Buoyancy Control

by Adrienne Gruber

Buoyancy Control, the latest collection of poems from Vancouverite Adrienne Gruber, presents a fascinating culmination of land and sea, mind and body, in linguistic form. Metaphors of oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water (as well as the creatures that inhabit those spaces), swim and swirl their way through Gruber’s languid poems, which are divided into two evocative sections that explore themes of sexuality, sexual identity, and queerness, while confronting the feelings of loss and longing found in relationships, and the chance glimpse into a new life, while still recovering from a painfully failed connection.

Buoyancy Control is an honest, at times humorous, and revealing look inside the mind and body of a woman manoeuvring through experiences of longing, loss, and the fluidity of sexual identity, presented in a powerfully feminist and unapologetic poetic voice, from one of Canada’s most promising young writers.

Genres: Poetry

78 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2016

Reviews

[Ian Mathers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, this was fine, good even, but when multiple friends have told me it's very horny on main, I expect a book to be more horny on main. Not really the author's fault (and both the horny and non-horny bits were nice, don't get me wrong).

[Anaïs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and evocative.

[LifeSparring · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not much into poetry (unless performed by a rapper), but if my award winning cousin publishes a new book, I obviously have to give it a shot.

I can't claim that I understand all of the pieces in the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience reading them. From steamy "Flash Flood" to hilarious sea-creature themed dating tips like "Reasons to Choose The Octopus As Your Lover" this book triggers a whole range of emotions: arousal, thoughtfulness, confusion, amusement...

[David Ly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildly powerful, unapologetic poems. AMAZING READ from @bookthug & @adriennedgruber!