Katarina Gotic - We Need a Breathing Tongue Between

“they can go anywhere / they say / they can go anywhere but you / you go no further than railroad tracks, bridges, casings, and ordinary objects placed in extraordinary places. in the end, we’re lucky enough to have this floating deposit of pebbles returning every year. ours is a tied island. a step forth: a horizon: a step back back. a step forth: a step back”

from ponor

In these poems, Gotic confronts the fallacy of a war with an end. This is Bosnia and Germany. The year is 838, is 1878, 1945, 1992/94/95, and last week. This is the story of a people, a family, a girl. Gathered from memory, shared accounts, and the very documents that govern its future, We Need a Breathing Tongue Between brings the Bosnian War back into focus, and sets its legacy before us in true human scale. Read along as Gotic weaves poetry, narrative, and history together in this all too timely reflection on the fight for a country and the horror of war.

Release Date: March 5, 2024

Digital download includes a scrollable page by page rendering of the print version and a booklet file formatted to print into a fold and print trimmable version perfect for sharing (no shame or blame, our goal is more books out in the world) or tucking away in a bag, pile, or pocket, until it’s just the right time.