Sanctuary

by Adrienne Su

“Su negotiates the mercurial new world of cultural commingling in witty, formally assured poems—often in elegantly accomplished forms which themselves add to the layering of cultural reference."—Mark Doty Written in the shadow of the devastating events of 9/11, these beautifully crafted narrative poems reveal heartfelt insights into the emotional life of a contemporary woman in her late thirties—balancing marriage, motherhood, and career—as well as contemplating her experience as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, for whom ambition is a lower priority than survival. While many of these poems are about being a mother (“With Children”), Sanctuary is also about being the child of a mother (“Escape from the Old Country”). In measured lines that are often humorous (“Asian The Sestina”), Su explores the risks that an individual can and can’t take as a member of any a neighborhood, a family, a racial group, a gender, a parent. Adrienne Su was born in 1967 and raised in Atlanta. She received her AB from Harvard and an MFA from the University of Virginia. Her essays have been published in Saveur , Prairie Schooner , and Beard House . Her awards include a Pushcart Prize, as well as residencies at Yaddo and The MacDowell Colony. Her poems have appeared in Best American Poetry , Asian American The Next Generation , and Poetry 30: Thirtysomething American Thirtysomething Poets . Su teaches at Dickinson College. She is also the author of Middle Kingdom (Alice James Books, 1997).

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite poem was "Foreign Languages" where she treats languages like former lovers. For example:

The first one I experienced out loud
was French, so brief and I so young
that it never got its tongue in my mouth.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, relatable read (even if not Asian American). Probably more relevant now (2022) than when published (2006) due to poems about race, stereotyping, immigration, being a woman, motherhood, and pregnancy.

[Regine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful. I laughed out loud at how perfectly “Foreign Languages” caught the feel of relationships with foreign tongues.

[Stephanie B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

more of a 4.5 rating!

i really enjoyed my first book of poetry! i’m actually almost finished with another one of su’s books! some of my favorites include “men at forty,” “women,” “foreign languages,” “fear,” and “asian driver: the sestina.” i think some of her work may be inaccessible due to her draw from her heritage—like “woman under a roof” and others that draw from hyper specific cultural traits—but that doesn’t stop you from reading a good poem. in fact “woman under a roof” had a couple of my favorite lines in the whole book. overall very enjoyable!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this poet through Helen Vendler's Poems Poets Poetry. How did I overlook Su for so long? These poems are certainly "well-crafted." They are also daring and original and sometimes harrowing ("Female Infanticide: A Guide for Mothers").

[Carolyn]

A look into the "everyday" and formation of identity through scholar-hood, motherhood, and comedy