The Last Lesbian Bar in the Midlands

by Cleo Henry

The thrilling debut pamphlet from Cleo Henry, The Last Lesbian Bar in the Midlands fuses the classics with lesbian culture, fizzing with excitement and wordplay.
With references to Achilles, Lea De Laria, Carson McCullers, Helen of Troy and Cynthia Nixon, the poems in this pamphlet mesh pop cultural references with mythology while delving into love, sex and modern queer communities.

Genres: Poetry, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT

34 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2022

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“the obvious thing to say would be butcher me but
actually I want to be the only thing left entire”

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

sick of having to decode greek mythology in poetry because! i don't understand what the fuss is all about

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, yummy, and rich.

[Sam Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this awhile ago !!! It's so beautiful and hhhhhj just OBSESSED

[Juliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’d eat a thousand clams / for one that kills me what / a classic idiot”. I’ve loved Cleo Henry’s work ever since I read their poem ‘Fathoms Five’ in the first issue of the Untitled: Voices journal, and I’ve been so excited to read their pamphlet ‘The Last Lesbian Bar in the Midlands’ since its unveiling earlier this year. There are so many standout poems for such a slim volume, but I particularly loved ‘Achilles at the Dyke Bar’, the genius ‘Tipping Point’, and the exquisitely titled ‘Lea DeLaria as Helen of Troy’: “if she was born a boat / she would look as good”. Henry’s use of the unexpected, the jarring, makes each poem a startling stranger passing through: “I inform the street: / Good morning! / I was flayed alive!”, and “You roll in here, history’s newest pearl / Carrying your quickness, your aspic shine”. The pamphlet’s de facto title poem, ‘Aetiology’, may be the most striking: “confused dykes stumble from the forest / to look at the crater / which is where we met / baby / locked eyes over tarred remains / of the first and last lesbian bar in the midlands”. I loved this pamphlet a lot and can’t wait to read a full collection (hopefully soon)!

[Coepi · Rating 2 out of 5]

just not for me, tbh - but not objectively bad

[Martyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

bardzo ładne, moje ulubione "how new York's butcher girls run their meat omakase subscription service" i "Lea delaria as Helen of Troy"

[Fuffles · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I fear I do not really get poetry but I enjoyed the vibes !

[Rachel Lesler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry often eludes me - I never sit with it long enough - but I was enraptured by Cleo’s pamphlet. This mixture of classics with pop culture and the lesbian experience are not to be missed. Incredibly pleased and proud for my graduate school friend, and quite enjoyed being able to hear their Midlands accent in my head for many of these poems.

[Mic Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lesbian pop playground of feeling

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

*incoherent noises*