naked

Honoring real and fictional women, this collection of poems elevates the voices of resilient rebels throughout history. Gauthier channels historical women from Sarah Bernhardt to Pauli Murray, celebrating their fierce independence and indomitable spirit. The poems pay homage to suffragists, such as Inez Milholland and General Rosalie Jones, and pioneers in fields such as medicine (Sophia Jex-Blake) and aviation (Amelia Earhart and Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins Silver). They shine a spotlight on women whose brave acts have been forgotten, like the pacifist Mayoress of Woolwich, Kathleen Rance, or Annie Waller, a sharecropper who campaigned for her son Odell's exoneration while he sat on death row, convicted by an all-white jury in Virginia. Gauthier's fictional women also sparkle with originality and courage, standing up to powerful people and institutions. All are women whose passionate commitment to social justice made them fight for a better world for all. These feminist voices are even more powerful today, with civil rights under threat in many places around the United States. A collection of poems to inspire and inform the activist in all of us. Third-runner up in the 2020 New Women's Voices chapbook competition sponsored by Finishing Line Press.