I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself - Paperback

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$17.95
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I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself
  • I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself
I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself - Paperback

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself - Paperback

by Crane
$17.95
$17.95

Book Overview

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.
ISBN9781646222063
Author Crane
PublisherCatapult
GenreLiterature
FormatPaperback
PublishedJanuary 2024
LanguageENG- English
Pages352
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Fiction LGBTQ+ Science Fiction

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More by Crane

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself - Paperback

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself - Paperback

By Crane

About Crane

Marisa Crane is a former college basketball player and the author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, a New York Times Editors' Choice, Indie Next pick, and winner of a LAMBDA Literary Award. They have received fellowships from the Sewanee Writers' Conference, American Short Fiction, and Vermont Studio Center, and their short work has appeared in Literary Hub, The Sun, TriQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, Joyland, and elsewhere. Originally from Allentown, PA, they currently live in San Diego with their family.

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