Candy Cigarette

"Kristin Garth’s work is a vulnerable piece of writing, connected with hybrid memoirs. It is filled with sonnets upon sonnets of language that is precise, detailed, and profound—her words hitting us like punches in the guts. The poems in this book are as naked as the clothes Garth removes as a stripper; layer upon layer of pain, abuse, and self-worthlessness echo in the imagery, yet there is a constant flash of light throughout the darkness. Candy Cigarette is a brave and bold book which reveals Garth’s poetic ability to capture a particular time of her life and to step back to reflect upon the effect it had; Garth conveys this dark period of hers with rhymes and rhythm. Her style and voice make the reader delve into the seedy strip clubs with her; to feel the eyes of her clients on her; and to perceive the essence of what sex feels like without any connections. Kristin Garth has a voice of a woman who has a real story to tell. It’s not make believe, it is raw, and uncut. Cross your legs and read this intimate tale of an American woman’s journey into the dark underworld, and how she made it out alive." - Christina Strigas, Love & Vodka