Life of the Party

Life of the Party

If A Girl Screams, and Other Poems

Summary

____________

"I am stirred by the poems in this book - it is a sharp, unflinching collection of poems about girlhood, wonder, casual everyday violence."
Yrsa Daley-Ward, author of 'bone' and 'The Terrible'

In this multi-faceted collection of odes, anecdotes, sonnets and prose, Olivia Gatwood weaves together the trials and triumphs of growing up and explores the many ways that fear and violence can be internalized in a woman's psyche. At times blistering and riotous, at times soulful and exuberant, Life of the Party is about what it means to be a girl and a woman in today’s world and the challenge of briefly being both.

In powerful, piercingly candid language, Gatwood asks: How does one grow from a girl to a woman in a world wracked by violence? What happens to our bodies that make us who we are? Is this fear really irrational?

A dazzling collection of raw and explosive poems from a thrilling new feminist voice.

About the author

Olivia Gatwood

Olivia Gatwood is the author of two poetry collections, New American Best Friend and Life of the Party. Her debut novel, Whoever You Are, Honey, was released in 2024, which she will also adapt for the screen. She has received international recognition for her poetry, writing workshops, and work as a Title IX Compliant educator in sexual assault prevention and recovery. Her performances have been featured on HBO, HuffPost, MTV, VH1, and the BBC, and more. Her poems have appeared in The Poetry Foundation, Sundance Film Festival, Lambda Literary, and The Missouri Review. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she lives in California.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more