WWJD and Other Poems

by Savannah Sipple

Savannah Sipple’s voice is stark and crucial. Her debut poetry collection explores what it is to be a queer woman in Appalachia and is rooted in its culture and in her body. With a beer-drinking Jesus as her wing man, she navigates this difficult terrain of stereotype, conservative evangelicalism, and, perhaps most, shame.

Genres: Poetry, Queer, LGBT

66 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2019

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these poems covering themes of what it is like to grow up in Appalachia while queer, female, and fat, while the throughline of fundamentalism and Jesus that never leave you when you've been inundated in it.

[Avery Guess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this collection's fierceness and willingness to be vulnerable sometimes in the same line of a single poem. The poems in this book range from the short to the long and take on what it means to come from Appalachia, what it means to come out as queer, what it means to live in a fat body, and what it means to open that queer, fat Appalachian self up to the love of another. This is a book about learning to love the self and understanding the power in that love. It's about realizing, finally, that it's okay to say (and believe) "Yes, love. Yes, you are worthy." Read this book, y'all. It left me in a puddle of tears, in the best possible way.

[Marne Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Savannah Sipple when she came to a reading in my town. I almost wish I hadn’t, just because these are the kind of poems that are so raw and so visceral that it’s almost too much to picture them coming out of the pen of someone you know. Although some of the particular (southern, queer) details of these poems are outside of my experience, I identified very strongly with the issues they raise of feeling like an outsider growing up in a culture that the larger world will then judge you for coming from.

This book is the real deal. You should check it out. It’s what J would D.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't stop thinking about these poems--they are risky and relevant, vulnerable and formidable. I am in awe of Savannah Sipple's courage and of her craft.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I say what it means to see yourself represented on the page, to read a collection of poems about being from Kentucky, being from Appalachia, being fat, being queer, hating your body and finding your way into loving it, surviving family violence and men, loving Jesus, taking a break from Jesus, finding that the Jesus you know—the one really in the Bible—wouldn’t be into the megachurches and judgment and hypocrisy that surrounds you? I laughed out loud at “Jesus and I Went to the Walmart,” at the lines about picking out tampons with Jesus and not being able to decide between “active super” or super “plus cause I could tell by the way I was craving a hamburger it / was going to be a bloody time of the month. Jesus gets a little / embarrassed by the lady juice,” and the next thing you know, Jesus is in the condom aisle, advising a “young gun” not to knock up a girl, especially if he’s gonna do it anyway. That’s Jesus, to me, the human, the one with compassion. And he’s also apparently funny as hell.

It’s incredible to see these poems come into being. It’s incredible to find parts of yourself represented so honestly, so truly, to find a home in a book of poems. Yes, I know Savannah and have known her since my very first creative writing class in college, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about these poems. I’m going to read them again and again. Y’all should read them, too. The book *officially* comes out on March 7. Y’all have four days to order it.

[Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah Sipple proves in this collection that she's one of Appalachia's brightest stars to watch. These poems are consistently powerful. Kick you in the gut powerful. And heart-wrenching at the same time. With Jesus as her unlikely sidekick, these are poems about love and place, about being from Appalachia, about surviving its physical and the emotional landscapes, about breaking past what might limits us but really makes us better and stronger and more at peace.

[Rosemary Royston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sipple’s collection of poems is one I’ve read multiple times prior to lending it out to my daughter. As a woman raised in the Bible Belt, there are many ways in which I relate to the speaker of these poems, who must leave behind antiquated and prejudicial beliefs. Acceptance of the self, which in this collection is a fat woman who must embrace her queerness in a community that is not receptive, is a goal all readers seek, so the poems become universal to anyone on the journey to feel loved and accepted. First comes the anger that rightly takes traditional religious language and turns it on its head, [Our anger is a lantern This little light / of mine], to full acceptance of the self, “Yes, love. Yes, you are worthy,” all while sharing a PBR with Jesus (!), who not only gives the speaker the unconditional love we all need, but also shows the young man side-eyeing condoms what to buy. I’m continually intrigued by the form that several of the poems take -- the use of brackets and white space to convey both emotion and information. Definitely buy this book: you will not be disappointed.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great poetry collection. I especially like the poems with Jesus in them--such a different (and much cooler) Jesus than we usually know. All of the poems are wonderful throughout the book. The collection explores a woman coming to terms with being queer and what that means as a rural woman and a woman in general. In the beginning, the woman has bad relationships with men, while she wonders if she's gay, then later comes to realize and accept that she is. It's a powerful collection of poems, and you definitely want to read them.

[Katie Curlee Hamblen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sipple uses a variety of poetic forms to recount her coming to terms with her sexuality in a place that was not very hospitable to it. Both rural and religious, the Appalachian region of Kentucky is also one of poverty, a place where domestic abuse--and other matters considered private--were not discussed. My favorite poems from this collection include "Pork Belly," which connects fatness to poverty, using the metaphor of carving fat from one's own body to "collect in coffee cans, glass jars, your dreams dripping off your meat. This is poverty: you save every drop." Another favorite is "WWJD/on prayer," part of a series of poems in which the author is pals with Jesus, who is presented as a kind, easy-going country boy. The poem is disjointed by slash marks as the author recalls an incidence of abuse at the hands of her father. Jesus beseeches her to "cut those ties...for the love of God," and leave her abusive past behind.

[Taylor Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this collection's fierceness and willingness to be vulnerable. The poems in this book vary in length and depth. From what it means to grow up in the Appalachia, coming out as queer, body images, and her own version of Jesus. This is a book about learning to love the self and understanding the power in that love. It's about realizing, finally, that it's okay to believe and love yourself. Sipple gives a deeply intimate and personal look into her experiences as she navigates the world.

[Maggie Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savannah Sipple's "WWJD and Other Poems" takes readers on a poignant journey of self-love and personal acceptance amidst challenging themes like domestic abuse, Christian ideologies, queerness, and body image, all set against the unique backdrop of Appalachia. Sipple's vulnerability and honesty shine through, making her exploration of these complex issues deeply compelling. Despite her Southern roots, she doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties of dismantling societal and Christian norms and finding one's place in the world. Sipple excels at keeping readers engaged by balancing hard topics with moments of levity, such as having a beer with Jesus himself. Despite being published five years ago, this collection continues to be more and more applicable and striking, given the current landscape of anti-LGBTQ laws, evangelical Christian ideologies, and the troubling resurgence of dangerous body trends such as “heroin chic," as seen in the disturbing trend of celebrity "ozempic parties." Despite its brevity at just over 50 pages of content, “WWJD and Other Poems" leaves a lasting impact, serving as an honest look into the complexities of identity, acceptance, and resilience.

[Jon Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to attend an author talk/reading with poet Savannah Sipple, so I read WWJD and Other Poems in preparation for that event. From the opening epigraph by Dorothy Allison to Sipple’s final word on the final page [SPOILER ALERT: truth], this efficient little book held my attention to say the least. I say “efficient,” because it leaves a pretty big dent in your psyche in a pretty short amount of time. I say “little” not to be condescending, but because the book itself only contains a little over 50 pages of poetry. Those poems themselves are efficient in that each one, you’ll discover upon a second and third reading, leave an impact in just a page or two.

I like writing that gives voice to the disenfranchised, but reading it in 2020 was an odd bit of timing to say the least. Written during the year prior to its release in March 2019, Silas House declared “Savannah Sipple is the poet we need right now in this moment when it feels like the heart and conscience of our nation is being ripped out by its roots.” I couldn’t help but think, try reading this in September of 2020, Silas. What a difference 18 months has made. Has the LGBTQIA+ movement, with which Sipple personally grapples to find her place, settled into our mainstream culture – or has it been overshadowed, marginalized once again by a larger louder cry for racial social justice in the streets of our cities these days? Sipple lives the life openly which can best answer that question, but these poems for someone outside of the LGBTQIA+ community may seem dated. Whether that is a good or a bad thing for our culture, I guess depends on your personal journey.

I like the playful inventiveness of Sipple’s poetry, the creative use of white space and line breaks, Italics, and lists, and the “Evangelism Bingo” card. Speaking of evangelism, God and Jesus show up all over this book, most notably in the third section. He’s not the Jesus Sipple grew up with in the South, nor is He the Jesus you probably grew up with wherever you grew up. Who is this Jesus? To coopt and bend the Silas House quote from earlier in this review, He’s probably the Jesus that Savannah Sipple needs right now in this moment.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high expectations for WWJD and Other Poems as soon as I saw that it started out with a quote from Dorothy Allison's Two or Three Things I Know For Sure, and I wasn't disappointed.

n WWJD, Stippler grapples with childhood abuse, weight issues, her sexuality, and religion. The abuse poems were hard, though "What We Tell Ourselves" is powerful and difficult and masterful all at once. The weight poems were hard but also, to me, brilliant. The poem "Pass/Back" is a complex web of grappling with food, her body weight, and her body's strength. The line in "Pass/Back" where she says "Boxing make me feel beautiful because muscles contract under my backfat ripples. I'm always the first to offer to carry a heavy load for someone else" speaks to me so much. I'm overweight and my partner, bigger than I am, is so much stronger. As I am, I get annoyed when people insist that someone with my fat can't lift the jug for the water cooler to replace it - but I've seen what my partner can do and I'm so glad Sipple has found that. I've seen that look of joy on my partner's face. It's beautiful. It's empowering.

The Jesus poems are great. I loved them because of who Stippler's Jesus is and because I think they mean that this queer woman who struggled(/struggles) so much has also found peace in a religion that so often causes strife for queer folks. ("Evangelism" is also amazing and I love it and know I don't fully understand it all at the same time.)

[Elise Chaplin]

Savannah Sipple proves that vulnerability is nothing but a sign of strength. Each poem is unapologetically raw and at times may leave the reader feeling uncomfortable, but I suppose thats one of the best aspects of poetry. Sipple's poetry gives readers an opportunity to see first-hand the struggles of understanding one's sexuality. One does not have to personally relate to be able to appreciate the sheer honesty that pours out of every poem. This combined with the casual portrayal of Jesus giving advice like an old friend makes for a dash of humor to help relieve the heaviness of the content of her poems. I strongly encourage for readers to read some of the poems out loud (if not all) to fully appreciate the flow of her words within the various structures and spacing. These poems are like nothing I have ever read before and have left a lasting impression on me. Some of my favorite poems in the collection are "Pass/Back", "Love Letter to the Boys in the First Class I Ever Taught", and "Jesus and I Went to the Walmart", although all individually can stand alone and end up hitting you in the gut in some aspect. The overused excuse of not reading poetry because it is difficult to read cannot be applied here given the simple usage of language and portrayal of normal every day occurrences allows for not much ambiguity. I encourage everyone, with a background in poetry or not, to give this book a chance.

[Kayla Spears · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the title fool you. This is not just a book for Christians. Savannah Sipple’s poetry book “WWJD” is a fearless response to the society that has always judged some aspect of her: either her weight, sexuality, ideas about religion, or social class. Included are a range of different types of poems that illustrate vivid personal experiences of the speaker’s life in Kentucky. Her last section of poems tackles her relationship with Jesus in a comical way, yet it feels authentic.

Sipple directly tells readers what she wants them to know in a shameless and enjoyable way. There are poems for everyone. A bingo board, long free-verse poems, and poems with one to two lines are just a few examples of what is included in this book. In every poem is specific, vivid imagery that easily lets you into the perspective of the speaker.

I recommend this book to anyone who is struggling, has struggled, or is curious about the struggles that come with growing up in a small town as a gay woman, or simply as being someone who doesn’t fit society’s mold. This book inspired me to live my life without shame or fear, and I hope it will inspire you too.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“WWJD” by Savannah Sipple is a candid depiction of the coming out process in Appalachia, but more importantly, Sipple is confronting the shame within. Moreover, she grapples with religious convictions that contradict her sexuality. There is a satisfying reconciliation, though, with Jesus riding shotgun in the closing poem. It feels like the end of the beginning for Sipple’s self-love. The collection is witty and funny, especially the depiction of Jesus as almost a hipster and definitely a cool guy. Pass/Back is a brilliant back and forth between struggling with weight and discussing food preparation. The line “A girl that fat should have bigger tits” made me laugh out loud. One of my personal favorite poems is “A List of Times I Thought I Was Gay.” The list format served its bluntness well. Sipple makes me consider having the confidence to let go of my shame and live more authentically. “WWJD” contains honesty, variety, and ferocity that sets the work apart from others.

[Katie Poindexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has to be one of my favorite poetry books ever. Sipple’s poetry takes a deep dive into tough subjects such as same sex attraction, sex, abuse, and religion within Appalachia. As someone from Kentucky, I can say she truly captures the essence of the area and the dialect in her poems. The book also portrays what it is like to grow up as LGBTQ+ in a rural and religious community in such a raw way. I felt her pain and her growth throughout. The book is divided into three sections which portrays her growth. The first is before she comes to terms with being gay, the second is her journey as a gay woman, and the third is about her relationship with Jesus. Sipple’s beautiful imagery and variety of structures had me captivated and I honestly could not put the book down until I was finished. As an aspiring writer, I hope to write something this alluring someday.

[H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems I'll come back to again and again; a few I'm already starting to memorize. Some of these poems dug deep; one made me tear up enough on a bus that I made strangers uncomfortable. Other poems were friskier and more playful (underneath, always, that tinge of melancholy).

I wish there had been even more poems featuring Jesus—I would be glad if Sipple continued to work with that idea, developing it even more, because I love the idea so much of a queer woman reclaiming Jesus as her friend, as an unstoppable force of love.

To sum it all up: poems to make you cry and turn you on. What else would I want from a book of lesbian poetry?

[Melissa Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so, so good. The poems are good in isolation and as a whole narrative, exploring growing up in Appalachia, queerness, and learning to accept love. The speaker of the poems is not hiding, even when discussing hiding. Would be great to use in a classroom

[Jessica]

One of the most original, important collections I've ever read. I'm recommending this to everyone.

[Caden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, touching collection of amazingly written poems.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first poem, WWJD brings gravity and vulnerability. The poems navigate the struggle to come to terms with one's sexuality, to confront and to process sexual assault, and to make sense of religion. This is a collection about where culture and the self intersect, and making peace where those two conflict. One of the most appealing things about it, for me, was that the arrangement felt purposeful and intentional. That this collection is organized in such a way that it's almost narrative creates an experience that's enveloping. It's deep, but approachable, and would be a good recommendation for a poetry lover or a more casual reader.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a queer Catholic living in KY, I relate to the poems about spirituality the most. Savannah did such an amazing job I teared up. I highly recommend reading this collection!

[Katrin Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually healing. Thank you for this work

[Raychel Kool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this felt restorative, healing. It made me feel seen.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lil reread :) love this booook

[Courtney LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poetry focuses on the queer, fat body in Appalachia - a place not often kind. Sipple shows the reader a world that might not always accept her, but one she somehow survived and still loves.

from Cant: "I am sick and thrilled at once, / like my fear got scared off but took me with it, / like Bub might choose to go back, like two wrongs / really can make anything right."

from And the Word Was God: "I wanted to feel like I could stop / burying myself in my body my body grew large / my body grew larger a walk-in closet I stood on the inside / hiding behind dresses"

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good one sitting book and that’s exactly what this collection was. It’s vulnerable, but strong. Written in three sections (I. Bad relationships with men and childhood II. Gay realization and III. Acceptance)

I’m a big fan on Sipples Appalachian wording and style. Her poems are both beautiful and thought provoking; there’s a lot to unpack with each piece.

I really enjoyed the third section of the collection because these are the WWJD poems specifically. And, though I’m not a believer I do find the more lax perspective she uses for Jesus to be refreshing and enjoyable.

[Kristi Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah’s book moved me with an understanding of things few people can verbalize. She is a talent and her words are alive.