Real Boys

About the Book

The remarkable debut from Thomas Stewart. In his debut collection, Real Boys, Thomas Stewart examines the death of his father and explores questions of grief, guilt, mental health, identity, sexuality, and masculinity. As these poems unfold, a hallway of mirrors is created. Through the lens of father-son relationships, cinema, art, and Welsh mythology are expanded and rethought. This collection grapples with what it means to be a father, a son, and a self. Subverting the notions of gender, Stewart addresses both the damage of old stereotypes and the passage of generational trauma, questioning how we might change.

"A wonderful meditation on the language of grief, want, lust and hope" – Jenni Fagan

"A beautiful and wistful collection which wrangles with life's ample grief and heartache" – Andrés N. Ordorica

"These poems are a revelation. I took great comfort from Thomas Stewart's collection" – Lotte Jeffs