Mix Tapes and Photo Albums

Mix Tapes and Photo Albums, a narrative poetry collection that forms a poetic mix tape. This coming‐of‐age poetry collection told from the point of view of an adolescent girl, follows a group of teenagers who push the boundaries of their small town, explore relationships, and test where they fit in society. They find solace in their local punk rock scene, where philosophy is defined through three‐minute songs to a mosh pit of believers who wear bruises as trophies. Split into Side A and Side B, each poem assumes the title of a song which creates the soundtrack to a group of teenagers who push the boundaries of their small town, test where they fit, and find solace in their local punk rock scene. From the first show to college and finally, returning to the small town when their local venue is closing, this collection speaks to those to know that punk is thriving in the streets of small towns everywhere, just waiting for the next generation of kids to tap into its raw power. Mix Tapes and Photo Albums sings to the kids who will hear their first Sex Pistols song, start their own bands, write their own zines, scrawl Xs on their hands, and create their own communities; and those kids who remember.