jaded

a poetic reckoning with white evangelical christian indoctrination

Marla Taviano

“I needed these poems to cut through my own looping thoughts and to invite me to sit with my own grief, pain, anger, and—surprisingly—my joy at breaking free.”
—D.L. Mayfield, author of Unruly Saint: Dorothy Day’s Radical Vision and its Challenge for our Times

After author Marla Taviano wrote unbelieve, a book of poems chronicling her faith deconstruction, her plan was to move on from white evangelical Christianity to bigger, lovelier, more all-embracing thoughts. But she couldn’t do it. Why? Because she was still jaded—and knew there was work left to do. 

For those of us who are picking up pieces of life and faith and figuring out how to heal and move forward, jaded: a poetic reckoning with white evangelical christian indoctrination is a collection of poems—short, thoughtful, brave, and spicy—about getting stuff off our chests. Covering topics like evangelical scare tactics, sex and purity, patriarchy, white supremacy, and how the church treats the queer community, these poems say more in fewer words and with zero sugar-coating. With an appendix jam-packed with books to read on your journey, this is a book that will open you up and take you forward. Warning: you might not be able to put it down.

Jaded is this former good Christian girl’s offering—a labor of anger and love. We might not need to stay here forever, but we need this now.

Praise for jaded

Marla Taviano is writing the deconstruction narratives we didn’t even know we needed. Cutting out all the extra words we want to use to describe our thoughts, instead Marla goes straight for the guts. Although specific to her story, the ripples of what it costs a person to intentionally interrogate their iron-clad worldview are universal. I needed these poems to cut through my own looping thoughts and to invite me to sit with my own grief, pain, anger, and—surprisingly—my joy at breaking free. This is a book for anyone in the thick of deconstruction. Marla will be a good, creative, and curious friend on your own journey to healing.”

D.L. Mayfield, author of Unruly Saint: Dorothy Day’s Radical Vision and its Challenge for our Times

An unrelenting love letter to the deconstructing exvangelical in all of us, jaded kicks your ass in all the ways you never knew you needed. Marla’s collection of salty and sweet, diverse-drenched poems delivers punch after punch of inclusion, truth, and authentic calls for change. Read this book—it will do your heart, mind, and backside good.

Stacey Chomiak, author and illustrator of Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming-of-Age Story

Marla Taviano’s latest collection of poetry holds the beauty of her uncluttered and unencumbered way with words. In jaded, she sees the thing but allows the reader to see what she sees without intruding or leading, and thankfully without assuming. For instance, in her poem “ten years ago” the thoughts are loud and profound while the lyricism of the poem is still and quiet—as if waiting for us to take a synchronized breath with the poet. A beautiful invitation is offered here.

Marcie Alvis Walker, Black Coffee with White Friends and author of Everybody Come Alive

Jaded follows Marla’s first collection of poems on deconstructing white evangelicalism. She says the soft part LOUD, offering much needed language for those in the wilderness trying to make sense of their faith in the bid towards wholeness.

Rohadi Nagassar, author of When We Belong and host of the Faith in a Fresh Vibe podcast

Poetry exposes the wound, names the wound, and heals the wound—with love. Poetry also advocates for the wound and speaks the TRUTH about the wound. This is how I see Marla’s poetry. She is a gifted writer whose book, jaded, is necessary for all who are on the path of liberation from toxic white supremacy culture and decolonization. May all who read jaded feel seen, heard, and understood.

Tasha Hunter, author of What Children Remember and host of the When We Speak podcast

I really loved poring over these poems from Marla as she expresses the wide range of emotions that are true to her and many others as they seek to disentangle from systems of theology that aren’t serving them anymore. I love the care that was placed in the themes as well as what was chosen to be shared within the themes.

Robert Monson, host of Black Coffee and Theology podcast and co-host of Three Black Men podcast

For anyone who’s grown up in the Evangelical church and walked away, this book is for you. Jaded gives voice to your anger, your questions, and alllllll of the contradictions. But it also leaves you with a sense of life on the other side; that there is beauty in calling it like it is, in naming the idols, and in walking toward freedom.

Fr. Shannon TL Kearns, co-founder of QueerTheology.com and author of In the Margins: A Transgender Man’s Journey with Scripture

With wit, candor, and obvious disgust at the manipulations of her former evangelical lifestyle, Marla offers us a glimpse into her journey of rediscovering her humanity amidst all the ruinous religious teachings she once believed. Jaded is heavy, thoughtful, uplifting, and a clever way this poet invites us into the painful (and often forgotten) journey of reconstructing ourselves and our mark on the world.

Camille Hernandez, author of The Hero and the Whore

Marla Taviano is into books, love, justice, globes, anti-racism, blue, gray, rainbows, and poems. She reads and writes for a living (especially @whitegirllearning), wears her heart on her t-shirts, and is on a mission/quest/journey to live wholefarted (not a typo). She’s the author of unbelieve: poems on the journey to becoming a heretic. Marla lives in South Carolina with her four freaking awesome kids. Find out more at marlataviano.com.

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