Fallen Angels and Other Rotten Things, by Paige Cripps

Poetry, chapbook, 20 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Fallen Angels and Other Rotten Things is an interweaving of childhood, girlhood, womanhood and the horrors that persist throughout. Just as a butterfly must spread its wings, so too must the little girl. The collection features three respective sections, journeying through the becoming of woman and what it means to be a butterfly in a world full of mosquitoes. Escaping the shackles of conformity in the pursuit of identity, navigating through heartbreak and loss, and re-discovering love for oneself are explored in Fallen Angels and Other Rotten Things.

Not only does the collection cater to young girls and women, but to those who feel out of place in the fast-paced world we currently inhabit. Fallen Angels is for the broken and misunderstood who still hold out hope for love and happiness in such a cruel world. Within its pages there is experience inside the cocoon, flying with newfound wings, or scars where wings should be. Regardless the stage of metamorphosis, there is always room for returning to the soil we once inhabited and making ourselves a more hospitable home to grow within. Fallen Angels and Other Rotten Things encourages us to return to our wounds and rewrite the narrative surrounding them.

Paige Cripps is a 20-year-old writer, poet, student, and barista from Toms River, New Jersey. Fallen Angels and Other Rotten Things is her debut poetry collection, but she has been writing poems incessantly since she was a young girl. Other than writing she enjoys reading, listening to music, thrifting, getting tattoos, and being active, as well as cultivating a million niche hobbies and interests. She practices tarot, spends most of her time outside, and feels most grounded when exploring nature. She is a lover of old things, collecting vintage clothes, vinyls, CDs, and other funky items from different time periods to create the little hippie she is on the inside and out. You can find her waking up early to see the sunrise on the beach, grabbing a coffee or matcha, or creating groovy drinks of her own most mornings. Honorable mentions include a knack for trying new things, a passion for classic cars, and an unhealthy La Croix Limoncello addiction. She is elated to share Fallen Angels and Other Rotten Things with you, and hopes young girls, teenagers, women, and the romantics everywhere will identify themselves within its pages.