Anatomy of Want

THE BOOK: Anatomy of Want

PUBLISHED IN: 2019

THE AUTHOR: Daniel W.K. Lee

THE PUBLISHER: Queer Mojo, an imprint of Rebel Satori Press.

SUMMARY: Anatomy of Want is a study on desire’s limbs, its breath, its unchecked tendencies on creatures—mortal and divine—who dare to love or be loved. Eros to agape, melancholia to saudade, the poems find fruit in these conditions and exposes with carefully selected words and deliberate silence, our hunger.

THE BACK STORY: Anatomy of Want is composed of poems that span over 20 years of writing brought together after completing my MFA at The New School in 2006. It also took over 10 years to get the manuscript accepted for publication.\

WHY THIS TITLE?: The book explores various parts of desire, which I think of as part of an anatomy. And as it so often happens, the title came to me while walking down a street.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO READ IT? While Anatomy of Want is unapologetically for a queer audience, the language and the sentiments behind the poems transcend gendered notions of wanting. Asian Americans interested in reading poetry from LGBTQ+/queer Asian Americans should be interested in my book. Also, I think young poets in high school would totally vibe with it.

REVIEW COMMENTS:

“Captivating read that deserves to be read again and again.”..

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2021: “In Anatomy of Want, Lee takes us deep into the intimacy between lovers, the memories they create, hold on to and try to forget but can’t. Through his talent for noticing the small details of everyday life he arouses all of the senses, often on the same line or stanza—in poems like ‘Compliments to the Cook’ and ‘La Cocina,’ Lee wafts the scents of fragrant food into our noses and holds up the spoon to our mouths to taste the poems coming off the pages. The longing to love and be loved is stitched tightly into each line as we’re carried through cityscapes with lively streets and dark bedrooms with empty beds all reminding us of lovers lost. Anatomy of Want is an enticing and heartfelt ode to what it means to give part of yourself to the people you allow close to you. In it we see ourselves as the speaker, the holder of secrets and the teller of truths sometimes hard to swallow. The nostalgia exudes itself onto every page—evoked by memories of sorrow and loss, of growing up too fast and living in an often-foreign feeling state that is strangely familiar. It’s Americana places us deep in the heart of Manhattan’s subway systems and the long aisles of grocery stores filled with people that infinitely stay strangers. This book is definitely on the edge of what poetry is going to look and feel like for years to come. It is one that deserves to be read and reread for its intimate look at what being human truly is.”

A gorgeous book of lush poetry

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2020:

“This book should be on the shelf of all poetry lovers, especially those interested in underrepresented voices. The language is lush and sensual, the topics to do with love, life and death. Must read.”

AUTHOR PROFILE: I’m a third-generation refugee, queer Cantonese American, born in Kuching, Malaysia, raised in Chicagoland, grew up in New York City, and now make my home in New Orleans. In terms of my writing craft, my poetry is driven by an economy of language with maximum meaning. As a result, I heavily employ metaphor throughout my writing. I am also very interested in the role of silence, what is unsaid in the poem, that also shapes it.

AUTHOR COMMENTS: I hope Anatomy of Want will be an enduring contribution to queer and Asian American, and queer Asian American poetics and representation. The near invisibility of queer Asian Americans in most—if not all—levels of culture and society is harmful to us, particularly of our youth.

SAMPLE: A review of the book can be found here: https://a.co/d/0mjJDWP

LOCAL OUTLETS: (In New Orleans) Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, Blue Cypress Books, Octavia Books.

WHERE ELSE TO BUY IT: RebelSatori.com, Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target.com

PRICE: $12.95

CONTACT THE AUTHOR: Twitter: @danielsaudade / Instagram: @strongplum / FB: @danielwkl