My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry by Desiree McCray is officially available for pre-order and is the second chapbook in Abode's 2024-2025 lineup! 
 
Book Description: My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry embodies a thought-provoking exploration of faith, heritage, self-acceptance, and identity. This collection celebrates the richness of cultural heritage and boldly embraces themes often overlooked like embracing being unapologetically fat and the intricate legacy of the author's grandmother's faith. The narrative weaves ancestral connections that birth a distinctive perspective on the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future. In My Sisters Look Like God, each title serves to inspire and empower through celebrating cultural heritage. The book beautifully captures the essence of being a black woman navigating the intersectional complexities of identity and faith. This collection of poetry serves an invitation to embrace diversity, challenge preconceptions, and find strength in the embracing one’s unique authenticity. My Sisters Look Like God is not just a book; it's a testimony to the vibrant, vivid vocalizing of rich human experience.
 
About the Author: Desiree McCray entered the world, hailing from Chicago, Illinois, as a divine gift. Her journey as a writer began in 3rd grade when she participated in a national poetry contest and became published. Embracing the role of a minister, she channels her creativity into crafting poetry, short stories, and scholarly research, delving into themes of race, gender, class, and the intersection of black religion and culture in the public square. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri and an M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary, McCray fulfills her calling as a writer, minister, and host of the podcast "Prophetic Sista Girl."
 
Praise for My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry
 
"Beginning with “My Grandmother Don’t Measure While Cooking,” McCray’s My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry pulls the reader into an illusion until the final page. This allusive collection of rhythmic alliterative poetry will thrust you into vivid flashbacks where you too have a seat at the table to heal and address trauma."
 
— Kyron Elam, author of Shades of a Love-a-holic
 
"My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry is a carefully crafted collection that effectively delves into themes of family, history, identity, and how they all work together. Desiree McCray’s poems tackle important, difficult subjects, and the pages are shaped by pain, hope, and plenty of emotions in between. The book might be McCray’s reflections on their own life, but there’s something in it for everyone willing to listen."
 
— Peter Baugh, author of Force of Nature
 
“A powerful testimony of reclamation and radical remembrance, My Sisters Look Like God: A Womanist Manifesto of Poetry earns its place as a necessary piece of art in the contemporary literary space. Desiree's emboldened commitment to sharing the intricate truths, struggles, and joys of her life as her full self is transformative to the reader to say the least. Weaving a tapestry of important themes like Black American history and culture, identity, and relationship to self, My Sisters Look Like God positions itself as one of the freshest expressions of Black feminist thought today."
 
— Deja Mackey, History Teacher - Chicago Public Schools
 
ISBN: 979-8-9900598-1-8
Publication Date: 6/1/2024
Copies will officially be distributed on June 1st.