More American

by Sharon Hashimoto

Poetry. Asian & Asian American Studies. Winner of the 2021 Off the Grid Poetry Prize. In MORE AMERICAN, poet Sharon Hashimoto reconstructs a collective memory, conjuring the voices of grandparents, children, soldiers, and "those left to tell." In moving detail, these poems convey the realities of assimilation, service, and internment as experienced by Japanese Americans during, and in the decades following, the Second World War. In this stunning second collection, Hashimoto reckons with the limitations of language, and by extension, notions of citizenship. She deftly sounds the dissonances in the language of loyalty and allegiance.

Genres: Poetry

76 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kelli Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this poetry collection in one sitting. It has a way of pulling you in and alongside, making you feel like part of the author’s extended family, hearing or experiencing modern and ancestral family history in a unique and intimate way.
CW: reference to war and WWII Japanese internment; parental/elder death

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tender and well-placed.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Japanese American I can relate and picture her words in my mind. It is beautifully written.

[Whit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and read in pieces over time