Nymphomania, by Mia Altamuro

Poetry, chapbook, 32 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Mia Altamuro’s debut chapbook Nymphomania is a collection of 10 poems pertaining to girlhood, adolescence, sexuality, and misogyny. These poems are meant to tell the story of a young girl coming of age, from beginning to end, discovering her identity and self esteem. They are also meant to explore wider social issues facing young girls, especially in terms of relationships and sexuality, and discovering their own desires.

The term ‘Nymphomania’ refers to excessive or uncontrollable sexual desire in women. This collection of poetry, in turn, subverts expectations for young women engaging with their sexuality for the first time, as well as challenges slut shaming and internalized misogyny. It instead aims to celebrate femininity, and girlhood as a social transformation.

Many of these poems were originally written while the author was a teenager, but were revised and edited over time to reflect her growing skill and perspective. They were based off of not only her own life, but the lives of those around her, and many of the poems take spiritual themes as well. These were written especially for young women and girls who have been told they are too much, too excessive, whether it is sex, food, their goals and ambitions, or their emotions; who are told that they are too loud, take up too much space, are too boisterous and obvious about their wants and desires.

Mia Altamuro is a twenty-year-old writer based in New York. She studies Journalism and Communications at SUNY New Paltz, where she is a Junior. Previous works include one act play What if the Clouds Were Gold?, and short story "Far From Saintly". Poetry, as well as articles, have been published in Heroica, The Little Rebellion, Mixed Magazine, Toad HallEditions, Lupercalia Press, and Handbasket Zine. She can be found on Instagram, Medium, TikTok, and Youtube under the handle StreamofSocialConscience.