Status Updates From How to Dress a Fish

It only takes one small cloud
in an otherwise blue sky
across the sun to make me shiver
to raise the hairs on my arms
and I wonder,
would I be able to survive
in the islands North, I wonder,
would I be able to keep my body
warm there
where lay my family bones?

"Guangkuta 'Sugpianek' ap'rtaakiikut cuumi, nutaan ap'raaraakut Alutiit" —they used to call us 'the real people' before, but now we are called Alutiiq. I now understand this work to be an anthology - a collection of poetry, letters, records and photographs all weaved together to piece together the history of the Chabitnoy family, descendants of the Unangax̂ (Aleut) tribe of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

Information being redacted in a book of poetry is interesting, it’s structure is a bit unexpected as well!

currently reading to revise my umass amherst personal statement lols