Kyle Over-Soul takes us on a journey through a romantic relationship chronologically from the beginning, blissful stages, through struggle, separation, pain, and the healing process. Heart Canals is composed of 35 to 40 pieces of prosaic poetry—Kyle says it’s “more prosaic than anything,” but that the descriptiveness gives the book a poetic feel.
She believes any reader could relate to Heart Canals. It was “written in a way to transcend gender and cultural lines,” says Kyle. As a tri-racial individual, Kyle mentions how she feels that even queer people can be represented in a commercialized way in media and that she’d love to be a sincere voice and ear for anyone to relate to: “I’m a woman and I date women and I would be honored if I were someone the LGBT community could look toward.”
Kyle is eager to see how her readers respond to her descriptions of bodily and spiritual reactions to loss and grief. And of course she’s interested in what her readers think about the erotic pieces. Kyle describes the book’s mood as “intense, but not in a dark way. . .it’s hot and intense and sexy,” says Kyle. “The intensity is in the words and in the descriptions of individual experiences—a few erotic pieces and a few pieces that are absolutely painful, but every piece is written with love and that’s what sort of keeps it light.”
The title, Heart Canals, comes from Kyle’s idea that our hearts connect us to others. Over the course of our conversation, it’s clear that Kyle has a philosophy about how to love in a fulfilling way that makes her happy. The book “embraces vulnerability and selflessness,” says Kyle, “the intent [of loving] is to be selfless, but in the end you receive exactly what it is you’re giving.” It sounds wonderful in theory, and idealistic, but for Kyle it also sounds like the key to her own happiness: “It’s impossible to witness someone else feeling happy and loved and in turn not feel happy.”
Readers might find themselves challenging their own philosophies about love while reading this book. Kyle confidently says: “Being able to be giving and be a lover is so fulfilling—it challenges you to really be able to listen and be present for someone else, and what you end up getting out of it is so much love and so much healing and so much beauty for yourself.” She continues, “When we love in the way that is needed, that shows us our true capacity to love. . .when a relationship ends, if you love someone selflessly there’s no room for hate or resentment because that love was for them.”
Her relentless positivity is a rare quality. She insists that “even toward the end of the book there’s still this resounding energy of, ‘I love this person’—in the end there is still love.”
Kyle’s book, published by Heron’s Wing Press is available for purchase on Amazon (Kindle edition available), and online at Barnes and Noble.
