Minireview: Make-Believe Love-Making by Ana Carrete

Ana Carrete, talented young California poet, and founder and editor of the online literary journal New Wave Vomit, has just released a book of poetry entitled Make-Believe Love-Making. The collection has a lot to do with, you guessed it, sex, but don’t be fooled by the title, this book is surely bound to provoke some very real emotions.

What the 28-page handmade book lacks in quantity it most certainly makes up for in quality as every line is designed for maximum impact. Carrete’s sense of humor, often times dry or deadpan, was on full display when I received the book in the mail and saw that she chose to make 69 copies. Don’t get me wrong; this collection isn’t all just a barrel of laughs, though. A good number of poems are serious and offer a glimpse into the author’s psyche. Grappling with emotions such as self-confidence, or a lack of it, imperfection, and disappointment lend this collection a heaviness that balances out the more humorous pieces.

Maintaining this duality throughout the book, Carrete seems comfortable treading emotional waters other writers wouldn’t dare dream of. But what struck me from the very beginning to the last word was her acute sense of self-awareness. This ability to process her feelings and verbalize them in such a beautifully hilarious, or tragic, bare bones way left me running to my computer in search of more of her writing.

Carrete’s keen grip on her own sexuality is on full display in several individual poems.

“i move my hands a lot
in your room in your pants
in your pockets

but mostly in my room
when i practice with bananas”

But it was some of her more serious poems that affected me the most. They caused me to stop and think, re-read, and think some more.

“i scream all the sexist things
everyone has ever said to me
and i’m sweating but i’m not going to cry

i’m tired of hiding but i think i’m going to
crazy glue this blanket to the floor”

Carrete has, in her own small way, created something special. Every one of the 69 people who are lucky enough to get their hands on this rare gem should hold on to it for a long, long time.

Go over to Ana’s blog at to order a copy or to check out any of her other writing. It’s definitely worth the time.

Patrick Trotti is a writer, editor, and student. His fiction has appeared in such publications as New Wave Vomit, The Legendary, and Sleep. Snort. Fuck. among others. He is the Founder and Editor of the online literary journal (Short) Fiction Collective, works as the Noir Fiction Editor for Voices From The Garage, and is a staff member of the online literary journal jmww.