i am blow-drying my lashes

Everything begins with birth, but »no one comes into the world / and knows how things work«. But then the doctor says straight away that she is capable of great things, with which he means: hunger. And so her own body becomes an area of crisis and conflict from the very beginning. All the more so when later, in a toilet in Versailles, it suddenly bleeds for the first time. A place of love and pain, of longing and healing – the (primal) longing for a mother, perhaps, »besides the one I have«.

In her debut, Sirka Elspaß strikes a unique note between pop and poetry, existential force and effortless ease. Emotional injuries, moments of loneliness and psychological crises are captured in crystal-clear, precise imagery. So beautiful and so sad, so heartrending and wise, because the author knows: »no one is above things / we are all in the midst of it«.

»Elspaß creates vivid, emotional images in order to critically question their conception at the same time. ... Language, tears, emotions, relationships are in flux. ... With Elspaß’s debut, the current poetic diversity has been enriched by an impressively independent voice.« Christian Metz, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»A tone that is as light as it is serious.« Jury of the Austrian Book Prize 2022

»Vulnerable, courageous, radically listening to what’s going on inside, this little volume is a true gem ...« Ronny Putzke, Kulturexpresso

»Sirka Elspaß has succeeded in creating a clever and refreshing debut that deserves attention.« Beate Tröger, Deutschlandfunk

»Sirka Elspaß is one of the great up-and-coming talents of modern poetry.« ORF

»With i am blow-drying my lashes, Sirka Elspaß has succeeded in creating an extraordinarily interesting and exciting debut, full of wise ideas and big feelings.« Jana Bohlmann, SR2