The February reading is I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane.
Dept. of Speculation meets Black Mirror in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance state
In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime—and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections.
Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world. She can’t forget her wife, but with time, she can make a new life for herself and the kid, supported by a community of fellow misfits who defy the Department to lift one another up in solidarity and hope.
With a first-person register reminiscent of the fierce self-disclosure of Sheila Heti and the poetic precision of Ocean Vuong, I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself is a bold debut novel that examines the long shadow of grief, the hard work of parenting, and the power of queer resistance.
But wait…there’s MORE.
Marisa Crane will be joining us for a virtual event in conversation with Megan Giddings the day after our meeting on February 22nd at 7pm! It’ll be a great event, so don’t miss it. Learn more here.
“Queer Reader” is a book club at Epilogue that aims to provide an affirming and accessible space for LGBTQIA+ readers to come together to discuss queer literature. Each month, we’ll pick a queer book by a queer author to read and discuss together as a community.
One of the goals of this book club is to create a community where LGBTQIA+ folks can gather to, yes, discuss books, but also to forge connections in a low-pressure, laid-back environment with other queer people in their area.
About your host: Gaby (she/her) is Epilogue’s events coordinator and resident lesbian bookseller. She reads a lot of queer romance novels, literary fiction about complicated families, memoirs, and portraits of a place. When she’s not working, she’s usually listening to The Killers, riding her bike, or cooking big meals.