bugbutter

by Sarah Cavar

Conjuring an ecosystem of Madness, music, memory, bugbutter explores bodies on the edge. In these hybrid poems, the human and the more-than-human mingle in sites of trauma and hope, with fantastical characters from Moomin to Catdog guiding the way. With bugbutter, Cali-based Cavar writes a modern myth of transMad childhood, and pulls poetry from its thickest hurts and tenderest absences.

Featuring an 8-track playlist curated by the author.

Genres: Poetry

22 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 2022

About the author

Cavar [sarah] (they/them) is the author of FAILURE TO COMPLY (featherproof books, 2024) and DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS (Northwestern University Press, 2026).

Cavar holds a PhD in Cultural Studies and Science & Technology Studies at the University of California: Davis, and holds a B.A. in Critical Social Thought from Mount Holyoke College. They teach at the University of Maine: Augusta, and are interested in the politics of queercrip / transMad knowledge production.

Reviews

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this!

[Briar Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good poetry chapbook-- very, very short, but thematically cohesive in a fascinating way (it deals with childhood, parental abuse, gender/body dysphoria, and eating disorders) and full of engaging language deconstruction. The cover is one of my favorites this year.