Natalie Wee

Arsenal Pulp has become one of my favorite publishers, and when I was looking at their spring releases, I knew I needed to pre-order this one. The cover already had me set up for an easy sell, but then the blurb had phrases like "familial hauntings and cultural histories," "glittery queer love," "folklore speaks back as a radical tool of survival," and "inexhaustible ferocity."

This book absolutely did not disappoint.

I was already five-starring this in my brain with a long list of favorite poems noted that I wanted to return to, when halfway through the collection I arrived at "Wei Ying Tells Me About Resurrection" and !!! Wei Ying brainspace already has my heart half-flayed open AND THEN IT CUTS FURTHER. "Choose a hell of your own making over the hell that unmakes you." Insert keysmash of overwhelming emotion here.

AND THEN THAT ISN'T EVEN MY FAVORITE POEM IN THE COLLECTION. That place being currently held by "Listen I Love You Joy is Coming." "How much of the world must we pass through to arrive at ourselves?" with its nods to the new ways we found to show care for each other in the pandemic.

I always say I will reread collections but rarely do, but this one I WILL.… (altro)