nica selvaggio

‘i should give you a ladder' is the debut full length poetry collection of adoptee writer, Nica Selvaggio. In this book, the reader will find themselves immediately confronted with the fragments and shadow aspects of the grieving adoptee psyche. 'i should give you a ladder' is a brave and honest portrayal of how one adoptee gathered all of the shattered pieces and put themselves back together in the wake of witnessing their birth mother’s death after a lifetime of separation. This book is a reckoning with the psychological consequences of relinquishment, the mystery of roots, and the adoption and foster care systems. The reader should be prepared to travel into the underworld of sex and love addiction, disorganized attachment patterns, substance use, eating disorders, and to leave with a strong dose of tenacity and hope. May we all be willing to look.