15 Ways to Stay Alive

Broken hearts, scattered dreams, postpunk politics, and postmodern cut-up collages spiral and flow in award-winning poet Daphne Gottliebs latest collection of startling new works that explore survival after personal or communal disasters and the renewal that follows. Whether shes writing about unanticipated outcomes (“After the Midway Ride Collapsed”), her mothers passing (“Somewhere, Over”), or absurd situations (“Preoccupation”), Gottliebs deeply personal insights into the complex areas where life and contemporary culture collide offer readers a unique, thought-provoking perspective.

"I Have Always Confused Desire with Apocalypse"

We met over a small

earthquake. Now, my knees

shake whenever

you come around

and Ive noticed your hand

has a slight tremor.

Daphne Gottlieb is the award-winning author of seven books including the critically acclaimed poetry collection Final Girl (Soft Skull Press) and the graphic novel Jokes and the Unconscious (Cleis Press), illustrated by Diane DiMassa. Gottlieb has performed and taught creative writing workshops throughout the United States. She received her MFA from Mills College, and currently resides in San Francisco.

"Final Girl" was the 2003 winner of the Publishing Triangle's Audre Lorde Award. "Final Girl" was also named one of the the Village Voice's Favorite Books of 2003, and received rave reviews from Publisher's Weekly, and the San Francisco Chronicle. "Why Things Burn" won a 2001 Firecracker Alternative Book Award. Gottlieb is a three-time finalist for Lambda Literary Awards. Her work has been translated into Turkish and Greek, and has inspired theatrical adaptations and DJ remixes.

Recent press has praised her work as "fierce," "unapologetic," "scorching" and "deliriously gutsy." She has been widely published in journals including Utne Reader, Tikkun, Nerve.com, McSweeneys.net, Exquisite Corpse, and Instant City. Her work has appeared in a number of anthologies including "Live Through This: The Art of Self-Destruction", "Word Warriors:35 Women Leaders of the Spoken Word Revolution", "Dont Forget to Write!", "Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes", "With a Rough Tongue: Femmes Write Porn" and "Short Fuse: A Contemporary Anthology of Global Performance Poetry". She is also the cover girl on Akashic Books' "San Francisco Noir".

Gottlieb has performed at festivals coast-to-coast, including South by Southwest, Bumbershoot, and Ladyfest Bay Area. She formerly served as poetry editor of queer literary magazines Lodestar Quarterly and Other Magazine.

Gottlieb currently teaches graduate-level creative writing, and has also taught creative writing workshops at all levels around the country. She received her MFA from Mills College.