In his latest collection, Secwépemc rancher and renowned poet Garry Gottfriedson explores the fraught mechanics of contemporary masculinity, politics and love.

Bent Back Tongue is a raw examination of love, identity, politics, masculinity and vulnerability. Through sharp honesty and revealing satire, Gottfriedson delves into Canadian colonialism and the religious and political paradigms shaping experiences of a Secwépemc First Nations man.

This is a book that tears through deceptions that both Canada and the church impose on their citizens. Gottfriedson tackles the darkest layers of a shared colonial history — at the same time, the poems in Bent Back Tongue are a celebration of love, land, family and the self. (From Caitlin Press)

Bent Back Tongue is available on Sept. 16, 2022.

Garry Gottfriedson is from Kamloops, B.C. He is strongly rooted in his Secwépemc (Shuswap) cultural teachings. He holds a Masters of Arts education degree from Simon Fraser University. In 1987, the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, awarded a creative writing scholarship to Gottfriedson for a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing. There, he studied under Allen Ginsberg, Marianne Faithful and others.

Gottfriedson has 10 published books, including Clinging to Bone and Skin Like Mine, and has presented his work across Canada, the United States, South America, New Zealand, Europe and Asia.

Gottfriedson's work unapologetically unveils the truth of Canada's treatment of First Nations. His work has been anthologized and published nationally and internationally. Currently, he works at Thompson Rivers University.