Pupa: Growth & Metamorphosis: Essays and Poetry by Sadee Bee

by Sadee Bee, Alien Buddha (Contributor)

Pupa: Growth & Metamorphosis. A shout to the world from a voice no longer silenced. A journey and awakening through poems and essays about healing from trauma, living with mental illness, and the female experience. A pupa is a space of safety, the shelter after a storm, and a time to rebuild; a messy metamorphosis before freedom.

71 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2022

About the author

Sadee Bee (they/them) is a queer artist and writer inspired by magic, strange dreams, and creepy vibes. She has an associate’s degree in liberal arts with a focus in psychology and sociology. Sadee’s work draws heavily from her experiences with mental illness and trauma, and she is also inspired by music and the divine feminine expression. Sadee is the Visual Arts Editor for Sage Cigarettes Magazine.

Reviews

[TallieReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cutting, poignant collection of essays and poetry, Pupa: Growth & Metamorphosis tackled intense topics like sexual assault, mental illness and purity culture. I have dealt with these issues myself so this book definitely made me feel seen and validated. For me, there is a sense of solidarity in reading the traumatic experiences of other women. It is empowering to be able to put those dark parts of ourselves into words and just as empowering for the reader.

I had the pleasure of reading Sadee's previous collection earlier this year, I Didn't Ask to Be Crazy. I enjoyed that book as well but I noticed a better general flow in the essays here. Love to see the growth as she becomes more confident in her writing! My favorite essays were "My Burden of Shame" and "A Vile Action on A Night I Forgot." The first dealt with how a specific event in her childhood, driven by purity culture, impacted her views on sex for many years to come. This one really sticks with you and is super relatable. I grew up in a very religious environment and purity culture was shoved down me and my siblings throats for years. This essay is a good example of how religion based teachings/propaganda seep into families who aren't even that religious. The second one I mentioned was a lesson in the horrors of dating apps. PoF has one of the worse reputations and I related way more than I wanted to with this one. Having spent a large chunk of my early 20's on dating apps like that, it is disturbing how often those situations can turn unsafe. I loved that this essay highlighted the fact that trauma responses vary widely based on each indivudal and differing situations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the poetry in this book as well. Some of my favorites were Through the Mirror, Tiny Black Spots and Kaleidoscope View.

"Sink deep/into an imagination/running wild/each jagged piece/a new scanario/a new person/a universe birthed anew/hauntingly bright/yet surrounded by shadow

In this fractal/I swim/I float/I drown/I rise/Repeat/each day/until this life/is done/this place/Is my cage"

There were a few poems I didn't really conncet with but that is to be expected in a poetry collection. Overall, I really appreciated this courageous exploration in setbacks and growth, progress, and the non-linear journey of healing from trauma.

[Olivia Loccisano · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Pupa: Growth and Metamorphosis, Sadee Bee focuses on entrapment in a way where her language and use of poetic devices strongly illustrates the overlying theme of imprisonment and then how this leads to empowerment. Through essays and poetry, Sadee weaves a beautiful retelling of how growth is ugly and reminds us that it does not come easily: it is a very long process filled with guilt, shame, and sometimes, violence. The poems and essays are incredibly honest and personal. I highly recommend this book, especially for readers going through shame or big changes in their lives. Five out of five stars.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was simply marvelous. Each entry had such power and emotion behind the words. There were moments were I felt as if we were talking face to face and I was listening to you speak. As the collection progressed, I could feel that metamorphosis that was occurring. There was growth between each entry culminating in an ending that brought hope and light for the future despite the past.

Thank you and Alien Buddha Press so much for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

[C.E. Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

With all the candour of a heartfelt confession, Bee draws us into an emotionally-formed landscape of gentle poems and agonizing anecdotes.
Anyone with a history of trauma, mental illness, or suffering of any kind will find resonance in these pages- and hope.
"Every day is a wash, rinse, and repeat of the last."
"I only want to feel free."
"The facade I built has crumbled/
I don't know the woman behind it"
"I may not be whole, but I am more than what he did to me."
Hell. Yes.