The Maiden in the Tower (2023)
“The Maiden in the Tower” is the latest poetry collection from Kate Gough, in which the lonely gothic dread entwines the bodies of those living with chronic illness. From the isolating tower, the maiden sings poems of life and death, as she beckons those who often take their health for granted, to look inward, and to listen to those who have lost their health. Letting go of fool’s labels, coping with the fierce storm within and without, and rising above the alienating torment of those who think they know better, or couldn’t care less, she cares dearly. In a plagued earth, she defies the rushed hustle, and in rebellion, she rests.
"Kate Gough's words are rhythmic and cutting, soft and brutal at once. She provides a stunning portrait of illness, both physical and mental; these poems are a look into the truth of how it feels to live with a disability, and the way society treats suffering - by locking it away into a tower. A very resonant and important collection.”
- Salem Paige, Author of The Third Self
Cottage in a Mirror (2022)
Kate Gough’s debut poetry book “Cottage in a Mirror” is a wistful collection of confessional poems she wrote about healing from trauma, through means of many vices and virtues. Taking inspiration from so called “tragic heroines”, fairy-tales, and the human anatomy, she explores themes of lost dreams and perpetual pain all whilst clinging to the romantic ideal of a quiet life.
"Gough’s imagery is haunting, the pages swarming with the weight of pain regarding: ice-cold feet, the pressures of virginity, a heart cut in two. Through these details, you understand what the narrator is accustomed to: detachment; like a wall is built between her and the life she wants to live. With its use of gothic femininity highlighting the narrator’s traumatic journey regarding her chronic illness, I can’t help but finish this collection and feel a sense of hopefulness."
— Chimen Kouri, author of Peach Milk