The Necessity of the Human Hand. An Autoethnographic Reflection on Minnie Bruce Pratt’s Poetry, Activism, and Legacy

This article explores Minnie Bruce Pratt's work, life, and legacy through an autoethnographic lens, using two encounters with Minnie Bruce as anchors to build on and circle around; to open into musings, visions, echoes. I argue that Minnie Bruce's poetry and writing contends with her intersecting marginalization, queer desire, and loss: In my reading of her work, I see a firm belief in materialism, communal solidarity, unique visions pushing against dominant expectations. I interweave analyses of Pratt's work with stories from my own life, rivering into my experiences of chronic illness, loss, and transformation as a non-binary trans butch poet. At the heart of this piece are questions of writing with, and beyond, the body amidst the in-between, and I hope to highlight Minnie Bruce Pratt's continuous impact on the queer community, even after the loss of her physical form.