In considering the bookish highlights of the past year—the breadth of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and zines read and shared with others; the bookstore shelves browsed and little free libraries visited; the virtual and in-person readings, discussions, and book clubs attended—a theme emerges. Books by queer writers, about queer characters, and curated by queer booksellers are as critically important as ever. They are also notable in their shared attention to exploring the intersections of self and stranger, mundane and otherworldly, and joy and grief, spotlighting the fluid and universal concepts that unite us.
In times when the world can feel crushing in its extremes and the weight of genocide, health inequities, and climate collapse stoops our backs and hunches our shoulders, these books and spaces offer comfort and encouragement to take a breath, take action, and take care of each other.
Poem Bitten by a Man by Brian Teare
For anyone familiar with Lambda Literary Award-winning poet and University of Virginia professor Brian Teare’s work, Poem Bitten by a Man will be a joy to encounter, and for those new to it, an invitation. This book-length lyric essay explores themes of Southern identity, queerness, and illness, alongside the lived experiences, work, and inspirations of artists, creating a collage drawn from the archives, the poet’s own journals, and the paintings whose physicality belies the real and imagined worlds from which we admire them.
This book made the list for the abundant pleasure of holding Teare’s phrases in one’s mouth while reading lines such as “Glyph or grammar, the difference has something to do with time, the way I open the notebook then the laptop years later, write then type, fold seconds into each syllable, minutes into each sentence, the selves of each moment cool & creased as they collapse into pleats.”
What else to know: Albion Books, Teare’s poetry micropress, is currently in the middle of its ninth subscription series of limited-edition, hand-bound poetry chapbooks, which reflect the same care and attention to detail that Teare puts into his writing.
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
National Book Award finalist and local author Amber McBride’s young adult novel in verse is for readers of all ages. A mythical journey through grief and depression, the tale is filled with magic, even while exploring the violence and pain of white supremacy, suicide, and childhood trauma. Its thoughtful content warnings should be taken seriously, though, and it is not a book for everyone or every mood. However, it is an honest and heartfelt work that was inspired by McBride’s own experience grappling with clinical depression, and informed by her grandmother’s Hoodoo practices, which were passed down to her. Ultimately, We Are All So Good at Smiling made this list for the ways it opens up readers to conversations around mental health, and celebrates the power of friendship and family, community and healing.
What else to know: McBride’s new book of poetry, a collection that draws inspiration from Hoodoo and tarot in examining death, rebirth, and Black womanhood, will be published in February.
Open Throat by Henry Hoke
For queer mountain lions and the people who love them, by which I mean: You should all read this book and share it with others, if you haven’t already. Charlottesville native Henry Hoke returns with another slim tome that topples preconceived notions you may have about whose stories get told and how. This short and singular book is more than a bit unlike other novels that have attempted to probe the topics of queerness, chosen families, human destructiveness, and environmental collapse—and is better for it in terms of both its unique narrative approach and its compact structure. Earning starred reviews and making best-of lists aplenty, Open Throat is a surreal and satisfying exploration of community, storytelling, and identity that offers a propulsive and unforgettable reading experience.
What else to know: Hoke will moderate a conversation with fellow writer Kaveh Akbar in January at New Dominion Bookshop.
The Beautiful Idea
No one can claim that Charlottesville doesn’t have great bookstores. From used bookshops with thousands of titles stacked every which way to stores specializing in bright, new books and literary events with award-winning authors, it’s a decadent ecosystem for the bookish among us. This saturation makes it all the more exciting when a local space opens that offers new and needed realms of books and zines. Enter The Beautiful Idea, a trans-owned, antifascist bookstore (and more) that opened in September on the Downtown Mall, bringing together the offerings of the F12 Infoshop with dozens of queer vendors, artists, and bookmakers. Tall shelves line the walls, filled with novels, nonfiction, graphic novels, zines, and so much more, with a focus on queer and trans writers as well as radical and antifascist perspectives.
What else to know: If the in-store selection feels like sensory overload, try focusing on the staff picks shelf or sign up for the Antifa Book Club to receive curated books and zines each month.
