Non-binary poet Cyrus Parker returns with an all-new collection of poetry and prose dedicated to those struggling to find their own identity in a world that often forces one into the confines of what's considered "socially acceptable."
Divided into three parts and illustrated by Parker, masquerade grapples with topics such as the never-ending search for acceptance, gender identity, relationships, and the struggle to recognize your own face after hiding behind another for so long.
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[whatever happened to the one / whose hands could take pencil to paper / and turn imagination into reality? INNOCENCE]***
(Andrews McMeel Publishing, 7 May 2019, 176 pages, ebook, ARC from @AndrewsMcMeel via # netgalley and voluntarily reviewed)
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This is my first time reading the poet and it certainly won't be my last. Masquerade is one of the best poetry collections I've read in ages. Every word blew me away. I came out when I was 22 but struggled with my identity and sexuality and sense of self for years and still do sometimes and many of the poems in this collection spoke to me. I love the front cover and the artwork throughout is excellent. This is a collection I could read again and again and never grow tired of, learning and feeling something new each time. Masquerade is astonishing.
