MinorFeelings

Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong confidently blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to reveal eye-opening truths about racialized consciousness in America. This collection of brutally honest and thought-provoking essays offers a rare glimpse into the vulnerable and humorous moments of her life, while also relentlessly pursuing essential questions around family, friendship, art, politics, identity, and individuality.

At the core of this collection is Hong’s theory of “minor feelings,” which she developed as the daughter of Korean immigrants. Throughout her upbringing, she grappled with shame, suspicion, and melancholy ingrained in her own racial identity. As a result, the term “minor feelings” is used to describe the tension that arises when American optimism contradicts the harsh realities of one’s own identity. Hong uses this concept to delve into the complex and uncomfortable questions she struggles with.

With wit and poetic precision, Hong intertwines her own experiences with a broader examination of racial consciousness in America today. In doing so, she reflects on her relationship with the English language, depression, poetry, and female friendship. This raw and unflinching work of art provides a haunting portrait of one Asian American psyche and a writer’s quest to uncover and speak the truth.

作者简介

CathyParkHongistheauthorofthreepoetrycollectionsincludingDanceDanceRevolution,chosenbyAdrienneRichfortheBarnardWomenPoetsPrize,andEngineEmpire.HongisarecipientoftheWindham-CampbellLiteraturePrize,aGuggenheimFellowship,andaNationalEndowmentfortheArtsFellowship.HerpoemshavebeenpublishedinPoetry,TheNewYorkTimes,TheParisRe...