Recommendations based on "I Wrote This For You: 2007 - 2017"

A national bestseller in Canada, hailed by The New York Times as an “intimate expression of self-acceptance and forgiveness, tenderly written to fellow trans women and others.”“Required reading.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 bestselling author of UntamedA THEM AND AUTOSTRADDLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • FINALIST FOR THE PAT LOWTHER MEMORIAL AWARDWhat happens when we imagine loving the people—and the parts of ourselves—that we do not believe are worthy of love?Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she’s always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred.But then Kai Cheng found herself in a crisis of faith, overwhelmed by the viciousness with which people treated one another, and barely clinging to the values and ideals she’d built her life around: justice, hope, love, and healing. Rather than succumb to despair and cynicism, she gathered all her rage and grief and took one last leap of faith: she wrote. Whether prayers or spells or poems—and whether there’s a difference—she wrote to affirm the outcasts and runaways she calls her kin. She wrote to flawed but nonetheless lovable men, to people with good intentions who harm their own, to racists and transphobes seemingly beyond saving. What emerged was a blueprint for falling back in love with being human.

From TikTok phenomenon Whitney Hanson, a brand-new collection of poems exploring the cadences of love, loss, grief, and healingi am finally finding a balance,a great harmonybetween the lossand the love,between who i wasand who i have becomeIn this exquisite poetry collection, Whitney Hanson, chronicles the loss of a loved one, tracing the progression of grief and healing through the lens of music.We each begin with a simple note, but as life progresses, we’re led to the next note, and the next—all of which combine to form the melody of a song and a life. As life becomes more complicated and complex, we find that loss, grief, and heartache can muffle our music, making the world go silent.But as Whitney’s poems show, all of these rests and pauses in the music are part of the composition of life, and it is only by moving through the variations that we can find the harmony and grace that come with healing.

New collection of most popular and previously unpublished poems from Jessica UrlichsMotherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood - capturing everything from pregnancy to school age. Upon becoming a mother, Jessica Urlichs was reminded that the everyday ordinary is extraordinary. As sacred and tender as early motherhood is, it also comes with its struggles.Beautiful Chaos is a collection that chronicles it all - the highs, the lows, the confusion, the loss of identity, the becoming, and the brutal but beautiful ways our children hold mirrors up to us. This collection inspires vulnerability and will be a cathartic, healing read for anyone who needs it. These poems will remind you of a time gone by or ground you in the current moment. Either way, they will make you feel seen and comforted amidst the beautiful chaos that is motherhood.

Chosen by author Elizabeth Gilbert as one of her ten favorite books, Daniel Ladinsky’s extraordinary renderings of 250 unforgettable lyrical poems by Hafiz, one of the greatest Sufi poets of all timeMore than any other Persian poet—even Rumi—Hafiz expanded the mystical, healing dimensions of poetry. Because his poems were often ecstatic love songs from God to his beloved world, many have called Hafiz the “Invisible Tongue.” Indeed, Daniel Ladinsky has said that his work with Hafiz is an attempt to do the impossible: to render Light into words—to make the Luminous Resonance of God tangible to our finite senses.I ama hole in a flutethat the Christ's breath movesthrough—listen to thismusic!With this stunning collection of Hafiz’s most intimate poems, Ladinsky has succeeded brilliantly in presenting the essence of one of Islam’s greatest poetic and religious voices. Each line of The Gift imparts the wonderful qualities of this master Sufi poet and spiritual teacher: encouragement, an audacious love that touches lives, profound knowledge, generosity, and a sweet, playful genius unparalleled in world literature.

A celebration of hope. An encounter with grace. A restoration of the heart. A healing of wounds. An anthem of freedom. This illustrated collection of poetry and prose invites you to stumble into the sunlight and delight in the wild and boundless grace you've been given.Popular Instagram poet and bestselling author Morgan Harper Nichols gives you the ultimate love letter to your mind, heart, soul, and body, reminding you: There is a purpose in every season No matter how you want to race through this day or run away from this place, you are invited to live fully—right here, right now Light will always find you, even when the sun sets and you sit awaiting the dawn You are always blooming in the way you were meant to All Along You Were Blooming is perfect for self-gifting for your own affirmation or giving to others on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays, and other holidays and milestone days. In each small moment, whether in the light or the dark, you can make room for becoming, for breathing, for stumbling, and for simply being—for there is grace, today and every day.Follow Morgan on Instagram @morganharpernicols (along with her millions of followers), and look for more beautiful, thought-provoking poetry in her other collections: How Far You Have Come You Are Only Just Beginning

The New York Times BestsellerIn 2006 Jamie Tworkowski wrote a story called “To Write Love on Her Arms,” about helping a friend through her struggle with drug addiction, depression, and self-injury. The piece was so hauntingly beautiful that it quickly went viral, giving birth to a non-profit organization of the same name. Now, To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) is an internationally recognized leader in suicide prevention and a source of hope, encouragement, and support for people worldwide.If You Feel Too Much is a celebration of hope, wonder, and what it means to be human. From personal stories of struggling on days most people celebrate to words of strength and encouragement in moments of loss, the essays in this book invite readers to believe that it’s okay to admit to pain and okay to ask for help. If You Feel Too Much is an important book from one of this generation’s most important voices.

A stunning illustrated journey through one young woman’s year of feelings—from the saturated highs of early summer to the gray isolation of late winter.“Feelings is a visual and emotional treat, full of gorgeous artwork and soothing insight.”—Mari Andrew, New York Times bestselling author of Am I There Yet?Enter Manjit Thapp’s Feelings, where you’ll find moods that change as quickly as the weather; the different shades of anxiety and hope that each new season brings; and the stages of joy and pain that fuel our growth. From the spark of possibility and jolt of creativity in High Summer, to the need for release from anxiety and pressure during Monsoon, to the desolation and numbness of Winter, Feelings implores us to consider the seasons of our own emotional journeys.Articulating and validating the range of feelings we all experience, this is a book that allows us to feel connected and comforted by the experiences that make us human.

Poetry. Asian American Studies. "In YOU ARE NOT DEAD Wendy Xu breaks all the old rules that have never done us any favors anyway. She writes beautifully, noticing who we are, and letting us see ourselves with a little more humanity, a little more humor, a little more humility. I'm happy to have read this book."—James Tate"There's a wild and wondrous poet plundering-through our lives, collecting the oddest and most significant things, turning our thoughts toward things we couldn't have known before she turned us toward them. YOU ARE NOT DEAD is precisely how this book can get you to feel and that is an almost otherworldly power. The poet who imagines and builds these poems is irresistible."—Dara Wier"That fluctuating space between the temporary and the infinite is an erogenous zone made all the more enticing when articulated so eloquently. 'We have a lifespan and O how we live it out.' Wendy Xu's poems posit for us a future, a presence, a body resistant to the ravages of time. Mortality is a far planet. Here in Xu's work, we are passionately, and gratefully, alive."—D. A. Powell

Author Muợn Thị Văn and Stonewall Book Award-winning artist Jessica Love detail all the big and small reasons why we love the people we do within a call-and-response picture book that features families across the spectrum.“I love you because you tell the best stories.Because I love you, my best story is you.”What are all the big and small reasons why we love the people we do? And what does it look like when we voice it out loud?To be read aloud by one or even two people, this affirming prose demonstrates that love is a dialogue. Love is complex. Love is utterly simple.This is what love looks like.

Sometimes it's difficult to take that first step into your future and embrace the unknown. This illustrated collection of poetry and essays empowers you to embrace your next adventure with confidence and grace, drawing on invaluable lessons from nature.Popular Instagram poet and bestselling author Morgan Harper Nichols reimagines the classic heroine's journey—from the very first call to adventure, through trials, hardships, and new relationships, all the way back home—and offers key lessons and affirmations to encourage and equip you every step of the way. As you travel your own journey of self-discovery, you're invited to: Cultivate the courage you need to follow your passions Develop curiosity about the natural world around you Find comfort and inspiration for the inevitable trials on your journey Reflect on how your past has prepared you Step out in wonder and faith, knowing there is more for youMorgan's signature art fills every page of this book, making it a gorgeous addition to your bedside or coffee table. This is a lovely gift to give yourself or others for birthdays, holidays, graduations and New Year's—any time there’s a new beginning ahead.Follow Morgan on Instagram @morganharpernicols (along with her millions of followers), and look for more beautiful, thought-provoking poetry in her other collections: All Along You Were Blooming How Far You Have Come