Women's Voices For Change

“The Dispossessed” and “Two Tales” are only two of many poems in 'Blood Memory' where Gail Newman navigates complex, painful territory with an incisive use of poetic craft and an abiding, enduring love for her family.

Paisley Rekdal’s “有 識: Have Knowledge” moves the reader through questions posed by immigration officials to Chinese immigrants entering the United States during the Chinese Exclusion Act.

“Self Portrait con Valencia” deftly charts the bilingual experience in addition to the social one, crafting a subtle metaphoric relationship between the elements of the periodic table and language.

The poem was written in response to the convergence of multiple artistic endeavors, each of which spoke strongly to me about history—one was the 'Migration Series' exhibit at MoMA for which the poem was commissioned, and one was the book 'The Warmth of Other Suns.'

Through the use of fantastical elements and irony, the poem transforms into a strong negative commentary on what Yamini Pathak calls in her Poet’s Note “the traditional treatment of widows in Indian society.”

MK Chavez empowers Little Red Riding Hood, an innocent damsel in distress if ever there were one, by giving her autonomy over her body and destiny and, ultimately, recognizing her multiplicity.

I hope there’s an implicit argument in the book for all of us to value our interior lives without divorcing ourselves from the world. And I hope there’s an argument for living life with intention, for making yourself a life that feels like home to you.