Whole, Holy, Hot by Chrissy Martin

Chrissy Martin’s debut book of poetry, Whole, Holy, Hot, captures a mind and body on fire: illuminated, inflamed, blushed, and charred. Selfhood refracts through a kaleidoscope of pop culture, gender performance, shifting geographies, religious control, medical systems, and violence both intimate and structural— alongside love gathered in doorways and kitchens and the wild light of humor, play, and magic. Wielding theory in one hand and an espresso martini in the other, these poems balance critical inquiry with camp and whimsy.

Through formal verse, sprawling prose poems, and whispered gossip, Whole, Holy, Hot challenges popular depictions of disability and mental illness and finds sharp truths in the reality TV confessional booth. This collection insists that every mind and body is already whole, already holy, and absolutely hot.