The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and Spirit
Edited by Leah Silvieus & Lee Herrick
May 5, 2020
ISBN 978-1-949039-05-4
Conceived in a pre-pandemic world, The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and Spirit is a first of its kind poetry anthology on faith that brings together 62 poets with ties to different parts of the Asian diaspora: East, West, South, Southeast, and Pacific Islands. Its publication fills a gap by bringing together contributions from newer and established names; Ocean Vuong, Oliver de la Paz, and Vijay Seshadri may be already familiar to readers of Asian American literature and poetry.
The anthology offers glimpses into some of the most intimate corners of human thought through a journey traveled in six thematic sections:
Poetry as Spiritual Witness
Locating the Divine in the Natural World
Relationships with Cultural History and Ancestors
Spiritual Practice as a Form of Political Resistance
On Doubt and Questions of Faith
Poems about Prayer and Ritual
The World revealed to the reader is rich in its diversity of faiths and spiritual practices, and offers opportunities to engage in self reflection and contemplation. As a whole, the composition is dynamic, and offers a progressive journey that evokes at times feelings of anger and despair, and at others, hope and understanding. Readers should prepare to engage in some emotional heavy lifting with The World I Leave You.
Review by Jennifer Chan, Editing assistance by Silvia Lew