Description:
Dieagnosis is a collection of poetry based on a journey of self-discovery, working through the traumas and the struggles of being a Gay Latino in an impacted religious society. The author explores his personal development through every challenge, where he learned valuable lessons of never giving up and not allowing anyone to take away his power. He testifies to the experience of diminishing his own power by giving it away to bullies, past relationships, and even to his own mind. He references whispers, darkness, and the void because he is a survivor of suicide. This collection of poetry also contains Checkpoints, which are pages where he interacts with readers to acknowledge the consent that was taken. He also has a companion workbook entitled Beacon to provide readers with extra support in their own mental wellness development.
Content Warning: mentions of suicide, self-harm, and physical and sexual abuse.
Review Quotes:
Dieagnosis is a lighthouse moon of courageous palabra. VOTH's poetic power glistens as a radiant beacon of patient hope. His words guide us all to swim out of our darkest hours toward the sacred shores of inner sanctuary where healing can begin. Dieagnosis braves the waiting truth hidden in trauma's shadows while cradling the reader with a love force strength unafraid to heal.
- Alex Petunia, author of Tending My Wild
In VOTH's (Voice of the Harbor) debut collection of poetry, Dieagnosis, to be released by Riot of Roses Publishing House in Fall 2023, Gabriel Acosta takes you on a quest for self-love fueled by the confrontation of our deepest shadows and inner guidance of hope. This collection is visceral and daring as it gives voice to unspeakable truths and, ultimately, carries the reader to safe and tender ground. There is great power in the kind of vulnerability threaded through each poem. The voice of the poet echoes not just through the harbor, but in the spirit of our collective humanity.
Brenda Vaca
Editor in Chief and Publisher
Riot of Roses Publishing House