MadnessAn “astounding” (Terrance Hayes) debut collection of poems – Winner of the National Poetry Series Competition In this powerful debut collection, sam sax explores and explodes the linkages between desire, addiction, and the history of mental health. These brave, formally dexterous poems examine antiquated diagnoses and procedures from hysteria to lobotomy; offer meditations on risky sex; and take up the poet’s personal and family histories as mental health patients and practitioners. Ultimately, Madness attempts to build a queer lineage out of inherited language and cultural artifacts; these poems trouble the static categories of sanity, heterosexuality, masculinity, normality, and health. sax’s innovative collection embodies the strange and disjunctive workings of the mind as it grapples to make sense of the world around it. |
Contents
NOMENCLATURE | 1 |
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER | 3 |
PSYCHOTHERAPY | 4 |
PREDIAGNOSIS | 5 |
SANCTUARY | 6 |
HYPOCHONDRIA | 8 |
TRANSORBITAL LOBOTOMY ΙΟ | 10 |
FEVER THERAPY II | 11 |
PSYCHOTHERAPY | 17 |
DIAGNOSIS | 18 |
MANIA | 20 |
KLONOPIN | 22 |
RED LIQUID | 23 |
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | 25 |
HEMATOLOGY | 27 |
SATYRIASIS | 30 |
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A.S.H. CEMETERY AUSTIN Acrophobia acute homosexual Agoraphobia alcohol animals Asthenia birds blood body brain Bruxism Cachexia cancer Cancerophobia Causalgia Cheiromegaly enlargement chemical CONVERSION THERAPY dark DAVID MELTZER dead Delire de toucher Dipsomania doctor drugs due to hyperventilation Edema enlargement of hands erase Erotomania fevers Folie du doute general-Panic-Panic heaven hyperthermia Hypothermia INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTARY TERMS inside Kleptomania-Loss in weight-Mania madness MASS HYSTERIA medicine Mendacity pathologic Misogyny Moria Witzelsucht mother mouth Mysophobia National Poetry Series Nymphomania Obesity-Overactivity-Pain once believed paint Paroxysmal automatism Paroxysmal clouded Paroxysmal furor Paroxysmal psychic equivalents PARTICULAR SYSTEM EXCLUSIVELY PENGUIN Personality Phthisiophobia Poetry PRAYER PREP PSYCHOTHERAPY Pyrexia Pyromania Quarrelsomeness-Sexual immaturity-Sex offenses Review ripped open rivers SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER Selected Poems sexual contact Shock-Simulation sick surgery syphilis take my shelter Terrance Hayes Tetany Tetany due THEIA MANIA therapist there's Tongue swallowing toucher Depersonalization-Depression-Destructiveness-Diabetes insipidus TREPANATION Trichotillomania WHOLE INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTARY