Slows: Twice

T. Liem

Description

Co-op available
Advance reader copies (digital and print)
National print and online campaign
Social media campaign and giveaways

Liem's previous poetry collection, Obits., also from Coach House, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and won the 2019 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award from the League of Canadian Poets.

While only their debut collection, Obits. remains one of the most influential recent books of Canadian poetry with several young poets citing it as meaningful to them.

Sujets

• Themes
• Subjects
• Canadians
• Yogyakarta (disambiguation)
• General officer
• Poetry
• Places
• Asian
• General
• Canadian
• Yogyakarta
• Alberta

Informations

• Publié par: Coach House Books
• Date de parution: 09 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781770567559
• Langue: English

Extrait

PRAISE FO R SL O W S : TWICE ‘ T . L iem i s one of m y fa v our it e poets w ork in g in C a n a da . I w e lc ome d thi s book int o m y li fe li k e s udden s unlight. Slo ws: T w ice i s a book a bout ho w ur g ently w e ne e d t o r e a d di ffer ently . I lo v e d its mi schie v ous r e la tion t o for m and ex pe cta t ion as w e l l as its bur nin g int e l l ig enc e . I onc e descr i be d T . as an inher it or of the tr a d ition of L a n g ua g e P oetr y , but wh a t Slo ws: T w ice pr o v es i s th a t T . i s less an inher i t or and mor e so an inno va t or , an in v ent or in their o w n r i ght. I r e a d it in one f r enzie d si in g. ’ – B i l ly - R a y Be lc our t , a uthor of A M i nor C hor us ‘ e poems of Slo ws: T w ice c o l l e ct in r e son a nc e , c o nt empla t e the c onstr uction of selv es, w ith modes of r e petition, se quenc in g , and mir r or - in g , the wa y lan g ua g e assembles an identit y or points t o itsel f as it points a w a y . “ e cloud s // di sappe ar the sk y sometimes; or they be c ome it. ” S t or ie d and cubi stic, p alindr omic and cle a v e d , L iem ’ s poems r e v e al r e la - tionships t o time , noi s e , and dur a t ion, and the possi bi lit y of joy g iv e n p ainf ul p asts . ’ – H o a N g uy en, a uthor of A o usa n d T i mes Y o u Lose Y o u r T r e a s u r e ‘“F or e v er y thin g I was, I am no w somethin g el se . ” R e v i sion of sel f and w orld ar e c or e t o thi s inno va tiv e , unr uly book th a t m a n a g e s someho w t o be a t onc e for m a l ly wa ck y and emotion al ly cle ar . ese poems se em t o ask : i f lan g ua g e i s a bo x he a v y w ith hi st or ies and in a d e qua c i es and w hich w e ne v e r theless must car r y , ca n lan g ua g e al so car r y us somew h er e , el sew h er e , str a n g ely ? R a r e ly h a v e I enc ount e r e d a book so a t home in the unr esolv e d , in the t e nsion bet w e e n a lon g i n g for de clar a t ion and a c ommitment t o questions . T . L i em ’ s w ork c o njur es the fig ur e of J anus: g od of dualit y and g a t e s, one fa c e fa c in g an end, the other look in g thr ough a new door , r i ght in the ey e of a dr e a m. ’ – C h en C h en, a uthor of Y o u r E mergenc y Con tact H a s Exper ienc e d a n E mergenc y
‘I t ’ s br e a thtak i n g t o wa t ch w o r d s dr ip f r om a p a g e int o a si lv er r i v e r cu in g thr ough a can y on of time . T . L i em sculpts poetr y w ith st e a dy , cur ious fin g e rs, pushin g a g ainst the fi l aments w e think hold us t o g e ther th a t h a v e be en quietly c o l l e c tin g cr a c k s, f r om bur ie d v i olenc e and w h i s - per e d hi st or ies t o the f r a g i le c onne ctions t y in g us t o g e ther . O bits. captur e d m y he ar t ; Slo ws: T w ice no w affir m s it. ’ – T e t a , founder of diaspor ic I n donesian publica tion Bua h z i ne ‘T . L i e m ’ s Slo ws: T w ice i s a fasc i n a tin g exer c i s e in r e v i sion and r e m a k i n g , e a ch r e petition of its t e x t a c c ompli shin g the ar duous task of str e t chin g time and g e opolitical fi x it y . “ ask in g and r e pe a t in g / w e ar e m a de ” de clar es L i em, and th a t u er anc e pr oduc es the book’ s essential m a x im, “ l an g u a g e i s ch an g e / ch an g e d by pr osody . ” I n bet w e e n these cr a c k s of time , lan g ua g e be c omes a mir a cle s utur e for lo v e and c onne ction w h er e the h a r d r e alit y of one ’ s c i r c umstanc e s m a y pr oduc e infinit e r u ptur es . i s i s a book th a t pe ers int o the fi s s u r e , holdin g these moments of f r a ctur e as sti l l and cle arly as possi ble – a f utur e of pr o x im a t es . ’ – M u r i e l L e un g , a uthor of I m a g i ne U s , t he S w a r m
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c o py r i ght © T . L i em, 2023 first e d ition Publi she d w ith the g e ner ous assi stanc e of the C a n a da C ounc i l for the A r ts and the Ontar io A r ts C ounc i l . C o a ch H ouse Book s al so a ckno w l e d g e s the s u ppor t of the Go v e r nment of C a n a da thr ough the C a n a da Book F und and the Go v e r nment of Ontar i o thr ough the Ontar io Book Publi shin g T a x C r e d it. LIBR A R Y AN D A R C H IVES CANAD A CA T A L O G U ING IN PUBLICA TION T itle: S l o w s : t w ic e / by T . L i em. N a mes: L i em, T e ss, a uthor . D e scr iption: P o ems . I d enti fi ers: C a n a dian a ( p r i nt ) 20220465665 | C a n a dian a ( e book ) 20220465843 | IS BN 9781552454619 ( s o c o v e r ) | IS BN 9781770567559 ( EPUB ) | IS BN 9781770567566 ( PDF ) C l assi fica tion: LC C PS 8623. I 363 S 56 2023 | DD C C 811/.6—dc23 Slo ws: T w ice i s a v ai la ble as an e book : IS BN 978 1 77056 755 9 ( EPUB ), IS BN 978 1 77056 756 6 ( PDF ) Pur c h a se of the pr int v e rsion of thi s book entitle s y ou t o a f r e e dig i tal c o py . T o claim y our e book of thi s title , ple a se em ai l sales@chbook s . c om w ith pr oof of pur ch ase . ( C o a ch H ouse Book s r e ser v es the r i ght t o t e r min a t e the f r e e dig i tal do w nlo a d offer a t an y time .)
‘T ime is t h e sa me o m p l ace t o p l ace,’ I sa i d u n fe e l in gl y . ‘ er e is o n l y t h e et ern a l pr esen t, a n d bio log y .’ – M a x ine H o n g Kin gst on, e W o m a n W a rrio r O en we a r e fo r c ed t o co nsen t t o t h e s u pp o sit io n t h a t we a r e as co n t in uo us as o t her s im a g ine us t o b e . – E r ica H u nt , J u mp the Cl oc k

T ABLE OF CONTENT S I W ant t o L i v e H e r e H e r e in W h er e N othin g C o her e s x 9 | 82 the F utur e W e Kno w 1985 – 12 | 80 – YYYY A R e quest 13 | 79 A R e quest W e W e r e C a ptione d We We r e N ot C a ptur e d 14 | 77 the Gr a t ef ul Ones One of the Only P l a c es Y Bein g L e U ncr o w de d 15 | 75 S omethin g S o lva b le $1 per W o r d On the L a st D a ys for T r a v el W r itin g 16 | 73 of the Y e ar of the Ox A ousand M o st Did T w an glin g I n str uments 19 | 71 N ot A s k I n R e sponse t o F e elin g A lone; I n R e sponse t o F e elin g A lone; or , Befor e and A er 20 | 69 or , Befor e and A er S ome one A s k s S ome one A s k s H o w H a v e Y ou Be en 22 | 68 H o w H a v e Y ou Be en T ime Y ou C a n ’ t T ime Y ou C a n ’ t A r g ue With 23 | 67 A r g ue With e M idd le of N o w h er e I n t e l l e ctual P r oper t y I s S omew h er e 24 | 65 as a R e s ult Adv ic e 26 | 64 Adv ic e
E v en Earlier ough er e I s M o r e T o da y I s P a st 27 | 63 er e I s A l wa ys M o r e P oem in W hich I A m the L i ly N ot e s in W hich I A m the L i ly and the V al ley 29 | 62 and the V al ley Ex c e rp t Ex c e rp t of a L on g er W ork 30 | 61 of a L on g er W ork C onsider the H a nd s C o nsider Y ou Wi l l N ot T ouch 31 | 60 Vi c e V e r s a e P a st 32 | 58 e P a st er e A r e N o Actual M onst e rs er e W e r e N o Actual P o ets in i s P oem I H ope 34 | 56 in i s P oem I H ope Only Onc e in i s L i fetime Y ou W e r e N ot W e r e Y ou the B ur O ak 37 | 54 One T ime in Y our L i fe e S e c ond H al f F o ld s in on I tsel f 38
I W ANT TO LIVE HERE WHERE NO THING COHERES w hich might inc it e a ut opia in w hich I w i l l not r e member I wasn ’t a w ak e in m y li fe . B lood c i r c ula t e d but I was sti l l ampli f y i n g so ness t o mimic intim a c i es . E v er y thin g sounde d li k e a shor e a t night. A thr eshold – 9 –
bet w e e n me and pot ential in an y dir e ction. S pook e d, I r e v e ale d m y sel f in e v er y mir r o r . I look e d do w n though the moon appe ar e d t o flo a t. I was a y e s m a n and gr a b be d w h ole w h a t was in m y r e a c h. I was outside m y sel f and under t o w . e opposit e of et er nit y dr esse d me . I t i s w h y I was c omfor ta ble alone , but was I e v er r e al ly a sw immer . I n m y chosen height I was a he a d a b o v e thought. I was ener g i z e d by a dulthood but didn ’t ask w h a t k ind of wa t e r i s thi s . – 10 –
– 11 –
1985 – D a ys exceed us, r i bs str e t ch sk in. Or ma y b e th a t ’ s just me sa y i n g i f y o u ’ r e lonely , h a ul some one el se out of y oursel f . I s ask in g t o be unbodie d ask in g t o asc e nd or ask in g t o be cast in br onz e? M y fa ther tr anscr i be d and footnot e d hi s mother ’ s h a ndw r i e n a u t o biogr a ph y f r om the y e ar I was bor n. N o t e 46: I n I n do nesi a n t h e o r g a n t h a t s u ffer s t h e p a in is l i ver [ sic ] as oppose d t o the he ar t. W e ne e d c onc epts mor e th an they ne e d us so tr y a g ain w ithout me and the gr andmother . I t ’ s be en done . S o tak e m y liv e r . M y c o lour w i l l not ch an g e s uddenly . I w i l l not spi l l o v er the e d g e of the p a g e w h en I die . N o one wants t o field the question: ar e metap hors just another po w e r dy n a mic bet w e e n w h a t ’ s descr i be d and w h a t descr i bes it? I me an w h0— e r e st ar e r e minders . e unlo v e d ask e d t o c o ntain the lo v e d . ( e ex pr esse d the un- ex pr esse d.) A nd I c ould c ommit the r e st of li fe t o c omposin g elements int o thi s di lemm a . I c ould. – 12 –
A REQUES T F i x me t o y our ide a of midnight. M e anin g I’ m her e i f y ou ne e d me . T omor r o w let ’ s spi l l wa t e r and let our sock s sop it up as w e danc e . Other thin gs w i l l be tr ue by then t o o . C u in g onions w ith our ey es close d , hummin g t o the f r idg e hummin g : these ar e the wa ys w e w i l l exer c i s e faith. N o w o r r y i f our wants want nothin g t o do w ith us, w e w i l l sh ar pen our ne e d s . Sa y pr e cise . Or i s it possi ble w e must ask for thin gs be ca use w e belie v e , ultim a t ely , in li st enin g ? S i x t e e n y e ars a g o y ou cal le d me and tal k e d a bout the f utur e in a wa y th a t scar e d the shit out of me . Sa y pe r i sh the thought . H o w does one do th a t ? T ime aside , the p a st t opple d y ou unper f e ct i s t oo close t o sa y it was . Or t omor