[Asian American Poet Spotlight]: Adrienne Su

So, for National Poetry Month, I'm going to highlight Asian American poets out there,with a focus on living ones I really enjoy.

We'll open up 2010 with Adrienne Su, a professor tucked away at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

Since 1997 she's had a great level of output as the author of three books of poetry. My personal favorite is still 1997's Middle Kingdom from Alice James Books, but her books Sanctuary (Manic D Press, 2006) and last year's Having None of It (again, Manic D Press, 2009) also cover some fine territory.

I've interviewed her a few times for Asian American Press and always found her to be a friendly and delightful subject with great honesty and humor. It's a pity we don't seem to catch her touring around the country as much to give readings. Hopefully this will change in the future.

One of my favorites from her collection Middle Kingdom is the humorous Miss Chang Is Missing. I think it's one of the best introductions to her work and style.

Adrienne Su has roots in Atlanta, studied at Harvard and received a 2007 NEA Fellowship in Literature for her poetry. She's been anthologized in The New American Poets, Asian-American Poetry: The Next Generation, Best American Poetry 2000, and the 4th edition of Literature and Its Writers: A Compact Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama.

Check out her work if you get a chance.