Deer, Silent and Open-Eyed (Preorder)
Deer, Silent and Open-Eyed (Preorder)
Beetle Samuel Rooke-Dutton
my new name has nothing save for
vowels or the sound you get when
your jaw unclenches
Beetle Samuel Rooke-Dutton’s debut poetry collection, Deer, Silent and Open-Eyed, is both a tender and visceral reflection on natural decomposition and his experiences growing up as a trans guy in southern Maine. Through metaphors relating to fish, insects, fruit, and roadkill, the collection conveys themes of violence, connection, joy, and resilience. Exploring topics ranging from the sharpness of razor clamshells to the look of deer sleeping on the sides of highways in the dark of morning, he captures the essence of humanity through the eye of a boy lying still on a dirt road.
POETRY | Paperback | 2025 | ISBN: 979-8-9909764-3-6
Photo by Winky Lewis
About the Author
Beetle Samuel Rooke-Dutton (he/him/his) is a trans guy from California who currently lives in a beach town in southern Maine. Deer, Silent and Open-Eyed is his first published collection of poetry, though he has been writing for over ten years. When not writing, Beetle is active in Maine’s queer youth community, running workshops that work to create safe spaces and improve the accessibility of communities. He also enjoys linguistics, photography, and the outdoors, especially when hiking or on bike trips. Though Beetle plans to eventually move away, Maine is his home, and he is forever grateful for the community he has gained because of that.