strained, by Olivia Zarzycki

Poetry, chapbook, 32 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

The debut poetry collection of Philadelphian writer Olivia Zarzycki, strained, ruminates on ruminating. The poems narrate the author’s anxiety, nostalgia, and fears in dysphoric and introspective states. It is in despair and sarcastic - and at times, walking the line between the two.

Full of self-doubt, blunt confessions, and unanswered questions, the collection reflects the inner monologue of a young woman battling her own thoughts, worries, and revelations. The poems hold their breath and exhale loudly.

Olivia Zarzycki is a Philadelphia-based poet. Her work has been published in Dream Boy Book Club, Bullshit Lit, Canthius, and elsewhere. She is an editor at Thirty West Publishing, based in Pennsylvania. You can find her in the city with her chihuahua Margot or on her website: https://oliviazarzycki.com/