Born in Tibet, loses parents, aunt ships him off to a monastery, China exiles him to India where he decides to sing, rap, act, and write in the hills of Dharamsala. Ho hum, Ten Phun, get back to us when you have something to write about.... Read More

Oh, you make it look so easy—everyday language, simple truths, no head-scratching allusions or hidden meaning—can you do this in your sleep, Mr. Hedin? Standing on your head? We know better, and stand in awe. With three National... Read More

The Asian American experience is little known, comparatively, and that’s a shame on this country. Immigrants are the best of us. Introducing Christine Kitano—not that her work needs an AA asterisk as a selling point—and "Sky... Read More

Poetry’s about butterflies and lips as soft as rose petals, right? Yes, bad poetry. Consider that poets come from all walks of life, including Vietnam War surgeons in a daily struggle to reconcile memories of the battlefield. And faced... Read More

Alas, young poet, lock away the sharp utensils before indulging in a few lines from this new Max Garland collection. Pick a page, any page—33, for example—and witness this astounding level of thoughtfulness and delivery: I like the... Read More

C. Kubasta, please don’t take offense as we make reference to, ahem, country music in reviewing your fantastic new collection, "Of Covenants". The plainspoken, country-road cadence and homespun themes lean to AM, not FM, and yet the... Read More

All the world’s Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus—they’re peas in a faith-based pod. But Buddhists don’t belong in there. No, the Buddhist gig is more about waking up to what’s real, realization of how the universe really... Read More

This is curated poetry for anyone seeking solace in sickness. In the poems of "Do They Have Telephones Up in Heaven?", R. R. Pravin grapples with his experiences as a first-year pediatric resident. He explores the full range of emotions... Read More