If They Come for Us: Poems

If They Come for Us: Poems

â€œA debut poetry collection showcasing both a fierce and tender new voice.â€â€”Booklist
â€œElegant and playful . . . The poetÂ invents new forms and updates classic ones.â€â€”Elle
â€œ[Fatimah] Asghar interrogates divisions along lines of nationality, age, and gender, illuminating the forces by which identity is fixed or flexible.â€â€”The New Yorker

NAMED ONE OF THE TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYÂ â€¢Â FINALIST FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD

an aunt teaches me how to tell
an edible flower
from a poisonous one.
just in case, I hear her say, just in case.

From a co-creator of the Emmy-nominated web seriesÂ Brown GirlsÂ comes an imaginative, soulful debut poetry that collection captures the experiences of being a young Pakistani Muslim woman in contemporary America.Â Orphaned as a child, Fatimah Asghar grapples with coming of age and navigating questions of sexuality and race without the guidance of a mother or father. These poems at once bear anguish, joy, vulnerability, and compassion, while also exploring the many facets of violence: how it persists within us, how it is inherited across generations, and how it manifests itself in our relationships. In experimental forms and language both lyrical and raw, Asghar seamlessly braids together marginalized peopleâ€™s histories with her own understanding of identity, place, and belonging.

Praise for If They Come for Us

â€œIn forms bothÂ traditional . . . andÂ unorthodox . . . Asghar interrogates divisions along lines of nationality, age, and gender,Â illuminatingÂ the forces by which identity is fixed or flexible. MostÂ vividÂ andÂ revelatoryÂ are pieces such as â€˜Boy,â€™ whoseÂ perspicacious turnsÂ andÂ irreverent idiom conjure the rich, jagged texturesÂ of a childhood shadowed by loss.â€â€”The New Yorker

â€œ[Asgharâ€™s] debut poetry collectionÂ cemented her statusÂ asÂ one of the cityâ€™s greatest present-day poets. . . . AÂ stunningÂ work of art that tackles place, race, sexuality and violence. These poemsâ€”bothÂ personalÂ andÂ historical, both celebratoryÂ andÂ aggrievedâ€”areÂ unquestionably powerfulÂ in a way that would doubtless make both Gwendolyn Brooks and Harriet Monroe proud.â€â€”Chicago Review of Books

Â â€œTaut lines, vivid language, and searing images range cover to cover. . . . Inventive, sad, gripping, and beautiful.â€â€”Library Journal (starred review)
Country USA
Brand BALLANTINE GROUP
Manufacturer One World
Binding Paperback
Color Grey
ReleaseDate 2018-08-07
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780525509783

Country	USA
Brand	BALLANTINE GROUP
Manufacturer	One World
Binding	Paperback
Color	Grey
ReleaseDate	2018-08-07
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780525509783

If They Come for Us: Poems

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