Brotherful and Crow Get Outed in Print

Jerry Wheeler at Out in Print, an unparalleled supporter of LGBTQ books for longer than I've been publishing, recently shared his thoughts on my two newest poetry collections, Brotherful and Crow in the Desert, and I’m feeling really grateful) for how deeply he responded to both books.

On Brotherful, Jerry wrote:

“The death of Borland’s brother is more integrated into his life and his viewpoint, but if anything, time and perspective have provoked an even wider range of emotions … Borland also uses his brother’s death as a springboard to explore other pathways of queer identity and family relationships … But in the end, it all comes back to his brother as in one of my favorites here, ‘Sibling Rivalry’ … ‘When people tell you your voice/sounds like his, you will lock your door./You will ask questions, close your eyes,/and you will hear him answer./When you open your eyes/you will be an only child.’ Beautiful and thought-provoking, this is a collection not to be missed.”

And about Crow in the Desert, he said:

“When Bryan sent me this and Brotherful, he put sticky notes on the cover of each. Brotherful was ‘the sweet one,’ and this was ‘the dirty one.’ I couldn’t agree more … By turns raunchy and reminiscent of Walt Whitman, this collection approaches sex–and love–from many angles, all of them entertaining. So, travel on, Bryan–celebrating love, laughter, and the best parts of what it means to be a gay man. May your enthusiasm never flag.”

I love how he nailed the heart of both books, one rooted in grief, family, and memory, and the other unapologetically celebrating desire, play, and queer joy.

Thanks, Jerry, for not just reading, but really reading, and for sharing your take with the world.

You can check out both reviews now at Out in Print. I also urge you to take a look around his site and read past reviews, then buy a book or two from an LGBTQ author new to you.