Bite Hard Book

We are often used to poetry to be something as sweet as rolling around in a field of flowers, as we romanticize heartbreak and other failed relationships, but hey, still in a field of flowers. As sweet as that sounds, BITE HARD on the other hand still has beautiful, memorable lines - but think less of flowers, and more of daggers; beautiful, yet sharp daggers, piercing through you - every word, every sentence. I was actually taking note of the works I liked/resonated with me a lot, but the more I read, the more I realized that I had marked almost everything already.

If there's one word to describe Chin's poetry (and hopefully this isn't cliche), it has got to be "REAL." Who said exploring your identity is a sweet journey? Especially as a minority; asian (or asian-american in this case) AND gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, whatever - in a foreign land full of struggle and hurt, I don't think it promises anything close to singing in the rain and whatever fantasy you have. BITE HARD quickly reminds us of that identity is a source of struggle, but one can hope to use such identity as a victory.

RIP JUSTIN CHIN. YOUR POETRY LIVES ON!