Emerson Whitney with Myles Taylor: O Mother

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From the acclaimed author of Heaven and Daddy Boy.

Emerson Whitney didn’t plan to go home. After a childhood shaped by their mother’s addiction and heartbreaks, keeping their distance felt safer. They built a life far away, working constantly and ignoring the searing pain of a chronic disorder. But their body had other plans. When exhaustion finally forced them to stop, Emerson turned east at last, toward home, toward their mom.

O Mother brings us back into Emerson Whitney’s generous, searching mind as they return to the rural Maine island of their childhood, of sea spray and lobster pots and ship-themed home decor. Visions of a different future begin to flood in, of them and their mom living side by side, peaceful at last, tending to chickens and watching reality TV.

But Emerson's return does not go as planned. Despite being just a few miles away, their mother is distant, hard to pin down, and they struggle to connect. Emerson can tell something is off, but old patterns are hard to break. When Emerson receives the devastating news of their mother’s suicide, they begin to trace her story back, unraveling the hidden forces that conspired to make her life unlivable. What follows is an exploration into disability, diagnosis, and self-acceptance.

With a sensitive eye to the world, Emerson seeks to understand their mom’s complicated fate, and wonders what, if anything, it might teach them about their own future.

Emerson Whitney is a writer and a professor. Their book Heaven, McSweeney's 2020, was named a "best book" by the AV Club, PAPER, Literary Hub, Refinery29, Ms. Magazine, Chicago Review of Books, the Observer, and the Seattle Times. Heaven was also awarded a Kirkus star and was written about by nonfiction editor at Kirkus, Eric Liebetrau, in a piece called "Queer Memoir Old and New" as a profile of Emerson and Heaven is compared to Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein. Heaven also won a silver medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and continues to garner praise. Emerson was named a 2020 Now List awardee in literature alongside Ocean Vuong and Danez Smith by Them magazine. Emerson's writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Believer, Paris Review, and elsewhere.

Myles Taylor (they/he) is a Boston-based transmasculine writer, organizer, educator, Capricorn-Aquarius cusp, and glitter enthusiast. They are the current director and board president of the historic Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab Lounge and former President of the Emerson Poetry Project. They have been performing and representing Boston at slam tournaments and festivals internationally for nearly a decade. Their debut collection, Masculinity Parable (Game Over Books, 2023) was shortlisted for the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Prize. Their publications can be found at myles-taylor.com, and their neuroses can be found @mylesdoespoems. They live amongst the rats of Allston, MA.

Brookline Booksmith, thriving in the heart of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, since 1961, is one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. We offer a vast selection of books, ranging from current bestsellers to the most eclectic titles. We are also known for our beautiful and inspired gifts. Customers buy and sell gently used books in our treasured Used Book Cellar and enjoy our bountiful bargain book selection. We host award-winning events series (including our groundbreaking Transnational Literature Series), offering more than 300 author talks, community conversations, and book clubs annually. Find more at brooklinebooksmith.com!