A follow-up collection from the author of the astonishing long poem eat salt | gaze at the ocean (Talonbooks, 2020), Allostatic Load chronicles the lived experiences of a Black woman in a tumultuous year marked by global racial tensions. Interweaving personal narratives with collective struggles, the poems delve into themes of identity, ancestral trauma, and the relentless pursuit of social justice. Through poignant exploration, Désil unveils the interplay of chronic wear and tear - allostatic load - and the burden of systemic injustice and neglect, inviting readers to witness the vulnerability and resilience required to navigate the complexities of healing.
allostatic load navigates the racialized interplay of chronic wear and tear during tumultuous years marked by global racial tensions, the commodification of care, and the burden of systemic injustice. Moving between diaristic intimacy and the remove of news reportage, Junie Désil's second poetry collection invites readers to hold the vulnerability and resilience required to navigate deep healing in a world that does not wish you well, in a world that is inflamed and consequently inflames us, in a world where true restoration and health must co-occur with the planet and with each other.
