Pity the Animal
Original cover by Future Tense Books.
Emily Books cover.
Originally published by Future Tense Books in May 2014, the print run sold out a few months after its release. The chapbook was republished as an Amazon Kindle Single in July 2014 (no longer available), republished as an Emily Books pick in December 2014, and republished once more in my book of essays, Tonight I'm Someone Else.
Praise for Pity the Animal
"Bracingly good—wild and chiseled, both. In a culture seemingly unable to understand submissive female desire as anything but a misogynist’s wet dream or the inevitable undertow of 'liberation,' Hodson’s bold experiments and assertions feel refreshing and welcome." —Maggie Nelson
"High-minded intellectual criticism of women as objects." —Marc Maron
"There's more wrenching emotion and dynamic prose to be found in this short chapbook than there are in plenty of works ten times its size." —Tobias Carroll, Salon
"Hodson’s writing is pointed, scathing, and suspenseful." —Bitch
"Hodson’s swift maneuvering throughout Pity The Animal is often so precisely galloping that it seems to transcend the limitations of any material form. It seems the pages could overflow from the sheer weight of the ideas that the writer pins to each paragraph." —Fanzine
"Even as the essay jumps from scene to scene, Hodson exercises a mastery of form and movement, tackling stories that are darkly funny and deeply personal." —Grantland
"Hodson’s mosaic-style of association is astounding to watch unfold." —Bustle
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Beach Camp
Published by Swill Children in July 2010. Sold out.