My Achilles by Stanley Iyanu -
£6.99
My Achilles looks at the man behind the myth and explores both the
strength and vulnerability in embracing all the sides of oneself: the
complex and the ugly, the bold and the brilliant. With themes of love,
hope and yearning, My Achilles aims to be not just a myth but a legend.
So much about queer love and identity has been hidden between
parentheses and what is not said. This pamphlet attempts to fill in those
gaps, so that they are not destined to be repeated over and over.
‘Stanley Iyanu is a burgeoning talent on the spoken word scene. A lyrical,
thought-provoking poet whose work embraces the
mythological and natural worlds in this delicate and intimate
portrait of his first significant love.’
Tina Sederholm
‘The spirit of Homer’s Illiad haunts these touching poems. Memories drift
through dream-like scenarios, and there’s often an uncanny feeling of
something about to happen, truths to be uncovered. There’s beauty here,
hunger, and a tender queer defiance: ‘Tell him… he is deserving of something
more than shame.’ Perhaps salvation is in language, how we communicate:
‘tell him that in his mouth is / where a universe can be found / a galaxy on
his tongue’. A rich, original, thought-provoking pamphlet.’
Ian Humphries