Hannah Green's edgy, often darkly comedic debut, Xanax Cowboy, is a long poem that considers the romanticization of addiction and mental illness (particularly in relation to the notion of the artist) via the romanticization of the Wild West. Cowboys are supposed to be messed up, a bit raw around the edges. The speaker wants to be loved for this too, and doesn't care if she is the only one laughing. The long poem is known for its resistance to form and expectation. Xanax Cowboy is as obsessed with itself as other long poems. It is vain. It is ridiculous.
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