Paint My Body in Red

By Emma Pierce

Patti Smith meets Anne Sexton in this modern punk, femme poetry collection that explores hook-up culture, casual and online dating, and the evolution of modern love.

Pierce delivers visceral, erotic poems that draw their raw materials from the folly of youth and the intoxication of first love. Grotesque imagery, calling back to the original sad girl poets, contrasts with erotic self-portraits. She presents the familiar ache of trying to define one's self within the constraints of womanhood under the oppressive shadow of the patriarchy. Trauma is the catalyst for the reclamation of the "female gaze."

"My ovaries shrink like a cranberry, drying up / like a snail / I will only have sex with myself for the rest of our lives."

Peppered with riot girl hot takes, this intoxicating collection tackles issues of abortion, gender identity, and sexual agency. A promising debut that embraces dark femininity with a youthful battle cry full of fire and blood.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1968043330
• ISBN13: 9781968043339
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: Clash Books
• Length: 110 Pages