Tell Me You've Earned It

by Kat Giordano

praise for Kat Giordano's Tell Me You've Earned It:

"...an audacious collection from a poet who dares to take risks in both her life and her art." —HLR

"...a love story that tears the bandage clean off a life and lets the flesh beneath redden & breathe." —Tom Snarsky

Genres: Poetry

85 pages, Paperback

Published December 20, 2022

About the author

kat giordano was born in philadelphia and it's been downhill ever since. they are the author of two poetry collections, THE POET CONFRONTS BUKOWSKI'S GHOST and TELL ME YOU'VE EARNED IT, and one novel, THE FOUNTAIN. kat is also the guest managing editor of thirty west publishing house. you can find them pretty much everywhere as @giordkat or on their website at katgiordano.com.

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

a tendril of desire curls underground, buried in the guts of the earth and forming heavily knotted roots. this tree is stunted, not where it belongs, but drinks the last of the morning dew regardless. growth will be its downfall once the winds blow away anything recognizable. heartbreak is your name.

[mai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure intensity

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poems are beautifully raw, honest, and well written. Unapologetic and vivid, dealing with messy emotions and situations with a soothing kind of bluntness. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to be braver with their feelings. Kat is an expert at looking her own demons in the eye, and this book will inspire you to do the same.

[Josh Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unapologetic letter to a poet’s past, Giordano faces lost love and belonging in an apathetic caricature of a city. Tell Me You Earned reconciles with trepidations while nurturing a vulnerable core. Poetry that punctures and eye-widens, I’m looking forward to her next title.

[Morgan Schmidt · Rating 1 out of 5]

The problem that I have with Kat Giordano’s work is that as a whole, it seems to be stuck on a repetitive cycle. I’m not really sure why I’ve continued to give this author a chance. This “woe is me” schtick gets old really, really fast. Feel free to skip this collection as well, it’s not worth your time.

[Barry Paul Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy FUCK. 🛎️