Cavity

by Caitlin Conlon

Cavity is a small chapbook about the first three months following a heartbreak.

Genres: Poetry

40 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2017

About the author

Caitlin Conlon is the author of THE SURRENDER THEORY (2022) and BURNING THE GHOST LIGHT (forthcoming in 2025). She has a BA in English and a Creative Writing Certificate from the University At Buffalo; while there, she was chosen for the Friends of the University Libraries Undergraduate Poetry Prize, and the Arthur Axlerod Memorial Prize for Poetry. She has previously been published with midsummer magazine, Olney Magazine, and Anti-Heroin Chic, among others. She is the co-founder of Unearth Writing Retreats, which hosts virtual and in-person writing retreats for writers of all levels.

You can find her newsletter, Dancing With The Marginalia, on Substack, where she posts bi-weekly essays about books and writing. Everywhere else, she’s @cgcpoems.

Reviews

[Caitlin Conlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

my totally unbiased opinion, obviously.

[chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“you must understand that, even though the clocks
weren’t right for you,
every alarm chimed on schedule for me.”

forever my favourite line. i love caitlin’s writing and i can’t wait to see what the future brings.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and raw is what Caitlin made feel after reading this. I didn't want to rush through this because I wanted to absorb what she was feeling and honestly? I think I absorbed too much. I felt like I was right next to Caitlin as she wrote this. As she cried, I cried with her. Like I read the text messages too and felt the emotions that came from the reactions she felt. I'm so in love with this piece. Thank you Caitlin for putting your heart out there.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin’s debut chapbook is a small beauty. It is raw and incredibly honest, and while it is very specific to her and her relationship, it still manages to be accessible and relatable. There were so many lines that took my breath away - Caitlin definitely has a way with words. As much as I wish she didn’t have to experience the pain and the heartbreak, I love that it wasn’t resolved by the end of the chapbook. I can’t wait to read Caitlin’s work in the future.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cavity is a devastating collection of poems that tracks the aftermath of heartbreak, in all of its poetic and emotional episodes. Caitlin Conlon has done something marvellous here, as I found myself murmuring lines just to capture their weight fully. Repition of these poems only brings out more.

I loved the narrative quality of the collection itself, and the variety of textures the poems provided to that overarching narrative. Conlon is able to capture a sort of rebirth in this arc, or at least brief glimpses of suffering and survival after heartbreak. This collection will make you cry and contemplate the hole where your heart is.

Her writing is simply enrapturing. Read this collection even if it hurts, read this collection even if it draws emotion out of your body, read this because it is so vital, so vibrant, so painstakingly beautiful.

[Ari B. Cofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

there is just so much in this chapbook that made my heart swell, my lungs tighten, and my mind sing. cavity is so beautifully done, and caitlin is nothing but raw, vulnerable, and relatable all at once. reading cavity was one of the best things i did this year.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always amazed by everything that Caitlin writes, so this was no exception. I loved Cavity and I am so proud of her.

[Alicia Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Zohra Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A messy collection of poetry that is delicate and honest.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Cavity" is a lovely, messy collection of poetry that speaks to the hopeless romantic in me. Caitlin writes with a delicate, candy-floss like voice, and will suck even the most callous of readers into her story. "Cavity" explores the themes of heartbreak, loss, and suffering from a severe case of sweet tooth. "I have never learned to heal with any amount of grace."

[Danielle Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cavity is a raw and brutally honest story of love and how it aches. In her debut poetry collection, Caitlin tears a hole in you and then softly stitches it back together with a journey through heartbreak. On every new page there’s something to relate to, something to feel. This is truly a must read.

[Angelea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caitlin managed to break my heart in less than 50 words:

"I​ ​wish​ ​I​ ​could​ ​end​ ​this​ ​cacophony​ ​of​ ​noise by​ ​saying​ ​that​ ​I’m​ ​over​ ​you, that​ ​your​ ​name​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​pains​ ​me​ ​to​ ​write, but​ ​I​ ​can’t. I’ve​ ​been​ ​honest​ ​in​ ​every​ ​poem​ ​before​ ​this, I​ ​don’t​ ​see​ ​any​ ​reason​ ​to​ ​lie​ ​at​ ​the​ ​very​ ​end."

[Stormie Conn · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading Cavity I constantly found myself having to stop and take a moment just to soak in all of the raw emotion it holds. Caitlin pulls emotions, memories, and thoughts out of you that you didn't realize you had. This is one of those books that you read and then it stays with you for days, weeks, even months to come.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot begin to describe what an honour it is to read something your friend has written. Caitlin is such a talented poet and I'm so happy to call her my friend. What can I say about Cavity? It's beautiful, but it's heavy stuff (and I mean this in a good way). Cavity is meant to be read when you're all alone, you need to let each word sink in. It took me on a rollercoaster ride of heartbreak. My emotions have yet to recover. Though I am fortunate not to have suffered what Caitlin has been through, I could relate to it and that's what made it such a beautiful read. There are lines in Cavity that I'll never forget. Thank you Caitlin

[Jo-Anne Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin's "Cavity" is one of the most breathtaking poetry/prose collections I have read in a while. She writes with a great deal of talent and each piece makes you feel a plethora of emotions.

I read Cavity in one sitting and had wished that I didn't. This is definitely a collection I would read over and over and I look forward to more of Caitlin's work!

[Peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin Conlon has such a way with words and I will forever be here eating them up. Cavity was beautiful and raw and heartbreaking. I can see myself coming back to this little books again and again. You know, on those days when you just want to have your heart broken and stitched up again.

[Júlia Freitas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m grateful for this book. The right words at the right time. Thank you.

[Kaylie Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

to this day, the best poetry collection i have ever read. raw & heartbreaking & relatable. the story of surviving being left by the one you love.

[bailey 💛✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really lucky to have followed this girl a while back on twitter. I loved scrolling through her profile every now and then to see her poems and her horoscopes. She was the most genuine, poetic human I had read from in a while. She wrote about real pain. Pain that’s been laughed at for being too exaggerated and romanticized but I believe those words come from people who have never had their heart truly broken. I have and I think that’s why I appreciated this collection so much. When you’re in love, you think there’s no possible way you could put that feeling into words and when you’re out of love, you think it again, only worse. I’ve tried a million times, through handfuls of songs and poems and short stories. Writing is my one true coping mechanism. Though I’ve produced some pieces I’m very proud of, I don’t think I’ve ever hit the nail on the head. I’ve found love and heartbreak to be indescribable. But Caitlin really did it. She really made the intangible tangible. I could feel it, smell it, taste it. I was brought back to some of my better days, some of my worst days when I read this. I just loved it so much. If Caitlin wrote this at 19 years old, I can’t even imagine where she’ll go from here. If she keeps getting better and better with age, she’ll be the one breaking hearts with her poems. I’m so proud to call this girl a friend.

[Lexi Vranick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The honesty and clarity with which Caitlin Conlon expresses such raw emotion will never fail to impress. She has such a poignant voice and so eloquently expresses feelings that can be so incredibly difficult to put into words. Reading this collection felt like getting a peek inside her heart. This book is so intimate, and I feel honored to be able to have read it. Can't wait to see more from Caitlin! She's one of the most talented poets I've come across this year, and I know we'll see more great things from her in the future.

[Lucy Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd been wanting to read this for ages and today I finally got the chance and OUCH. A good ouch, but still ouch. Many feelings were had, and I'm sure many more will be had if I ever find myself rereading this after a breakup of my own - I know it will hurt, but I know I'll do it anyway.

If Lorde's album Melodrama was a book of poetry, I think it would be this one. (And I mean that as a great compliment)

[Stephane Mohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read to know we are not alone in our loneliness and our longing and our regret; to know we are human; to give ourselves permission to feel because of this person can, then why can’t I? And Caitlin does exactly that with everything she writes. Her words are strung together so beautifully, her experience and emotions so honest and raw, that you can’t help but to relate to them and be comforted by them. I love her and I love this book and I think everyone needs to read it.

[Bethany Boggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This chapbook is incredible. I read it in one sitting, and I know I’ll be going back day after day to reread my favorite poems, and appreciate the lines that stood out to me. I loved reading this, and I can’t wait to see what the author continues to publish - she’s amazingly talented.

[Aurora Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely loved this chapbook (as to be expected) Cait completely captured how it feels when things suddenly end and you’re left with nothing and you’re not sure where to go from there.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely fantastic! Was already near crying by the third poem lmao. SO glad to have found her on instagram, this was worth every penny and then some

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin is amazing and so is her poetry. She is honest and raw, and her words absolutely inspire me.