San Franshitshow

<p><em style=color: inherit>San Franshitshow</em><span style=color: inherit> is an emotional reckoning with self love and the world that unfolds amidst a turbulent gender transition upon arrival into a new city. It chronicles the pain of loss and of coming to terms with yourself in a world that would prefer you did not: how this struggle impacts every area of your life. It expresses the power of self-acceptance with grace and humor. Calamia's debut is a unifying force of a memoir-a poignant tender collection of poetry that will open your heart-every poem as raw as a tear-stained diary page.</span></p><p><br></p><p><em style=color: inherit><span></span>San Franshitshow</em> is a wildly powerful collection of all the little moments that define who we are. This book goes beyond the gender binary and labels it is human! Cal's artistic and genuine recounts of loss love and identity are what I wish I could've read as a teenager to help navigate through my own narrative. This book can connect with anyone regardless of their label and will be championed by the LGBT community. Cal says all the words that never leave your head when experiencing adolescent love and defining queerness for the first time. Empathetic heartfelt and useful in defining (or redefining) your own past. We need more honest literature like this about the LGBT experience! Whether you are out unsure curious a parent a youth or a teacher this book should be in your hands.</p><p>- <strong style=color: inherit>Miles McKenna</strong> actor activist author of <em style=color: inherit>Out! How To Be Your Authentic Self</em></p><p><br></p><p>This debut is a song-of coming of age of coming out of love of America's present moment. And yes of San Francisco and the shitshow our city can be as the poems' speaker navigates what it is to become an adult become a trans* man become a teacher and so much more in this hectic and sometimes heartbreaking city. The book shines and I too want to shout There's glitter on my heart motherfucker to my lover to all my loves to my beloved hometown of glittering sidewalks. There is both humor and incredible vulnerability in these poems even when they don't know what to believe in / but it has to be something.</p><p>- <strong style=color: inherit>Caroline Mar</strong> author of <em style=color: inherit>Special Education</em></p><p><br></p><p>Cal Calamia walked into my long-running open mic one Sunday afternoon and taught me some things. Reading the work taught me a few more. I love it when that happens. These poems are self-aware and not self-pitying. Cal has good comic timing but doesn't go for a laugh as much as an A-ha. I listen to and read a lot of poetry and he has been a favorite since that first time. Pronoun antecedent disagreement will probably remain a cherished poetic moment for years to come. Read this book and be reminded that some things are simple and made difficult. Some things remain easy direct logical. Some things hurt like hell. There is pain in this collection sure. There is earnest and unpracticed love. It's a generous group of poems direct and honest. If you only own a few books of poetry this should be one of them.</p><p>- <strong style=color: inherit>Kim Shuck</strong> 7th Poet Laureate of San Francisco</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>