No Swaddle

Mackenzie Kozak examines the complex question of whether or not to bear children. Through a series of untitled American sonnets, the poems speak to themes of origin and desire, noting the shame that can accompany such a decision. Many poetry collections speak to the varied griefs of becoming a mother, losing a child, or being unable to have a child, but this collection gives specific voice to another grief that feels unspeakable: the possible conclusion of not wanting to be a mother.
no swaddle reads as a sort of meditation on theme, its repeated form mirroring the spiraling nature of indecision and reconsideration of the same major question alongside its continuous struggle to name. In the end, this grappling with elements of grief and shame becomes a way of moving toward greater agency and fulfillment.


Author: MacKenzie Kozak
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
Published: 04/10/2025
Pages: 80
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.15lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.40d
ISBN13: 9781685970109
ISBN10: 1685970109
BISAC Categories:
- Poetry | American | General
- Poetry | Subjects & Themes | Family
- Poetry | Women Authors

About the Author
Mackenzie Kozak is associate editor at Orison Books and works as a therapist specializing in grief counseling. Her poetry has appeared in the Boston Review, Colorado Review, DIAGRAM, jubilat, Missouri Review, Muzzle Magazine, Sixth Finch, THRUSH Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. Kozak lives in Asheville, North Carolina.