read this at home and cry loudly.

I just ordered two more copies because I want to share this with students and friends, but can't bear the thought of not having a copy at my fingertips.

[Sam Lien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watching Someone You Love Die Slowly

isn't anything dramatic.

It's a pinata at a birthday party.
They have been beaten so many times,
it's no wonder they split open.
It was only a matter of time
before everything inside of their chest
started pouring out.

Doesn't mean it won't hurt.

[Caitlin Conlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the best collections I’ve read in a while, Brenna Twohy takes the tactile and makes them even more real than they were before. the way she writes about trauma is so VALIDATING & the wit that shines through her pieces only adds to them. ugh. I loved this.

[Tania Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, it's 12 at night and I just turned on my computer only to write this, although I probably will not be able to put into words what Brenna Twohy makes me feel.

I got "Forgive Me My Salt" for Christmas and now I think my whole year is made. This is the book I will keep coming back to over and over. For the past couple of years I have read a fair share of poems (both from books and online) and I was already familiar and obsessed with her work, but this book has made my love grow exponentially. I felt so connected to it. I tend to finish poetry books in a sitting, but it took me two days to finish this one simply because it made me too emotional and sometimes hit too close to home in all the right spots. It made me feel like I was drowning. In a good way, if that's possible. And with Brenna's poetry, let me tell you, it is.

[Hallie Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems are so powerful and raw. This is my second time reading this book and my opinion hasn’t changed. A lot of poetry will try to cover things up and sugar coat it to make it lighter on the reader - Brenna Twohy doesn’t do that. She’s clear and honest and I love it.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful!!

Brenna really captivated me by the end of this book, with her feminist call out to the porn industry and it's idealisation of underage women, with its presentation of women without personalities, without a background, without anything but their mouths.

It was the poem addressed to the man at the back of a spoken word event which I remember the most - Brenna highlights his boredom for her rape poem as part of the problem. Society has disengaged from our angry voices, even though circumstances have not moved on.

Highly recommended this book!

[Morgan Nikola-Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, if you haven't checked out Youtube videos of Brenna Twohy tearing up Button Poetry, look her up. Like, now.

Second, I tried. I tried to pace myself and I just couldn't do it. I swallowed this book whole in a matter of hours. And I regret nothing. The raw stories Twohy pulls out of herself are coupled with a talent I can only aspire to.

Cannot wait for her next book, Zig-Zag Girl.

[Emma Cathcart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, you can feel emotion in each line of her poems. This is one of the poetry collections that you should read once for enjoyment, a second for clarity, and a third to better understand her experiences. One of my favorite reads this year.

[Ashly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just, wow.

[Laleska Alves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautifully written that I want to cry. "In Which I Do Not Fear Harvey Dent" touched me in ways I could never put into words, and I'm currently going through one of those times when it's really hard to be touched by anything. And she did it, effortlessly. Forgive Me My Salt is one of those books you're glad you got to read before you die. I hope she publishes a thousand more; I'll read every one of them.

"Sometimes, a child will go under
while their parent is watching,
and they don’t even know
anything is wrong.
My mom asks if everything’s okay,
and I say of course.
Drowning is a quiet,
desperate thing."

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part of this book is the honesty and artistic way of expressing the aftermath of traumas that haunt one as you live. Brenna Towhy is an amazing poet and deserves all the accolades that come her way and more. If you’ve ever watched her videos performing her poems you can attest to the fact that they are magic. The woman does indeed have carpentry in her mouth and in her pen. For anyone who has suffered trauma these poems will give you comfort and the feeling of not being alone. That someone has put to paper the feeling you may not be able to express for your self but your story has been told and this book is the proof of it.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Brenna's poetry ever since I saw, "Anxiety: A Ghost Story". When she announced her anthology I was extremely excited and preordered the book as soon as I could. Once I had my hands on the book, I read it cover to cover and have read it multiple times since.
Her poetry makes me laugh, cry, and snap my fingers. I have never found poetry I could relate to so well until I read Brenna's.
For all the poetry lovers out there, like myself, I highly encourage you to read this beautiful work of art.

[Silyara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry deals with abuse, with survival, with continuing to live afterward. That is some serious serious stuff. It is all well and powerfully written. It uses cultural references at times, including multiple poems with Harry Potter references. And oh the last one about Little Red Riding Hood. So fucking good. I'd seen bits and pieces quoted on Tumblr, and it does not compare to the whole. Those were good, this is incredible. Just make sure you're in the time/place/emotions to read about that stuff.

[Benita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book for quite a few months now, and every single month, I take it off my shelf to read it again, and every single time, I find something in it that I didn't notice before, another brilliant line or beautiful metaphor. I honestly want to lend the book to every single person I know, but at the same time I can't risk not having it right by my side, because many times I just grab and quote it to describe how I feel.

[Janelle (Nellie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Last year, I learned just how many ways you can kill yourself daily while still waking up the next morning.”

This book was very well written and speaks on important subjects such as mental illness (anxiety) and rape. Twigs has a very clear emotional voice and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each poem in this book.

Disclaimer: Some poems towards the end of slightly sexual in nature but besides that it’s still a great read! I recommend highly!

[Courteney Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite poets! Her poems are so relatable. Some of my favourite poems are 'Gaslit? More like burn gas burnt the fuck down', 'When you wake up panicked', 'I do', and 'Anxiety a ghost story'. The way she approaches topics such as loss, anxiety and rape are really moving. Would 100% recommend this collection.

[Amber Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book of Brenna's to come out and I was SO EXCITED to read it. I love it. I go back to it again and again, because there is just something about the way Brenna writes that resonates with me so completely. Her words are captivating, real and tormenting, yet even humorous at times. Her follow up books, "Zig Zag Girl" and "Swallowtail" are no different and I cannot wait for future offerings from Brenna Twohy.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an in-your-face collection of poems that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. So much so, in fact, that I read each poem at least two times. Twohy tackles anxiety, loss, abuse, and other tough topics with a unique and strong voice. I loved the Harry Potter references in a few of her poems, too.

[Alexis Stankewitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 .

Oh wow, I really liked this. My favorite poem is probably "To The Guy At The Back Of The Room Complaining About Another Rape Poem." God, just some really powerful lines, just amazing!

[Aleigha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the greatest collection of poetry I've read in an incredibly long time. Twohy is SO damn talented I want to begin a re-read right away.

[Florencia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love her performance, but it was hard to feel it when reading it. perhaps it's my bad.

[lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

genius.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to read some of my favorite, classic, slam poems. It was also nice to read some poetry I had forgotten to read and listen to.

[Joshua Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonderful read that is creatively brutal and emotionally honest.

[Cosmam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This deserves a goos rating for several excellent poems (The Problems with First Dates always amuses me so)

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

One of a kind poetry that spoke to me on a very personal level. I appreciated every word that the author shared in her wonderful collection of art

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting collection of poems. Angry, tender, and eye-opening.