allostatic load navigates the racialized interplay of chronic wear and tear during tumultuous years marked by global racial tensions, an ongoing pandemic, the commodification of care, and the burden of systemic injustice. Moving between diaristic intimacy and the remove of news reportage, Désil’s second poetry collection invites readers to hold the vulnerability and resilience required to navigate deep healing in a world that does not wish you well, in a world that is inflamed and consequently inflames us, in a world where true restoration and health must co-occur with the planet and with each other.

Junie Désil, born to Haitian immigrant parents in Montréal and raised in Winnipeg, has devoted over two decades to empowering communities made marginalized. With a background in supporting women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Junie's work spans human resources, leadership, and community engagement.An accomplished poet, her debut collection, *eat salt | gaze at the ocean* (2020), was a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and explores themes of Black sovereignty and the Haitian diaspora. Currently residing on the Traditional Territories of the Homalco, Tla'amin, and Klahoose, Junie is the Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation at Vancity.Junie's second poetry collection, *allostatic load*, delves into personal and collective experiences of stress, coping mechanisms, and the journey towards healing. She mentors emerging writers at Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. Beyond her professional life, Junie enjoys writing, coaching, consulting, and raising goats.

Junie Désil's profile page