Reflections While Living in Utah

by L. Lizbeth Flores, Alexis Rashak (Editor)

Reflections While Living in Utah is a poetic narrative in queer self-acceptance. The collection is thematically organized by setting in order to emphasize how environment can shape thoughts. Flores unpacks the complexities of spirituality, ethnicity, and sexuality in the conformity focused culture of Latter-Day-Saint Utah. The poems reflect the suppressed emotions & untold challenges that many in the LGBTQ+ community have endured. The overarching themes of destructive thoughts, self-harm, and spiritual healing capture the raw experiences of a queer person of color living through what is essentially an identity are you queer or are you a child of God? As the poems progress, the answer becomes simple—you are both.

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2020

Reviews

[Natalie Metcalf]

I loosely annotated this book, kind of just marking poems and pieces that I really liked, or found to be special.

Wow. I wasn't even expecting this book to hit this close to home. Like, this author was literally describing experiences I had and at places I go to, like it was so insane. I think that the one think that really got me was just at the end, it is still catered to be like in the church and express your sexuality, which I like but isn't quite for me. When I left the church, I really do think that I lost all of my faith in a higher power, or at least God. So, exploring my sexuality apart from God, but I like the idea that this would have helped me in the church a lot hearing that I could be a child of God and still go to church.

[Jayda]

beautiful and hit close to home!

[Kieran]

"I'll never be part of the cityscape." As a recent transgender transplant into Utah, suddenly having to navigate the world I was suddenly thrown into (as it was not my idea originally to move to Utah) this book resonated with me, and helped me reflect on my time here the last few months. I may be different, but that's entirely okay.

[Tabitha]

Some of it was meant for me, and other parts of it weren’t, but it was perfect. Would read again.