IRL

IRL is a book-length poem that follows its narrator through the streets of Brooklyn as he navigates dating apps, hookup culture, and urban life. The narrative takes place over a single summer day while tracking the speaker's thoughts, texts, and encounters. The poem addresses the intersection of Indigenous and queer identity, moving between contemporary technology and ancestral knowledge. Through fragments, lists, and stream-of-consciousness passages, it captures the rhythms of digital communication and city life. This work examines relationships - both romantic and platonic - alongside themes of loss, desire, and connection in the modern age. The narrator's voice shifts between humor and gravity, between casual observations and deeper reflections. The text raises questions about authenticity and performance in both online and offline spaces, while exploring how personal and cultural histories shape present-day experiences. It considers how technology mediates human connection and what it means to be "real" in an increasingly virtual world.

Readers praise Pico's stream-of-consciousness poetry style and his ability to merge internet slang with deep cultural commentary. Many note how the book captures modern digital communication while exploring Indigenous identity and queer relationships. Multiple reviews highlight the humor and wit throughout the text. Readers connect with the raw emotional honesty about dating, sexuality, and cultural displacement. Several reviewers point to specific passages that blend pop culture references with profound observations. Some readers find the experimental format and frequent topic shifts challenging to follow. A few reviews mention difficulty connecting with the internet-focused language style. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (50+ ratings) Selected reader comment: "This feels like reading someone's Twitter feed but in the best possible way - funny, honest, and unexpectedly moving" (Goodreads) The poetry collection received particular praise from LGBTQ+ readers and poetry fans who appreciate experimental forms.

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🌟 IRL blends contemporary internet-speak with references to indigenous traditions, creating a unique poetic language that mirrors modern Native American experiences 📱 The book is written as one long text message, reflecting both traditional Native oral storytelling and today's digital communication 🏳️‍🌈 Tommy Pico grew up on the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation and later became a prominent voice in Brooklyn's queer poetry scene 📝 The book originated from Pico's Birdsong zine series, which he created and distributed while working at a coffee shop in Brooklyn 🎭 IRL is part of a tetralogy called the Teebs series, with each book representing a different season and examining various aspects of contemporary indigenous identity