
The history, the fight, and the people behind the store
Explore our full story →
Couldn't load pickup availability
By Amber Dawn
Vancouver Book Award winner; Lambda Literary Award finalist
A memoir about sex work and sexuality, and how writing became the author's lifeline.
Amber Dawn's acclaimed first novel Sub Rosa, a darkly intoxicating fantasy about a group of magical prostitutes who band together to fend off bad johns in a fantastical underworld, won a Lambda Literary Award in 2011. How Poetry Saved My Life, Amber Dawn's sophomore book, reveals an even more poignant and personal landscape--the terrain of sex work, queer identity, and survivor pride. This story, told in prose and poetry, offers a frank, multifaceted portrait of the author's experiences hustling the streets of Vancouver, and how those years took away her self-esteem and nearly destroyed her; at the crux of this autobiographical narrative is the tender celebration of poetry and literature, which--as the title suggests--acted as a lifeline during her most pivotal moments.
As raw and fiery as its author, How Poetry Saved My Life is a powerful account of survival and the transformative power of literature
Paperback: 160 pagesFree shipping on Canadian orders over $100. Flat-rate shipping is available for smaller orders and for US customers, with delivery in 1-10 business days. US orders include duties and taxes calculated at checkout. Every order ships in plain, unmarked packaging with no reference to contents, and you'll get a tracking link as soon as it's out the door.
Defective items are covered for 30 days, with select brands warrantied up to 15 years. Due to the personal nature of our products, items are final sale unless defective, no returns or exchanges.




