[Book Review] Nothing Is Okay by Rachel Wiley

Nothing is Okay is the second full-length poetry collection by Rachel Wiley, whose work simultaneously deconstructs the lies that we were taught about our bodies and our beings, and builds new ways of viewing ourselves. As she delves into queerness, feminism, fatness, dating, and race, Wiley molds these topics into a punching critique of culture and a celebration of self. A fat positive activist, Wiley's work soars and challenges the bounds of bodies and hearts, and the ways we carry them.

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I picked this book of poetry up on a whim because I had come cross one of Rachel Wiley's slam poetry videos from Button Poetry's Facebook page. It was a poem that actually is in this book of poetry called Belly Kisses. I decided after watching her perform Belly isses I needed to read her book as soon as possible.

Rachel Wiley is a queer, mixed raced, intersectional feminist, body positive, fat woman. Other than being super white, I can relate to most of the descriptors she sues for herself in the poem, Mixed Girl, being a bisexual intersectional feminist who is also far and advocates for fat positivity. So it was easy for me to relate to many of her poems. A lot of her words and sentences hit me hard in the chest and I had the same feeling I felt when I watched her video performing Belly Kisses. However, other than being super relatable for me personally, it was also super eye opening. Like I said earlier, I'm super white, so I have never and could never have the experiences people of color could. So reading her thoughts about being mixed race and what kind of struggles that come with being mixed race made me more empathetic towards her. I think Rachel Wiley is so great at expressing herself through words and often it is really powerful.

Her writing is so well done. Maybe it's because I already know the way she talks and her voice from videos but I feel like it also comes through strong on the page.. I got chills and I even got choked up while reading because the way she writes her poems makes each and every one raw and vulnerable. I felt like I was really getting to know Rachel Wiley because she was letting us in and allowing us to whiteness when she is sorting through heavy emotions and thoughts. Even the ones that seem so personal and private. Allowing yourself to be that vulnerable while also having a really good message for your readers is something that had to be difficult and I think it pays off.

Poetry can be hard for me to get into if it's not slam poetry or modern poetry. This was really easy to digest and I think most of not all of her poems had great messages. I didn't love every poem in this collection but I definitely loved enough to be so moved while reading. Overall, I highly recommend this book of poetry if you're a feminist, body positive, fat, queer, and/or a women. Granted, I think people even outside of these groups could learn and relate to themes and topics in these poems. It's hard not to love this collection when Rachel Wiley shows so much of herself.

Thanks for reading!