A Spectrum of "Periodic Boyfriends"

Drew Pisarra is a well-regarded author who has written about the emotional and erotic aspects of queer love in works such as the powerful poetry cycle Infinity Standing Up (2019), and the engaging and affecting short story collection You’re Pretty Gay (2021). His latest work is Periodic Boyfriends, a collection of witty, insightful and passionate examinations of his romantic adventures. Many of us, queer or straight, have likely jotted down some memories regarding our past fling and flirtations, but I’m sure most of us haven’t done so in the form of sonnets. We certainly haven’t organized and titled them after the entries in the periodic table of elements, as Pisarra cleverly does in this new collection.

The eloquent and masterfully constructed sonnets in Periodic Boyfriends will by turns bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, and perhaps inspire memories of your own adventures in the dating (or hook-up) arena. Pisarra openly shares the desires and emotions which he felt during (and after) these couplings, and offers some reflective musings on his encounters. These poems are witty, sardonic, romantic, and imbued with a strong sense of the passion he felt during these experiences. The cleverly constructed poems in this collection are deeply infused with trenchant observations about his partners, and sharply sketched details about the location of the trysts.

Pisarra is an innately talented writer, and pulls no punches in these ingenious sonnets, which are tinged with a humor, ardor,  a sense of (occasional) regret, and some perceptive ruminations on love, lust and the white-hot combustibility of sexual attraction. It’s no simple feat to make this format work so well, but Pisarra succeeds admirably, and I think you’ll find yourself regularly re-visiting these well-crafted poems. Some of my favorites include “Krypton,” “Thallium” and “Nihonium,” but the entire spectrum of Periodic Boyfriends is worthy of exploration.

In addition to his masterful poetry and short fiction, Pisarra has penned several excellent plays, and written and performed some acclaimed one-man shows, including Singularly Grotesque and The Gospel According to Saint Genet. I highly recommend checking out Periodic Boyfriends, which is available from Capturing Fire Press, as well as seeking out his other work.