We the Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word

A beautiful anthology featuring some of the brightest voices in contemporary American poetry who challenge, expand, and illuminate the meaning of "AAPI" in today's world. In this thoughtfully curated book, AAPI poets representing multiple generations, perspectives, and backgrounds come together to unpack and celebrate AAPI identity. Too often, Asian Americans are narrowly represented and stereotyped--this anthology pushes against such limited representation, lifting up writers whose ancestry is rooted in South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Polynesian regions, and beyond. To introduce and contextualize each section of the book, the editors--Franny Choi, Bao Phi, Noʻu Revilla, and Terisa Siagatonu--include letters written to and from each other, reflecting on the history of AAPI communities and the lessons we can carry into the world we want to build. This book shows how there is no singular way to embody an AAPI identity, just as there is no singular way to be Latinx, Black, Muslim, queer, or otherwise, and liberating ourselves from such notions is the only way we can truly understand and care for each other in meaningful ways. Contributors include Marilyn Chin, Carlina Duan, Joshua Nguyen, and many other AAPI voices, both established and emerging.