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Open Veins
Stream-of-conscious poetry intertwines with autobiography in this self reflective journey of mental illness and sexuality. Complete with dozens of original illustrations, K.N. Clem’s heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious debut will leave you breathless.
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The last three years have been a tumultuous ride of highs and lows, of joy and pain, and of unrequited love.
In April of 2017, I had a massive mental breakdown. After years of struggling with undiagnosed illness, I finally took the steps to save myself, and entered into three months of intensive therapy.
In the midst of all this emerged my discovery that I was a gay woman.
This book is a bleeding out of my heart. A tragic, comedic, slightly exaggerated tale of my weird and wonderful life. My wonderful editor is Sylvie LaFontaine. My wonderful designer is Shania Sinna
I have dedicated my life to helping LGBT kids feel supported. A portion of the proceeds earned for Open Veins will be donated to RECLAIM, a Minnesota-based mental health advocacy campaign for queer and trans youth.
Thank you so much for your support, and always know that you’re not alone.
K.N. Clem
...........................
The last three years have been a tumultuous ride of highs and lows, of joy and pain, and of unrequited love.
In April of 2017, I had a massive mental breakdown. After years of struggling with undiagnosed illness, I finally took the steps to save myself, and entered into three months of intensive therapy.
In the midst of all this emerged my discovery that I was a gay woman.
This book is a bleeding out of my heart. A tragic, comedic, slightly exaggerated tale of my weird and wonderful life. My wonderful editor is Sylvie LaFontaine. My wonderful designer is Shania Sinna
I have dedicated my life to helping LGBT kids feel supported. A portion of the proceeds earned for Open Veins will be donated to RECLAIM, a Minnesota-based mental health advocacy campaign for queer and trans youth.
Thank you so much for your support, and always know that you’re not alone.
K.N. Clem
120 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2019
4 people want to read
About the author
Kat Estey
1 book13 followersKat Estey has written in various mediums, including blog, novel, feature film, TV, video game, and comics.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 5, 2019
Despite not being part of what I believe this book's target audience is, I was nevertheless enthralled with it. I believe that is the mark of truly captivating content.
Katie did an excellent job at portraying what life may be like for a large portion of the LGBTQ communities across the world, especially those who are young. Her poetry illustrates internal struggles and the accepting/rejecting of heteronormative concepts of identity. Something I really liked was how graphic she was when describing certain aspects of their lives. For instance, she does not shy away from the reality of people being bullied or murdered for their sexuality. Her refusal to soften the brutality of the world we live in makes everything feel so much more close to home, even if you aren't a member of the LGBTQ community.
Although LGBTQ issues dominate the bulk of this book's poems, there are also ones that relate to self-harm, anxiety, and unreturned love. The themes, although heavy, are made easier to digest by Katie including bits of humor throughout to break up the feeling of grief. I laughed out loud several times while reading. I think everyone will get a good chuckle out of a certain poem that is "Totally not aimed toward anyone I might know."
What I appreciated most, however, was her descriptive language. I mean, really, how can you not love the way "silver-tipped moonlight" sounds, or how "midnight-tainted mind" just rolls off your tongue when read aloud? This leads me to say my favorite poem was Lunar Eclipse. In it, Katie beautifully drives home the point that love does not include abuse, which I think many young people (regardless of sexual orientation) need to know.
In closing, I'd like to say that I am excited to see the next project from this hard-hitting, relatable poet.
Katie did an excellent job at portraying what life may be like for a large portion of the LGBTQ communities across the world, especially those who are young. Her poetry illustrates internal struggles and the accepting/rejecting of heteronormative concepts of identity. Something I really liked was how graphic she was when describing certain aspects of their lives. For instance, she does not shy away from the reality of people being bullied or murdered for their sexuality. Her refusal to soften the brutality of the world we live in makes everything feel so much more close to home, even if you aren't a member of the LGBTQ community.
Although LGBTQ issues dominate the bulk of this book's poems, there are also ones that relate to self-harm, anxiety, and unreturned love. The themes, although heavy, are made easier to digest by Katie including bits of humor throughout to break up the feeling of grief. I laughed out loud several times while reading. I think everyone will get a good chuckle out of a certain poem that is "Totally not aimed toward anyone I might know."
What I appreciated most, however, was her descriptive language. I mean, really, how can you not love the way "silver-tipped moonlight" sounds, or how "midnight-tainted mind" just rolls off your tongue when read aloud? This leads me to say my favorite poem was Lunar Eclipse. In it, Katie beautifully drives home the point that love does not include abuse, which I think many young people (regardless of sexual orientation) need to know.
In closing, I'd like to say that I am excited to see the next project from this hard-hitting, relatable poet.
December 20, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews