As y’all know, I’m reading with Chiwan Choi this Wednesday at Good Hurt and had promised to post a sample of his work. Chi’s a genius, and he’s also 1/2 of my publisher, Writ Large Press. Here’s a poem from his website:
Jacob and Israel
it’s how the story was told to me
on the steps of the kitchen,
my little belly hanging out over the waist
of the beige shorts mom made me,
with seams stitched in
so i’d know which side was the front,
the comic book in my hands,
unable to admit to her
that i was making up the words
after overhearing her tell her sister
who lived next door with her unbearable husband
that i could already read at not quite 4,
sitting there on the steps that my father built
just like he built the rest of the house
once over the business of having me,
sitting on those steps that went down into the kitchen,
as she stuck her hands
into cabbage and pepper flakes
and drew me the picture of that cliff,
that mountainside of rocks,
with her words
and i pretended not to care
and held the book i couldn’t read to my face
and pretended i didn’t hear the story
of jacob,
of israel,
hanging there on the rocks,
his hands on the cloth of the angel’s robe,
whose wings were no match
for a young man’s desperation.
Chi’s one of the best poets writing today–so I highly recommend you make it out for this one. I know it’s the westside, but it’s worth it, I promise.
Here’s the info, one more time:
Wednesday, May 21st
8 pm (Chi and I will be reading between 8:45-9:45)
Good Hurt Bar
12249 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
and, be sure to check out Chi’s website, www.chiwanchoi.com, and Writ Large Press’ website, www.writlargepress.com.
