Apple: (Skin to the Core)

I’ve never seen a book weave poems and family history together so seamlessly—the photos alone make it worth the read. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after you turn the last page.

The mixture of poems, family photos, and prose made it feel like I was sitting with him as he unpacked what the slur actually means. I read most of it in one sitting, and the way he ties his Onondaga identity to pop culture really hit home for me.

Gansworth's storytelling weaves family history and pop culture references so tightly that I found myself flipping back pages just to savor certain lines again. The way he connects personal memories to the broader Native experience feels both intimate and universal.