This poignant debut by Gavin Bradley explores the emotional toll of different kinds of separation: from a partner, a previously held sense of self, or a home and the people left behind. The main narrative describes the deterioration of a long-term relationship, interweaving poems dealing with the loneliness of immigration and the anxiety of separation from Northern Ireland, the poet's homeland. These personal poems enter their stories through a variety of characters and places, from dock builders to dogs, from shorelines to volcanoes, to "mouths soft and humming like beehives." Other sections of the collection examine a post-Troubles' experience in Northern Ireland (evoking the lived-experience of growing up with bombs and domineering Catholicism), tell grandfather stories, and show a lasting love for the people, the language, and the land. Separation Anxiety ultimately conveys a message of hope, reminding us that "we'll be remembered for / ourselves, and not the spaces we / leave behind."
About the Book:
- This poignant debut by Gavin Bradley explores the emotional toll of different kinds of separation: from a partner, a previously held sense of self, or a home and the people left behind.
- The main narrative follows the deterioration of a long-term relationship, interweaving poems dealing with the loneliness of immigration and the anxiety of separation from Northern Ireland, the poet's homeland.
- These personal poems enter their stories through a variety of characters and places, from dock builders to dogs, from shorelines to volcanoes.
- Sections of the collection examine a post-Troubles' experience in Northern Ireland--evoking the conflict of growing up with bombs and domineering Catholicism--tell grandfather stories, and show a lasting love for the people, the language, and the land.
- Bradley was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. His poetry in this volume speaks about holding on to who you are and moving forward: changed, but intact.
- Separation Anxiety ultimately conveys a message of hope, reminding us that "we'll be remembered for / ourselves, and not the spaces we / leave behind."

"I actually set out to write a book strictly about relationships, but noticed how, when things were going wrong in that, I would find myself missing home; the people, the vernacular, the land, the sense of belonging. I realized that both experiences were two sides of the same coin and wrote that book instead."

Audience:
Anybody dealing with separation, a break-up or homesickness will relate to the content, although the language and content are accessible enough that most people could pick it up and enjoy it. It will appeal to twenty and thirty somethings dealing with relationship anxieties; those who would seek out the likes of Rupi Kaur. Finally, there are large Irish communities in most Canadian and Eastern American cities who will value this book.

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