We Are Creatures Of What Has Happened

By Beyond The Veil Press and Ashley Mezzano

Advanced Praise for We Are Creatures of What Has Happened

Ashley Mezzano's, We are Creatures of What Happened, is a wonderful collection of poems preoccupied with the complexities of life and lineage, not just in terms of the big picture, but the minutiae that grounds every day, the food that is eaten, the steps that are counted, the misunderstandings, and joy found in details.

-Caitlin Thomson, published in The Hart House Review, Softblow, A cappella Zoo, and more

We are Creatures of What Has Happened is a modern queer anthem. The speaker is a voyeur of the past, unsure of the god in her mother's prayers. Like the god in "burial grounds", Mezzano "pulls you out of your body and shuts the door" It's "a large fruit bearing tree" that has you eat our histories like a snack, crunch the cult culture between the red, white, and blue teeth of modern homophobia. A must read for those of us healing, still learning to love ourselves.

-Crystal Stone, author of Knock-Off Monarch, All the Places I Wish I Died, Gym Bras, and Civic Duty

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Ashley Mezzano draws on her own experiences growing up as a queer and neurodivergent person in order to normalize mental health challenges and recovery. Her previous work has been featured in Beyond the Veil Press, Northeast Florida Poetry Hub, Tiny Spoon, Neuroqueer Zine, and Porcupine Literary. When Ashley Mezzano isn't writing, she is helping students think critically about the world and find confidence within themselves. She currently holds an MAT in Secondary Education from the University of North Florida and is a Robert Noyce Teaching Fellow recipient. "We Are Creatures of What Has Happened" is her debut chapbook collection.

Find Ashley Mezzano online: ashleymezzano.com

Published by Beyond The Veil Press: beyondtheveilpress.com

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CCZXQRLT
• ISBN13: 9798397538008
• Release Date: July 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 52 Pages
• Weight: 0.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"