Coming Out Party

by Rebecca Bendheim, Sarah Rosa Glickman (Illustrator)

A memoir of poems and art, Coming Out Party chronicles poet and author Rebecca Bendheim’s queer coming of age journey—from first crushes and toxic homo-erotic friendships, to coming out and secret flings, to finding queer community and falling in love for the first time. Coming Out Party is a fierce, funny, and deeply personal celebration of the strength it takes to break down the protective walls we’ve built—and embrace our truest selves.

Genres: Poetry, LGBT

132 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2023

Reviews

[Lauren Bolhack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are queer or straight – this poetry book is filled with vignettes that are so distinctly human. First crushes, broken hearts, feeling out of place, and finding a sense of self, community, friendship, and love.

Rebecca does a beautiful job of making her poetry explicitly grounded to her own experiences, while also being entirely accessible to the reader – I found myself being pulled back to memories and feelings I haven’t thought of in years.

[vampire ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would have been something I would have loved to read as a young queer teenager. I don’t have many thoughts about it other than I really enjoyed it, and it made my heart warm.

[Sonia Chinai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful, poignant, honest, funny, and raw book. Rebecca Bendheim outdoes herself in her poetry memoir. I can’t wait to reread this collection over and over again

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! This was just okay! Even the poems that did hit for me didn't "wow" me. I think I wanted more specificity and deeper meanings to these poems. Still, a good collection and a lot of it did connect with my own personal experiences of queerness.

[Nicole Orner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started marking pages of favorites, but realized quickly I wanted to mark nearly every page. Bendheim’s writing is raw, breathtaking, and made me want to re-read and savor every line.

[Courtney Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s journey to coming out is so different from mine, and still, there is so much to connect with in these poems. So much that resonates with the struggle, confusion, and ultimately joy of realizing you’re queer.

I also love all the pop culture references, especially the nostalgic ones from childhood. They would show up and hit an emotional note I wasn’t expecting, like, “oh yeah, I forgot this existed!” And it would somehow root the poem in my own history and memories.

The art that accompanies the poems is perfect, so elegant and beautiful. It brings a unique perspective to the poems each piece is related to.

The more I think about it, the more I love this poetry memoir. It’s brought me so much comfort that I didn’t even know I needed.

[Logan Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular poetry book exploring queer identity and remarkably deep introspection. The simple but elegant line work artistry adds an abstract and human element. Loved reading through these - savored my time with some and voraciously consumed others.

Favorites include:
- Imaginary Friend
- Friendship Breakup
- Colors
- Cursed
- Brownies and Pizza and Jesus
- Tiny Glass Birds

Highly recommend!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debut poet Rebecca Bendheim writes about reckoning with sexuality, faith, and relationships (both platonic and otherwise) with equal parts heart and humor. The specificity of her language feels at times personal and universal whatever your sexual orientation. My favorite poems included "First Date," "I Remember Every Lesbian Couple I Ever Saw," "Recipe for an Emotional Support Lesbian," "The Right Question II," and "Silver Linings Girl."

[A Screaming Possum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry but I did not enjoy this book of poems. I think the collection fails to be relatable and feels highly personal to the author in a way I did not find interesting to read. I walked away from it feeling like it was quite shallow without much to take away from it. I was suspicious when the listing for the book did not include any excerpts or samples but I thought I'd give it a chance anyways. I would not recommend this book of poems.

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story told through poems. Bendheim chronicles her young years of self-discovery, coming out and falling in love so deftly, so smoothly that you can't help but stick with her, and root for her, until the very last poem. Details are perfectly interspersed, making the scenes vivid and real and relatable. And the accompanying art matches perfectly. Bravo!

[Anna Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry chronicling queer coming of age!