If You Ever: Poems Inspired by Kim Addonizio is an anthology dedicated to the power of community. Each piece is a response to Kim Addonizio's original poem "To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall," which can be read in full here:  https://poetrysociety.org/poems/to-the-woman-crying-uncontrollably-in-the-next-stall

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Kim's work has long been an inspiration to the editors of this project. "To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall" offers readers a message of hope and solidarity. It rallies without false promises: Yes, you will struggle. Yes, you will hurt. But you are not alone, and one day, joy is coming. A message we need now more than ever. 

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This collection was created as a way to transform this hope into words and into action. Shortly before the Hands Off protests on April 5, 2025,  Candace shared her poem "To the Woman Reading the Protest Flyer at the Grocery Store," written in response to Kim's original piece. After receiving a flood of messages from others with their own "after" poems, Candace teamed up with co-editors Iva Markicevic Daley and Kristina Percy, whose work often sits at the intersection of poetry and activism, to curate this anthology showcasing the power of our stories. 

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If You Ever: Poems Inspired by Kim Addonizio is truly, at its heart, a community effort. Thank you so much to all who submitted poems, shared advice, offered support, and spread the word. At a time when the voices of women and marginalized communities are increasingly silenced, purchasing this book is one way to take a stand against the erasure of our words and our experiences. ​​​

 

Pre-orders open June 24, 2025 and will remain open throughout the summer. We anticipate shipping orders in September 2025, at which time an ebook will be available for purchase. The website will also host streaming audio files of many of the poems read aloud by the authors. 

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Each book purchased before July 31, 2025 will also come with a free 5 x 7" art print and exclusive sticker. In addition, our lovely cover artist, Leah Stolarski, has created 5 x 7" packs of cover art vignettes as well as 8.5 x 11" digital prints of the cover art for purchase. This is a limited run of the print book and art prints, so please be sure to order during the pre-order period if you'd like to ensure a copy!

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In addition to purchasing the book for yourself or a loved one, we are also offering the option to purchase a book to donate. Each donated copy will be sent to a women's organization, such as a women's clinic, women's prison, or women's shelter. If you have a specific site in mind, please leave a comment in the note section of the order 😊.

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All proceeds from this anthology and related merchandise will be donated to Keep Our Clinics, a campaign to support access to abortion care. The Keep Our Clinics campaign provides funding to independent reproductive health clinics to cover tangible expenses like increased security, building repairs, legal fees, and community education and advocacy. For more information, you can visit their site here: https://keepourclinics.org/

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To learn about additional creative campaigns working to protect access to reproductive rights, please visit https://www.reprouncensored.org/.

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To see additional work:

Kim Addonizio: https://www.kimaddonizio.com/

Iva Markicevic Daley: https://girlnews.substack.com/ 

Kristina Percy: https://buttonpoetry.com/kristina-percy

Candace Kronen: https://candacekronen.substack.com/

Leah Stolarski: https://www.instagram.com/stuff.leah.sews/