Chords of Courage

This spoken word poetry anthology comprises poems meant to be lifted off the page using the most vulnerable and powerful tool of all: the human voice. The title, Chords of Courage, tickles a few devices of implication. Firstly, it plays on the idea of "vocal cords," because, as was just reviewed, these are poems meant to be read orally. Concurrently, the title offers reverence to the parallels between the arts of poetry and music. Thus, the sections in this anthology are referred to as "chords," given they glide through different rhythms and moods. Each of these poems was also written with the rhythm of my own voice, and I hope you can enjoy the way in which they may animate through your voice as well.

These poems also shift from the self to the world through my various life lenses, including that of an immigrant, an educator, and an engaged citizen. From ruminations on personal identity, to reflections on traumatic world events, to musings on small, everyday phenomena, a poet croons her voice by finding harmony with the discordant world around her.