My poem “Instructions for Operating the Aversion Therapy System” has been published by The University of Pittsburgh’s literary magazine Hot Metal Bridge. You can access it here. 

This poem is about the aversion therapy programs used in the 60s and 70s that misguidedly attempted to “cure” homosexuality via electric shock, taste aversion, and other sensory measures. I was inspired to write it after I saw one of these old machines in an archive. The thought of all the people needlessly subjected to torture made me sweat and hyperventilate. I hope this poem is a reminder of what happens when we use science to validate our prejudices and when we weaponize science against vulnerable people.

Full poem available at Hot Metal Bridge.