“This bewitching debut delivers everything the title promises and more. Lyrical and provocative, Gabbert’s poems get right up close to the body … Underneath the strange allure of Sex Depression Animals is a fierce rejection of patriarchal structures, a reclamation of bodily autonomy and sexual power.” —Diana Whitney, Electric Literature

“A chiseled, yet tender self-portrait … Sex Depression Animals leaves you with a strong sense of [Gabbert’s] fierce yet careful voice … Without doubt, I look forward to more Gabbert’s work.” —G.H. Mosson, Heavy Feather Review

“Sex Depression Animals, Mag Gabbert’s first book, tells two origin stories. One is about Gabbert: her childhood firsts, adolescent middles, and every ingredient in her ‘Recipe for Quiet Ferocity.’ The other is about language, Gabbert’s unruly medium, each word aswarm with connotations and near-synonyms.…Gabbert’s intertwined narratives give nothing precedence, lending equal credence to favorite poets’ best lines and the so-called lower senses—taste, touch, and smell. Her distinctive emotional hues are not primary colors but gradients and swirlings—proud masochism, inappropriate laughter, unplaceable heat.” —Christopher Spaide, Harriet Books/The Poetry Foundation