Lee Ann Roripaugh Knihy

Exploring the trials of contemporary women, this collection of confessional poems draws inspiration from the Heian-period Japanese court and its female writers. The author navigates themes of identity, including bisexuality and biracial culture, while reflecting on the passage of time and nature's revelations. With a blend of humor and poignancy, the poems capture the complexities of modern womanhood, offering insights into solitude, relationships, and the bittersweet nature of memory. This work serves as a modern pillow book, revealing the delicate balance of danger and grace in women's lives.

The book showcases the exceptional talent of a rising author, praised by notable figures like Ishmael Reed. It promises to deliver a unique perspective and engaging storytelling, highlighting the author's distinct voice and creativity. Readers can expect an exploration of compelling themes and rich character development that reflects contemporary issues and experiences. This work aims to captivate and resonate with audiences, solidifying the author's reputation as a significant contributor to modern literature.

Hailed by Ishmael Reed as “one of our brightest talents,” Lee Ann Roripaugh’s fourth collection of poems maps the illusory and ephemeral connection between identities and language. Based on sources as diverse as Heian-period Japanese women writers and the world of science fiction, and drawing on her own experience as a second-generation Japanese American, Dandarians explores a series of “word betrayals”—English words misunderstood in transmission from her Japanese mother that came to take on symbolic ramifications in her early years. Co-opting and repurposing the language of knowledge and of misunderstanding, and dialoguing in original ways with notions of diaspora and hybrid identities, these poems demonstrate the many ways we attempt to be understood, culminating in an experience of aural awe. At once wonderfully lyrical and strikingly acute, Dandarians will further establish Lee Ann Roripaugh as one of the most important and original voices in contemporary Asian American literature.