"As preluded by the title of their gorgeously written book, CD Eskilson's Scream / Queen conjures the throaty power of poetry in defiance of 'cruelty made quiet.' With deft formal innovation, these tremendous poems are aimed with command and compassion at the realities and the myths that would refuse trans love and liberation, forging new sacred possibilities from their sonic wakes, resolving to claim all the joy owed. As Eskilson says it, 'I lick my lips, // I kiss the moon: it took so long / to get here.' Amen."-- "Geffrey Davis, author of "Night Angler" and "One Wild Word Away""

"If you've survived the unsurvivable, is that enough? Are you also allowed joy, pleasure, contentment even? How much? Scream / Queen dances in the impossible tension of creating a new life while reparenting our current and younger selves. Eskilson's poems scream in their pauses, silences, surprising variations of form, and sharply-forged verbs. Obstacle after obstacle, from external harm to the ghosts of harm that are intrusive thoughts, the voices of Scream / Queen are languaging their attempts to live in unforgettable sound."-- "K. Iver, author of "Short Film Starring My Beloved's Red Bronco""

"Eskilson's broad talent belies the fact that Scream / Queen is a debut. . . the cohesiveness of the collection makes the book seem almost predestined. . . . The collection is introspective and highly vulnerable, showcasing revealing poemsabout chronic illness and failed relationships. Eskilson writes in conversation withcontemporaries, family history and current events, weaving in interviews, popculture references and other poets' work for a solid collection that respects the artwhile pushing boundaries."-- "AP"

"[An] imaginative and playful debut. . . Scream / Queen interrogates monstrosity and the monsterification of trans, queer, and disabled/mentally ill bodies through the lens of pop culture, particularly horror films. . . . By radically re-envisioning familiar characters and tropes, Eskilson breathes new life into their stories, granting them agency and also allowing readers who have been marginalized or flattened by harmful language and representation to see themselves reflected, perhaps for the first time. Scream / Queen is a testament to the liberatory power of queer imagination, creating 'Not simply / a new ending, an entirely new script.'"

-- "Electric Literature"