Rustlings of the Spirit, a refreshing addition to contemporary poetry, is divided into four chapters; “Loss”, “Rightful Rage”, “Reconnection”, and “Love” wherein the author explores her journey towards radical acceptance through grief. In her debut poetry chapbook, Chloe Gentile-Montgomery takes readers through a range of emotions in each chapter, allowing them to feel deeply, with an emphasis on self-love and radical acceptance of one’s progress. Rustlings of the Spirit reminds readers that they are not alone in their suffering and that healing is not as picture-perfect as it’s sometimes made out to be. Chloe Gentile-Montgomery bravely pours her experiences onto the page in this accessible chapbook. Rustlings of the Spirit follows the non-linear aspect of the healing process and delves into reconnection with the self and ancestors. Poet Chloe Gentile-Montgomery expresses deeply vulnerable aspects of herself with her powerful imagery and moving words.
Chloe Gentile-Montgomery is a 22-year-old Black/biracial poet raised in Santa Cruz and currently based in the Bay Area. She recently published her poetry chapbook, Rustlings of the Spirit, where she explores topics of grief, healing, and reconnection with the self. Chloe graduated from Santa Clara University (’21) with a double major in Ethnic Studies and Environmental Science, which she is putting to use at Stanford’s Teacher Education Program (’22), where she aims to teach ethnic and social studies in public high schools. She is also the recipient of the Hoefer Undergraduate Writing Prize for her essay entitled “Wellbeing and Self-care of Women and Nonbinary Student of Color Activists: ‘Taking care of you means taking care of me.’” She uses poetry as a way to process emotions and connect with others and is dedicated to sharing this work as widely as possible.
www.chloegentilemontgomery.com