A December APA Poetry Companion: Warm Books for Winter

An APA Poetry Companion: December 2020. Cover images of MON by Mina Khan, FUGITIVE ATLAS by Khaled Mattawa, WOMEN IN THE WAITING ROOM by Kirun Kapur, PINK MOUNTAIN ON LOCUST ISLAND by Jamie Marina Lau, FABLESQUE by Anna Maria Hong, SOME GIRLS WALK INTO THE COUNTRY THEY ARE FROM by Sawako Nakayasu, PHONE BELLS KEEP RINGING FOR ME by Choi Seungja (trans. Won-Chung Kim and Cathy Park Hong), SALAT by Dujie Tahat
New and notable APA poetry books for December 2020

As it gets deeper into winter, here are some exciting new and forthcoming releases to warm your spirit.

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FEATURED PICKS

Anna Maria Hong, Fablesque (Tupelo Press, Sep 2020)

Anna Maria Hong’s second poetry collection, Fablesque, was the winner of Tupelo Press’s 2017 Berkshire Prize. The book connects old animal fables with women of the modern world, weaving in trauma and rebirth in the context of the #MeToo era. We’re delighted to see this collection on the shelves and hope you’ll look for it, too. 

Sawako Nakayasu, Some Girls Walk into the Country They Are From (Wave Books, Oct 2020)

Another book we’re excited about is Sawako Nakayasu’s first poetry collection in seven years. Some Girls Walk into the Country They Are From follows a cast of “girls” who embody various representations of the female diasporic subject. We can’t wait to dive into the pages of this book and hope you’ll check it out as well. 

Dujie Tahat, Salat (Tupelo Press, Jan 2021)

Issue 7.1 contributor Dujie Tahat brings us a new collection, Salat, for the start of the new year. In it, he takes prayer as form. Hanif Abdurraqib writes that Tahat’s poems add “history, image, and narrative flair. [The poet] weaves all of these things together like a song, summoning people to a holy space.” If you’ve enjoyed Tahat’s work in the past as we have, you’re sure to enjoy this upcoming release as well.

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MORE NEW AND NOTEWORTHY TITLES

Kirun Kapur, Women in the Waiting Room (Black Lawrence Press, Oct 2020)

Mina Khan, MON (monuments monarchs & monsters) (Sputnik & Fizzle, Oct 2020)

Jamie Marina Lau, Pink Mountain on Locust Island (Coffee House Press, Sep 2020)

Khaled Mattawa, Fugitive Atlas (Graywolf, Oct 2020)

Choi Seungja (trans. Won-Chung Kim and Cathy Park Hong), Phone Bells Keep Ringing for Me (Action Books, Oct 2020)

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We hope you’ll enjoy some of these picks—and even share them with friends and family—this winter. What else is on your reading list? Share your recommendations with us in the comments or on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (@LanternReview).

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Cover image of KONTEMPORARY AMERIKAN POETRY by John Murillo

ALSO RECOMMENDED

John Murillo, Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry (Four Way Books, 2020)

Please consider supporting an indie bookstore with your purchase.

As an APA-focused publication, Lantern Review stands for diversity within the literary world. In solidarity with other communities of color and in an effort to connect our readers with a wider range of voices, we recommend a different collection by a non-APA-identified BIPOC poet in each blog post.

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