Fission (Paperback)

Max Gillette

ISBN 13: 9798993902425

Published by Red Mare Press, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. Max Gillette's Fission is a powerful portrait of life with chronic pain, examining the stagnant nature of illness so equivalent to the stillness found in the heart of winter. Chosen as the winning winter chapbook from Palette Poetry's 2025 Micro Chapbook Prize, the poems in Fission are stripped back, vulnerable, and teeming with care in its lived experience with daily pain, endless hospital visits, desperate prayers. With sharp, precise language, Gillette explores the conflict between mind and body, battles between needs and wants, and manages to balance the sense of helplessness with quiet hope. These poems flow in crescendo and decrescendo to the upended corporeal symphony of this personal nuclear winter. Max Gillette's Fission was selected as the winter winner of the 2025 Micro Chapbook Prize from Palette Poetry. Their book is one of four in this collection of seasonal chapbooks. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9798993902425

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Fission (Paperback)
• Publisher: Red Mare Press
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798993902425
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Max Gillette's Fission is a powerful portrait of life with chronic pain, examining the stagnant nature of illness so equivalent to the stillness found in the heart of winter. Chosen as the winning winter chapbook from Palette Poetry's 2025 Micro Chapbook Prize, the poems in Fission are stripped back, vulnerable, and teeming with care in its lived experience with daily pain, endless hospital visits, desperate prayers. With sharp, precise language, Gillette explores the conflict between mind and body, battles between needs and wants, and manages to balance the sense of helplessness with quiet hope. These poems flow in crescendo and decrescendo to the upended corporeal symphony of this personal nuclear winter.

About the Author

MAX GILLETTE is a queercrip poet from Detroit, MI. Their writing explores embodied differences alongside concepts of self-love and self-care. Their work has been published in Beaver Magazine, Variant Lit, Arkana Magazine, Sage Cigarettes, and elsewhere. Their poetry has also appeared in digital prosody guides and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Max has an MFA from Ohio State and can be reached at mgillettepoet@gmail.com.