"Our Bearings is a collection of narrative poems about Anishinaabe life in modern Minneapolis. The four elements - earth, air, water, and fire - separate the poems into four distinct sections, throughout which McGlennen weaves together a beautifully layered portrait of a city and family from the perspective of an Anishinaabe woman who lives in, and sees, another Minneapolis. This is a Minneapolis burdened by its ugly history and the ever-present shadow...

Josh has always felt out of place and ashamed of his attraction to other boys, and as he struggles to come to terms with his sexuality, he learns some important lessons about his heritage and his own beliefs.