Confirmation of Life by Westley Penland

There are few books I open with stating you need to read this book, but you need to read this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Filled with deeply moving pieces that will make you feel, make you cry and hurt with the author, this is one of those collections that needs to be on every shelf.

Released in December of 2024 through Alien Buddha Press, Confirmation of Life is the debut collection from Westley Penland and goddamn it hits with a bang, from the very first piece to the last, you will be feeling every emotion possible.

This is Westley’s journey, discussing things we should be acknowledging, should be talking about, but instead turn a blind eye to. From life as a Transman in America to discussing childhood trauma, rape and abuse, you can feel the pain, the fear and concern pouring out of every word. This is a very powerful, very raw collection of poems.

To me, the best piece within this was Don’t Meet Your Childhood Homes and I Am Visible Because of how they resonated with me personally, the entire collection is one that demands-no, screams to be heard from the tops of every rooftop. And I urge you to listen, to read and absorb it, let yourself feel with the author.

Other poems well worth a mention were Unfazed, Death of a Hellman and Light Sources. Again, I cannot possibly bring together the gravity of this collection by pinpointing a handful of incredible pieces. The best gift you could give to yourself this year, as we near the very end of 2024, is buying, and reading, this book.

You can find a copy of Confirmation of Life here https://a.co/d/5fRkNz8