Quiet Armor: Poems

Stevie Edwards' new poetry collection, Quiet Armor, explores how capitalism and patriarchy impact romantic relationships and intimacy. It examines how confessional performances of vulnerability can be coercive, popular culture's encouragement of men to seek validation through sexual excess and aggression, and how women are complicit in violence against other women. Edwards also builds a fierce investigation into how rape culture has shaped the literary canon, academia, and the world. The collection seeks to reclaim positive intimacy and asks what the end of rape culture looks like.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Northwestern University Press

Quiet Armor, the third full-length collection of poetry by Stevie Edwards, delves into the profound impact of capitalism and patriarchy on romantic relationships and intimacy, encompassing a broader examination of the complexities of human connection. In this introspective work, Edwards explores the coercive nature of confessional performances of vulnerability, investigates the societal pressures that encourage men to seek validation through sexual excess and aggression, and sheds light on the ways in which women are often complicit in perpetuating violence against other women.

Drawing upon historical and mythological figures such as Medusa, Persephone, Shakespeare's Lavinia, Saint Agatha, and Saint Christina, Edwards conducts a fierce investigation into the pervasive influence of rape culture on literature, academia, and society as a whole. Through her vivid imagery and powerful storytelling, Edwards invites readers into the quiet and intimate spaces that we create, both in the face of trauma and perhaps even as a result of it.

Quiet Armor ultimately aims to reclaim positive intimacy, presenting a nuanced portrayal of the struggles and healing that accompany the end of rape culture. These poems raise thought-provoking questions about what the future of intimacy looks like and offer insightful perspectives on the path toward achieving it. Throughout, Edwards' poetry prompts us to reflect on the complexities of human relationships, the power of empathy, and the urgent need for societal transformation.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780810146464