The Temperature of This Water

by Ishle Yi Park, Ishle Park

Poetry. Asian American Studies. In The THE TEMPERATURE OF THIS WATER, Ishle Yi Park samples the climates of New York and Korea to present an unflinching, meticulously detailed view of lives cracked open as much by love as they are by overwork, violence, and racism. Sharp street wit and a sensual attention to detail give vivid, palpable form to the lovers and criminals, mothers and gangbangers who live behind the closed doors of New York immigrant life. Within each poem lies a story; within each story lies a whole community waiting to be uncovered. Whether tracing the path of prisoners meeting girlfriends or Korean comfort women or .44s shot from rooftops in Brooklyn, Park's passion and uncompromising honesty lays bare the ruined heart of a city still pulsing with light.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Ishle Yi Park’s writings have appeared in numerous publications, including New American Writing, Beacon Best Writers of All Colors 2001, and The Best American Poetry of 2003. She has performed in the United States, Cuba and Korea, and was a featured poet on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. In April 2004, she was named Poet Laureate of Queens, N.Y.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartbreaking. uplifting. so filled with truth and rawness.

Ishle Yi Park, a townsend harris alum, daughter of korean immigrants, daughter of fish market owners, daughter of parents who were brought to the united states as a result of the korean war- i’ve never read any work from someone who so closely resembled myself, who had similar experiences and were able to spin prose from it - this truth that i could adopt as my own because it was my own in so many ways.

& how important it is for us, for society to have these voices. invoking tears on the 7 train because the truth of the words hit a bit too close to home- we all need that.

[3cia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Ive never read a poetry before and this one was the first one i read, and it was beautiful - heartbreaking poetry. To be honest, it was a bit hard for me to understand every single things while reading this, but while i read each sentences: It felt Deep. Like half of me is like: Im confused-but interesting.. and the other half of me is like: wow thats sad, very deep.... I love how the writer of this poetry expressed how the racism effects the life of the immigrants, And the violence that the people are getting. I love things that has deeper meanings and this is one of them! It was a good read- and I might aswell re-read this someday to better understand it.

[Sidney Yang]

"Read the best books first, or you may not have the chance to read them at all."
Henry David Thoreau

"Many times the reading of a book has made the future of a man."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have laboured hard for." Socrates.

"Next to the Holy Scriptures, the greatest aide to the life of faith may be Christian biographies." A.W. Tozer.

"The reading of good biography forms an important part of a Christian's education. It provides him with numberless illustrations for use in his own service. He learns to assess the true worth of character, to glimpse a work goal for his own life, to decide how best to attain it, what self denial is needed to curb unworthy aspirations, and all the time he learns how God breaks into the dedicated life to bring about His own purposes." Ransome W. Cooper.

[el · Rating 2 out of 5]

"makes me wonder about death,/ my mother's ears, and the shape/of her waist before I was born..."

"I've heard enough stories from my aunt about how he once slashed his own stomach open to show a would-be robber he was that crazy, to feel strong and helpless at the same time."

"And although I know the shower will get cold/as I write this, I want to record what is true,/the glimpses of you around my apartment/that unravel me:/...the temperature of this water,/ as if you're coming back."

"The first time I met Little, I kissed him...Since then, it's always been like this: a kiss, a disapproving stare."

[Meher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely evocative, Ishle Yi Park has the phenomenal ability to look at herself, her community and her group of people with both, compassion and derision. She is able to draw out these people with rare humaneness and ingenuity. She's a brilliant poet, and an even better storyteller. The result is a heartbreaking memoir of a young girl who's never here, nor there.

Edit: Five stars on second read. Park is a rare voice.

[Tashal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ishle. She is a wonderful and amazing woman. She inspired me to start writing and performing poetry. I had to write a review of her book several years ago, here it is:

http://www.tribes.org/tbrown/reviews/...

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

An urban, Asian-American's point of view through family, love, and life. I've noticed that her favorite words to use seem to be "break" and "crack". My favorite 'stanza' was,

Let's take this night
over graves
let's illuminate
this cupped space,
your mouth

a hot black flower.

[Sarah Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

So raw.
I thought I didn't like poetry, but this was amazing. Love, anger, loneliness.
Perhaps I'm a bit biased because I chose to emulate Ishle Yi Park for a poetry project last year.
But this is incredible.

5/5

[Seven · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved it.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection!

[Dalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dopest. Writer. Ever.
(and so humble and beautiful and inspiring and all-love too!)

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Korean-American Poet Ishle Yi Park. She threw down on this one. Political, biting, soft, tender...

[WhizKid · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite - Jejudo Dreams

[Amayzun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ishle is an amazing poet. I love her work.