Body of Work

A collection of Japanese short-form poems by Kirsten Cliff Elliot on poems on aging and chronic illness

"Kirsten Cliff Elliot's new book, A Body of Work, offers a deeply vulnerable and carefully crafted immersive poetry collection charting a life shaped by chronic illness, from its early onset through the complex realities of middle age.

Elliot invites readers to step directly into her world, encouraging them to follow alongside her and feel. Many of the included poems reflect symptomatic experiences, while others, bordering on the surreal, echo the long-term liminal state inhabited by the disabled community. Thus, the book captures the profound loss of control that accompanies medical trauma and gaslighting. Yet, even within their heavy moments, these visceral poems discover gleaming pockets of acceptance, fulfillment, and unexpected humor.

A Body of Work is an important contribution to the reclamation of the contemporary disability narrative. It is a necessary read for anyone seeking a raw and honest look at resilience in the face of a lifetime of unpredictability and unknowns."