I have two spooky poems up at Baby Teeth Journal – they are reprints of ‘Mother’s milk’ and ‘the ghost in your air con’.
And if you like what you read, these poems are from my book Milk Teeth.
Author: Rae White
I'm a non-binary poet, writer and zinester living in Brisbane. My poetry collection Milk Teeth won the 2017 Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize and is published by the University of Queensland Press.
Review of Milk Teeth by Tony Messenger
Big thanks to Tony Messenger for this wonderful review of Milk Teeth PLUS bonus interview!
“Milk Teeth” is another engaging, thought provoking collection, with decay and body parts becoming glistening, with the human place in the natural world being questioned, but at the same time it can be playful, and humorous, using symbols, codes, social media posts, emails and a raft of textual techniques (for example how the poems are placed on the page) to engage, unsettle and ultimately reaffirm.
New poem @ Small Town Rejects
My spooky-sexy poem ‘under \ over’ is up at Small Town Rejects! It’s a weird little piece about an adult curing their childhood fear of the monster under their bed … by engaging the monster in sexy kinky sex. Enjoy!
‘under \ over’ is also a response poem to Shastra Deo’s ‘There Is a Cure’ (The Agonist, UQP, 2017).
Interview on Triple R
You can listen back to my interview with Beth AQ on The Glasshouse on Triple R, which aired on Wednesday 5 September 2018. We spoke about the Milk Teeth launch at QPF, the Brisbane poetry scene, self-care and catharsis, and poetry beyond the page.
QPF 2018 wrap-up
Queensland Poetry Festival was a magical experience! Huge thanks to everyone who bought my book or a zine or said hi. It was great to meet so many poets and creative folk over the weekend.
If you missed out on a copy of Milk Teeth, it will be on sale from 3 September. You can preorder it now on Booktopia or grab a copy at your local bookstore next week.
I’ll also have a limited number of books for sale at Breaking Down the Highway – QUT/Griffith Reading Event, which I have the pleasure of reading at on Wednesday 29 August, 2018 – 7-10pm @ Sabotage Social, Fortitude Valley.
I met a lot of people who loved the non-binary 101 zine that was handed out at the Milk Teeth QPF launch, but wanted to see it as a resource they could refer to later. So here it is as a PDF!
If I have the time, I’d love to develop it into a non-binary 101 zine that’s not as me-focused or QPF-specific. We’ll see! 🙂
Interview with Joy FM
Last night my interview on Joy FM aired! Have a listen back to my chat with Miranda on The Gender Agenda, as we talk about the launch of Milk Teeth and what it feels like to ‘make it’ as a poet.
‘Do more, do better’ – new poetry @ Cordite!
The wonderful Cordite Publishing Inc. commissioned Keira Edwards-Huolohan and I for an art-poetry-essay project! The process of working on this commission was collaborative, cathartic and invigorating.
‘Do more, do better’ is a poem in four parts that explores transgender discrimination through a hypothetical augmented reality (AR) mobile app. There are accompanying inked and embroidered art pieces, which reiterate key themes within the poem, and a critical statement, which analyses the poem and artwork while asking ‘the reader as well as the wider community if they are doing enough for trans people and others in marginalised communities’.
TRIGGER WARNINGS for the pieces: transphobia, including mentions of misgendering, slurs, violence, death, self-harm.
Read the poem ‘Do more, do better’.
A big thank you to Kent MacCarter and Rosalind McFarlane at Cordite for their encouragement and commission of this project. It was an absolute joy to work with you both!
Queensland Poetry Festival 2018
Last night the Queensland Poetry Festival program for 2018 was launched and it’s truly wonderful! The festival runs from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th August 2018 and you can view the FULL PROGRAM on the website.
Here’s a peak at what I’ll be getting up to at the Festival, including reading queer poetry, slinging zines and launching my very first book!
- Sat 25 August, 2018 4.30-6pm – The Big Read @ Judith Wright Centre, Performance Space. Featuring: Alison Whittaker, Tricia Dearborn, Fury The Poet, Laniyuk Garcon-Mills, Stuart Barnes and Zenobia Frost! This event is also Auslan interpreted with is so important and good.
- Sat 25 August, 2018 6-7pm – MILK TEETH book launch! @ Judith Wright Centre, Foyer
- Sun 26 August, 2018 12-5pm – QPF Zine Fair @ Judith Wright Centre
Over the next month I’ll highlight some of the events I’m looking forward to in the program via Twitter and Facebook. There are so many great things to see and I’m so pumped!
The Tundish Review Issue 6
Attention Brisbane folk! The Tundish Review Issue 6 Launch is tomorrow evening at Betty’s Espresso & Bar from 7pm.
I’ll be reading some poetry about teen camping trips and Pokemon Go!
And if you feel inclined to read something yourself, there’s an open mic. Wow us with your words and buy a copy of The Tundish Review #6!
Milk Teeth’s first review!
Last week I received a lovely FOUR STAR review of Milk Teeth at Books & Publishing by Carody Culver. My book was described as a ‘striking debut poetry collection’ from ‘a powerful new voice in Australian poetry’!!!
Don’t forget, Milk Teeth will be launched at the Queensland Poetry Festival 23-26 Aug 2018! If you can’t attend QPF, you can also preorder the book on a heckload of places, including Penguin and Booktopia, or pop into your local independent bookshop and ask for a copy. 🙂
Cover of Milk Teeth
Rae White 