For this week, I read Joshua Whitehead’s (he/him) poetry collection Full-Metal Indigequeer.

I had read the poem Mihokwaniy in an introductory Canadian Literature course during my undergrad and it has sat with me ever since. Mihokwaniy means rose in Whitehead’s cultural language which is also the name of his grandmother for whom the poem is written. Rose Whitehead . Who is not just a murdered or missing indigenous woman. She is a grandmother. She is “a beauty queen extraordinaire” (see pages 99-104) .

I decided to order the collection as a whole when I embarked on this journey of exploring new (to me) forms, themes, and organization of poetry collections. Of all the collections I have acquired, this one is by far the most unique and experimental in form. I went in knowing it was not similar to my own style of poetry. I am glad I went out of my comfort zone because I really did learn a lot.

The collection is from the point of view of an indigequeer rebel computer virus named ZOA. Zoa creates a continuity in the collection, which is inherently discontinuous in a way for a purpose. It sounds confusing, but it really works, and it’s really beautiful. Most of the collection is incredibly visual in form, which gets across the computer virus angle. Poems are interspersed with computer code and lots and lots of seemingly random numbers. I have opted not to include photos because of copyrights and to support the integrity of the work, but if you are interested come see me!

The video below is a talk Joshua Whitehead did following the collection’s release. It touches on many of the themes of the collections. In the video, he also provides information about his background, including his indigenous nation, his family, and the work and connections he is making in Calgary, where he completed his Ph.D. and continues to work/study. It also highlights the power and poetry Joshua Whitehead’s words have both in their oral and written form.

If you can’t find the collection at a local bookstore here are some links from the publisher (TalonBooks), Indigo, and Amazon.