press yourself against a mirror // Janelle Adsit

Adsit’s press yourself against a mirror is a collection of poems, lines, and blocks of prose-y poetry discussing language, desire, and really looking. Closely. Closer.

In a hunt for identity where dreams are “spindly and thriving,” we must search for what we want and then count on ourselves for the strength to hold it close, to keep it safe, to interrogate all that’s reflected in the people & things that are our mirrors. (Porkbelly Press, 2015) // available in our shop

excerpt from “[in dress]”

press yourself against a mirror

refuse everything with an open palm

secure a harm—know you can afford it

equate yourself with only the aware—never be detected

recall your photos—never frame them

believe in your cotton chains

whisper what you mean twice to check for its meaning

realize that there is no distinction between what you suggest

and what you allow

About the Poet

Janelle Adsit is the author of Unremitting Entrance (2015). Her poetry has appeared in publications such as Sixth Finch, Requited, and Caketrain. She lives in Northern California.

Cover & Artist

The cover is produced digitally (inkjet!) on Epson matte professional paper. The micro chapbooks is handbound & each is trimmed by hand. As they are handmade, no two are exactly alike. This is an open edition.

Christopher Squier // www.christophersquier.com

Christopher Squier (MFA from San Francisco Art Institute, 2015) is an interdisciplinary artist currently based in San Francisco. He is the recipient of the SFAI + Kadist Fellowship, La Fragua Artist Residency (Spain) and Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder (Norway), and has shown recently in San Francisco, Boston, Córdoba, and Prague.

Cover Art: “Perspective Structure III (Steiner Hall)” (linoleum block print, 7 x 9 inches, 2010). Back cover: detail of same.