The collection could come under the umbrella categorisation of feminist poetry but that almost seems like doing the work a disservice. Baird’s topics are deeply personal; sexuality and homophobia, body image and eating disorders, surviving sexual assault and rape culture, all feminist issues but laid out raw and honest in their experience. While a poem may apply to a wider subject, and these may be the feelings of one woman but they speak to the reality shared by most women. The reader can feel Baird in her work and it resonates like a tuning fork.

Due to the topics and style comparisons may be drawn with amanda lovelace, and if you've previously enjoyed lovelace’s work do use that as a guide. I found, however, that Baird writes with a voice that is rich and vivid, that is accessible without pretension. Importantly for me, her poems take up space. The majority of the poems are one or two pages long, there are no pages of one or two lines that read like discarded song lyrics or Instagram stories - something I found difficult to digest with other collections. Yes, there is a little awkward use of the tab and enter key trying to match the spoken rhythm but not at all to the point of being clumsy or unreadable. In fact I had a hard time putting the collection down.

Whether you’re here for the #MeToo relevancy or simple validation that, yes, someone out there too is frustrated with skirt length dress code violations, Blythe Baird’s second collection of poems is goldust. Brief, precious, and dammit if I don’t want more.

I gave this a four out five stars. I liked these poems they made me feel a lot. I connected to a lot of these poems. If the poems are from the authors own experiences I feel for them so much.

Eating disorder, sexual assault, sexuality, mental health and living within patriarchal society/rape culture - hard subjects, bravely, beautifully and forcefully tackled through spoken word/slam poetry....which also works well in written form. A difficult but important read in a format that will especially appeal to younger readers/listeners. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Button Poetry for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

After so long I've read works that made my spine shiver. Every poem introduced you to truth and then to the various versions of those truths.
I highly recommend this to anyone who has a strong stomach and enjoys poems that make you think.

If My Body Could Speak deals with important but sensitive subject matter including; eating disorders, sexual assault, feminism and sexuality. I especially connected with the poems on eating disorders. It was interesting to read from the perspective of someone who goes from overweight to underweight. It’s sadly true that eating disorder sufferers in that situation are seen as a success story. No one thinks for one second they may have developed a problem or that they need some help.

Some of my favourite quotes from this collection are;
“We understood the many ways a mother’s shame can haunt a daughter’s body.”

“I imagined I was on an island, living off the grid in the body of a girl graced with the gift of not needing to need.”

“Watch me build an empire from the ashes of everything that tried to destroy me.”

I connected with this poetry collection with my whole heart and I am so excited to read more of this authors work.

In this collection of poems the main themes are eating disorders, anorexia and rape and the culture surrounding it. There are also poems relating to sexuality, self worth and image as well as the usual self doubts being raised too.



Utterly raw and relatable we can feel the emotion seen between the lines of each poem and I found so many of them relatable especially the ones focusing on Anorexia as I too have suffered in the past it was a true collection of heartfelt work.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

I must admit that I read this book in several sittings because it was so stark and deep that I needed time to process. Women like Blythe Baird are the voice of a new generation and I cannot wait to recommend this book to friends, family, patrons, and anyone that will listen to my praise.

Generally a good collection but there were a few poems that soured my experience with this book. I think Blythe is insanely talented, but she also actively ignores the impact her words can have on other women in society, especially queer women.

Interesting and important subject. Well paced and connected with. Great read! Will post shortly on blog

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley.

fantastic book. i'd definitely read other books by this author.

IF YOUR BODY COULD SPEAK
would she
forgive you?

For me, there's two way i can like a poetry book : either i will fall in love with the writing style and the rythm, or the topics addressed will resonnate with me and my experiences. With If my body could speak, it was more of the second way, and many poems in the collection were extremely relatable for me and my life experience. If not, they were nonetheless touching and even heart-breaking. Blythe Baird knows how to write poems. She seems to be able to put into words what she experiences and thinks, she turns her life into poetry and uses it as a weapon or as medicine - but in a healthy and beatiful, touching way. It turns out in intense, powerful poems that will find their way straight to your heart.

I wasn't totally in love with the writing style but i found that reading the poem out loud made them even more powerful, and i think the author wrote some more as slam poetry than written poetry, meant to be spoken and not only read.

I'm happy i discovered this brave women's work and cannot wait for another collection to come out. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me the ebook.

Thank you Button Poetry for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If My Body Could Speak is a poetry collection about sexual assault, rape, eating disorder, homophobia, and abuse. It was painful to read as each verses sucker punched my heart. Blythe's words are emotionally powerful. I applaud her strength for sharimg her experiences through poetry and I want to hug her tightly. While the collection is beautifully written and raw, it might be triggering (a warning to everyone). Two of my favorites are "Pocket-Sized Feminism" and "Horoscopes for Self-Doubt". Overall, I recommend this collection.

"If My Body Could Speak" by Blythe Baird is a beautiful work of poetry crafted with the likeness of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace with themes of feminism, trauma, and learning how to be a woman in today's world through 45 evocative poems. Button Poetry has never failed to bring up and coming poets to the public and certainly shows no signs of stopping with Baird's collection. "If My Body Could Speak" doesn't romanticize tough topics eating disorders and rape, but instead shows them in their truest, raw form, revealing what each is like with poise, grace, and just the right amount of anger. I'm excited to see what Button Poetry and Blythe Baird have to offer in the future. I look forward to reading many more works from her.

One of my favorite books of poetry as of late. It was refreshing to read about some of the same body struggles I have faced in my own life and see such strength in this woman’s journey. Must read for all women!

Wow. Just... wow. I have a new favorite modern poet, full stop. Never has any poetry book resonated with me quite as hard as this one did. It's so unapologetically feminist, bold, brave, body-accepting, queer, rape-decrying, angry, broken, beautiful and I never wanted it to end. I can count eight poems I would tattoo on my body right this very moment. Wow.

Whether she was talking about eating disorders, surviving sexual assault, or coming to recognize her own love for other women, I related so damn much to every bit of it. And I wish I didn't, and I wish she didn't get it, because nobody deserves to go through the things that we and so many other people on this planet have been through, but it feels so good to be seen.

I don't even have words. I'd rather just offer you some of Blythe's.

This is not female privilege,
this is survival of the prettiest.

We are playing the first game
we learned how to.

———

I have run out of compassion for wolves. I have run
out of compassion for anyone who isn't outraged.

———

Watch me build an empire from the ashes
of everything that tried to destroy me.

Content warnings for rape, abuse, misogyny, eating disorders

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Button Poetry for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If I wasn't opposed to mandatory reading, I'd wish this book was taught in schools. Girls should read it to know they are not alone, and boys should read it to realize how they make girls feel.

Blythe Baird talks about rape culture, sexual assault, eating disorders and feminism in the most relatable way possible. Her poems paint familiar pictures of everyday life that I'd never find a way to express this well. I was so surprised, touched and humbled by this book that I feel inadequate to even describe the impact it had on me.

Baird is five years younger than me, but she shows more potential than any other poet whose work I've read lately.

I am going to buy this book, which is the highest compliment I can pay a book I read for free. I am going to buy it and save it for any kids I have in the future to read.

Reading this book brought me to a home. A safe place.

It was filled with important things that didn't drag or feel heavy.

At the very least, it was enlightening.

A relief to know it's not uncommon to feel a type of way and for how fucked up it is to be so common in the first place.

There were many keys points that I myself have always wanted to address

I, however, don't have the same platform or finesse

I will though, someday

It felt great to hear my voice in my head read words by another instead of droning over my own and feeling isolated.

You see, I've found that I could relate to the high school experience

Peer-pressured fumbling with alcohol-flavored tongues, the force so great you go along so that they don't notice too much

The assaults of my sisters are their own shrines of endurance but never a clean slate or a choice

Did I mention my first kiss was with a girl?

It confused the shit out of me so I kissed a boy, I hated them both

These poems coming from my Caucasian counterpart are no less different than mine.

We really are not that different.

Wow. A raw and deep touch to the authors reclaiming of her eating disorder and rape. It is not a light book, and can be very triggering to anyone who is recovering from either. But it is beautifully written and it is something I continued reading because she is not apologizing for her past, she is reclaiming her voice. I would definitely not skip this one.

Loved the gentle poetry of this book which focuses on tough subjects. Such as, eating disorders and body image. How messed up and catty girls can be to each other. Loved it!

There is denying, whenever I see a Blythe Baird poem come up on Button Poetry, I am straight there, and this collection of poems which was recently released is certainly proof of why as she spills her words perfectly throughout If My Body Could Speak.

A personal collection of poems, it was never going to be anything less from this writer, and the words are delivered with such emotion on every page. Poems that run through different themes such as sexuality, politics and family and each one makes you think and puts you for a second in the writer’s shoes and it makes sometimes uneasy and sometimes hopeful reading.

Poems such as ‘Pocket Feminism’ resonate just as much now as they ever did in this book and poems such as ‘When The Fat Girl Gets Skinny’ make it clear why so many people have heard these words out loud as they still feel as raw on paper as they did as she performed it. ‘Lipstick’ is a short poem, but I bloody love that last line, ‘I am my own special occasion’ and I think about it everyday.

A brilliant book, it’s so good to have her work in one place so I can read it again and again.