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Description of  American Rapture: Poems from a Heartscape

This collection of poetry is for all the hearts that have done everything "right" but still end up in a gutter- all the people who are pissed off and unfulfilled, and who are able to laugh at themselves. No more lies. No more pretending. Whether we have lost our self-concept to our own broken childhoods, to parenthood, to careers, to marriages, to the wrong lovers- it is time for us to champion one another's truths, to embrace our worth and to dispel toxic expectations of perfection. Borne out of the author's postpartum depression journey (and subsequent nervous breakdown) and sexual awakening in her thirties, Jordan's poems explore the interweaving of relationships, loss, healing, and self-worth. This collection follows the trajectory of self-exploration through relationships that have broken down and brought her closer to herself, prior to and in the aftermath of hospitalization- predominantly, the abandonment of Jordan's mother, a trauma which only manifested once her own baby was placed in her arms. Jordan's bicultural marriage and experiences as an immigrant in Great Britain further highlight the complexity of one modern woman's quest for personhood. Jordans thoughts are at times brutally direct and at times enticingly cryptic, but always open, always honest and always a welcome reminder that none of us are alone in our human struggle. And thank goodness there are a good number of laughs mixed in - truly the best medicine. -J.R. Havlan, Emmy Award-winning writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart