MagnoliaMagnolia
Finalist for the 2020 Forward Prize for Best First Collection
A Chicago Review of Books Best Book of the Month and a Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of the Year
Magnolia , Nina Mingya Powles' exquisite debut poetry collection, pushes the borders of languages and poetic forms to examine memories, myths, and the experiences of a mixed-race girlhood. From Aotearoa to London, from Shanghai to New York City, these poems journey across shifting, luminescent cities in search of connection: through pop culture, through food, through vivid colors. Scenes from Mulan , Blade Runner , and In the Mood for Love braid together with silken tofu and freshly steamed baozi. At the heart of the collection is "Field notes on a downpour," a lyrical sequence that questions the limits of translation and our ability to understand one another. Alone, the speaker recognizes that "certain languages contain more kinds of rain than others, and I have eaten them all."
Full of hunger and longing for a home that can embrace a person's complexities, Magnolia draws on every sense to arrive at profound, yet intimate insights, and introduces readers to a brilliant new voice in poetry.
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- Portland, Oregon : Tin House, c2022.
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