Paperback. A chapbook of new and selected mother poems by celebrated poet Li-Young Lee.I Ask My Mother to Sing contains five decades of poems by the acclaimed Asian-American poet, Li-Young Lee about his own mother and the many meanings of motherhood. This collection follows Lee's entire career, from his debut Rose (BOA, 1986) to his most recent book, The Invention of the Darling (W.W. Norton, 2024). The chapbook also includes seven new and previously unpublished poems.Sample poem:The InheritanceMother, your hairhas fallenfor the last time,and I can't raise it up.And I can't put it down.I can't leave it on the ground.The ground is too crowded with the living,too teeming with the dead.I can't store it in the sky. The sky's too fullof birds and clouds and airplanes.And the seas are full of mountainsand creatures and ships coming and going.And as long as earth turns,all of the seasons are full of days.There's no place to lay your hair down.Sleep won't have it.Your hair whispers too many secrets and stories.Night doesn't want it.There are no stars your hair won't swallow.When you were alive,you gathered it, bound it, and piled it,to balance on the top of your head.A small black urn, it shone.Later, it shone white.But your hair has come undoneonce and for all time,and what was onenow is many.What started at your crown,now has no beginning.What stopped at your waist,now has no end.Now can't be collected or dispersed.Now neither story nor song can comb or weigh.Now has no measure or address.Now can't be counted or left out.And I can't carry it.And I can't put it down. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

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Bibliographic Details

Title: I Ask My Mother to Sing (Paperback)
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
Publication Date: 2025
Language: English
ISBN 10: 0819502030
ISBN 13: 9780819502032
Binding: Paperback
Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A chapbook of new and selected mother poems by celebrated poet Li-Young Lee. _I Ask My Mother to Sing_ contains five decades of poems by the acclaimed Asian-American poet, Li-Young Lee about his own mother and the many meanings of motherhood. This collection follows Lee's entire career, from his debut Rose (BOA, 1986) to his most recent book, The Invention of the Darling (W.W. Norton, 2024). The chapbook also includes seven new and previously unpublished poems. Sample poem: **The Inheritance ** Mother, your hair has fallen for the last time, and I can't raise it up. And I can't put it down. I can't leave it on the ground. The ground is too crowded with the living, too teeming with the dead. I can't store it in the sky. The sky's too full of birds and clouds and airplanes. And the seas are full of mountains and creatures and ships coming and going. And as long as earth turns, all of the seasons are full of days. There's no place to lay your hair down. Sleep won't have it. Your hair whispers too many secrets and stories. Night doesn't want it. There are no stars your hair won't swallow. When you were alive, you gathered it, bound it, and piled it, to balance on the top of your head. A small black urn, it shone. Later, it shone white. But your hair has come undone once and for all time, and what was one now is many. What started at your crown, now has no beginning. What stopped at your waist, now has no end. Now can't be collected or dispersed. Now neither story nor song can comb or weigh. Now has no measure or address. Now can't be counted or left out. And I can't carry it. And I can't put it down.

About the Author

LI-YOUNG LEE is the author of six books of poetry. He has received many honors for his writing including the 2024 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a Lannan Literary Award, a Whiting Award, the American Book Award, and more. OLIVER EGGER is a poet, editor, and journalist. He is the editor of I Said That Love Heals From Inside: Love Poems of Yusef Komunyakaa (Wesleyan, 2024).

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