Kaleidotrope
(Autumn 2023)
Artwork by Chloe Janowski
Digital Publication
“Angel Leal’s Animals That Pretend to Be Islands… touches on what happens when people refuse to see the dangers of a place they come to in a time of need. The poem follows a people made refugees on a wide ocean who find a place to settle – on the back of a great animal. And despite knowing that it’s an animal, they pretend that they can have a home there, because the alternative is difficult to face. But Leal shows how it can’t be avoided, and pretending that it’s a solution not only leads to a lack of preparation, it also fails to fully appreciate how an animal isn’t an island – but it can be a home for a while, can grant rest and reprieve in an uncertain world.” – Charles Payseur, Locus Magazine January 9, 2024
Angel Leal 