Ecodeviance: (Soma)tics for the Future Wilderness

Ecodeviance introduces (Soma)tic exercises - ritual-based poetry practices that merge the body, environment, and creative process. CAConrad presents detailed instructions for these exercises along with the poems that emerged from performing them. The exercises range from urban investigations to nature immersions, incorporating elements like food, crystals, weather, and human interaction. Each ritual contains specific steps and durations, followed by the resulting poem, creating a mix of procedural text and verse. The collection documents Conrad's quest to find new ways of experiencing and writing about the world through deliberate engagement with surroundings. The exercises serve as experiments in consciousness and perception. The work speaks to themes of ecological awareness, embodied experience, and the intersection of ritual practice with poetic creation. Through these investigations, Conrad suggests possibilities for developing deeper connections between art, body, and environment.

Readers describe Ecodeviance as an experimental poetry collection that pushes boundaries through its unconventional "(soma)tic" exercises - ritualistic practices that generate poems. Readers appreciated: - The unique writing prompts that connect body, environment, and poetry - Raw emotional honesty about grief and sexuality - Environmental consciousness and nature themes - Playful, rebellious spirit Common criticisms: - Exercises too abstract or impractical to follow - Some found the content deliberately provocative - Writing style can be difficult to parse From one Goodreads reviewer: "The exercises read like performance art pieces that generate surprising, visceral poetry." Another noted: "Not all exercises feel accessible - some require materials or situations most readers won't have." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.31/5 (130 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (12 ratings) The collection appears most popular among readers who already enjoy experimental poetry and performance art. New poetry readers found it challenging to approach.

The Book of Frank by CA Conrad Chronicles surreal poetry vignettes that merge ritual practice with ecological awareness through experimental forms.

Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha Merges autobiography, mythology, and political history through a hybrid text of poetry, images, and documents.

Don't Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine Combines poetry with visual elements to examine the intersection of personal experience with environmental and societal collapse.

The Necropastoral by Joyelle McSweeney Explores the toxic sublime through poems that connect environmental degradation with ritual and performance.

Bluets by Maggie Nelson Weaves together fragments of meditation, research, and personal narrative to create a text that defies genre boundaries.

🌿 CAConrad developed the (Soma)tic poetry rituals as a response to the murder of their partner - using these ritualistic exercises to overcome grief and channel creativity 🌱 Each exercise in the book combines physical actions with writing prompts, such as eating only red foods while writing, or documenting dreams while sleeping with crystals 🍃 The term "(Soma)tic" combines "soma" (the body) with "somatic" (relating to the body) to emphasize the connection between bodily experience and creative expression 🌸 The book won the 2015 Believer Poetry Award, with judges praising its revolutionary approach to generating new forms of poetic consciousness 🌺 Many of Conrad's exercises involve deep engagement with the natural world - like writing while buried in soil or composing poems based on cloud formations - connecting environmental awareness with artistic practice