Douglas, Me & James by Vin Whitman

In Douglas, Me & James, Vin Whitman takes the reader on an emotional journey through the sometimes-toxic world of internet friendships. These interconnected poems ask us to consider how we leave ourselves open to surveillance and violence through our myriad of devices. How the desire to connect with the world opens us to the possibility of connecting with “fuzzy-named strangers” who turn into megaphones of “SO MUCH HATE.” These poems teem with vulnerability as Whitman navigates harassment and violation. His “timid voice” evolves into a voice powerfully declaring: “My name is VW & I am not your free ride.” Through these challenges, Whitman shows us how to claim one’s identity and strength to move “toward a future / Filled with space & quiet.”

–Lacie Semenovich, author of Community, Not Market