205 Asian American Poets: A starting list

 As an idea, “Asian America” is always a bit of a moving target, with as many reasons for us to push towards it as away from it, at times. In my work with the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans we know there are over 60 different groups and ethnicities each charting their own course in the United States, while the Association for Asian American Studies, established in 1979, turns 47 this year, which isn’t that long in the history of the United States. 

People from Asia began appearing in the histories of the US as early as 1587, but many of us see the 1850s as a key period where immigrants from China and elsewhere become an ongoing part of our social conversations.  The history of Asian American literature, especially its poets is still a work in progress, but a major milestone was when the July/August 2017 issue of Poetry Magazine gave a spotlight to Asian American poets for the first time since its founding in 1912. 

The idea of the spotlight was “to introduce new readers to Asian American poets and to help those who are interested in learning more about these poets and their poetry. It is an ongoing project to make visible the vastness and variety of U.S. literary culture and to expand our notions of human experience in our time.” It was most recently updated in 2021.

This was a somewhat contentious listing initially, and there are some who have various academic disputes about the idea of Asian America as a concept and what counts for inclusion. Do you include those who go on to live outside of America, or those who never become US citizens, even if they live most of their lives here? Adoptees, or people who write only in English or in their heritage languages? Does this include East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands, or just few of those zones? Do you include those who expressly don’t want to be called Asian American for whatever rationale? There are a thousand questions that I won’t go into here. But there can be many interesting reasons to look for poets with roots in the continent of Asia and the Pacific Islands and diasporas connected to it.

What becomes challenging however, is coming up with a current guide or directory to Asian American poets at any given point in time.

Most extant directories are very vulnerable to getting out of date quickly, and we don’t seem to have counterparts to the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. You’ll find information about individual poets at Academy of American Poets, for example, but next to nothing about Asian America. The Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center, Asian American Writers Workshop, Kearny Street Workshop also don’t have extensive guides that are presently poet specific. Kundiman has a list of fellows who’ve participated in their program and recently stopped differentiating between those who are strictly poets and those who are writing prose instead of or in addition to poetry and not all Asian American poets have participated in their program. The Wikipedia page on Asian American Writers is also very out of date, and we also have the emerging problem that it is very difficult to add in new poets or even to make simple updates since the process has become much more strict in recent years in addition to certain ongoing bias problems. But for now here's a list some of you may find helpful:

Aria Aber

Dilruba Ahmed

Zubair Ahmed

Ai

Meena Alexander

Agha Shahid Ali

Kazim Ali

Hala Alyan

Indran Amirthanayagam

Cynthia Arrieu-King

Fatimah Asghar

Ruth Awad

Rick Barot

Arlene Biala

Quan Barry

Mei-mei Berssenbrugge

Tamiko Beyer

Jaswinder Bolina

Jenny Boully

Luis Cabalquinto

Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello

Tina Cane

Nick Carbó

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

Dorothy Chan

Michelle Chan Brown

Wo Chan

Jennifer Chang

Tina Chang

Victoria Chang

Cathy Linh Che

Chen Chen

Ching-In Chen

Ken Chen

Justin Chin

Marilyn Chin

Wendy Chin-Tanner

Su Cho

Eric Chock

Franny Choi

Teresa Mei Chuc

Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis

Brian Komei Dempster

Tsering Wangmo Dhompa

Linh Dinh

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Jennifer Kwon Dobbs

Tishani Doshi

Carolina Ebeid

Tarfia Faizullah

Farnoosh Fathi

Monica Ferrell

Megan Fernandes

Naoko Fujimoto

Shamala Gallagher

Eric Gamalinda

Sarah Gambito

Eugene Gloria

Vince Gotera

Jessica Hagedorn

Minal Hajratwala

Sadakichi Hartmann

Raza Ali Hasan

Sharon Hashimoto

Kimiko Hahn

Jennifer Hasegawa

Lee Herrick

Anna Maria Hong

Cathy Park Hong

Garrett Hongo

Tung-Hui Hu

Luisa A. Igloria

Lawson Fusao Inada

Hiromi Itō

Paolo Javier

Ha Jin

W. Todd Kaneko

Summi Kaipa

Bhanu Kapil

Vandana Khanna

Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley

Maxine Hong Kingston

Myung Mi Kim

Suji Kwock Kim

Juliet Kono

Amitava Kumar

David Lau

Dipika Mukherjee

Alan Chong Lau

Ae Hee Lee

Ed Bok Lee

Esther Lee

Karen An-hwei Lee

Li-Young Lee

Priscilla Lee

Sueyeun Juliette Lee

Joseph O. Legaspi

Mari L’Esperance

Genny Lim

Sandra Lim

Shirley Geok-Lin Lim

Tan Lin

Tao Lin

Yuxi Lin

Timothy Liu

Lo Kwa Mei-En

Trisha Low

Pamela Lu

Gerald Maa

Amit Majmudar

Mai Mang

Randall Mann

Sally Wen Mao

Wong May

Dunya Mikhail

Janice Mirikitani

Nadia Misir

James Masao Mitsui

Rajiv Mohabir

Mary Anne Mohanraj

Mong-Lan

Faisal Mohyuddin

David Mura

Kristin Naca

Sawako Nakayasu

Vivek Narayanan

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Rick Noguchi

Yone Noguchi

Hoa Nguyen

Diana Khoi Nguyen

William Oandasan

Matthew Olzmann

Shin Yu Pai

Hannah Sanghee Park

Ishle Yi Park

Oliver de la Paz

Craig Santos Perez

Sasenarine Persaud

Hai-Dang Phan

Bao Phi

Mali Phonpadith

Krysada Panusith Phounsiri

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Michelle Naka Pierce

Jon Pineda

Wang Ping

A. K. Ramanujan

Bino A. Realuyo

Srikanth Reddy

Paisley Rekdal

Barbara Jane Reyes

Atsuro Riley

Lee Ann Roripaugh

Patrick Rosal

Brynn Saito

Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut

Sudeep Sen

Vijay Seshadri

Ravi Shankar

Solmaz Sharif

Prageeta Sharma

Brenda Shaughnessy

Brandon Shimoda

Sun Yung Shin

Anis Shivani

Beau Sia

Brandon Som

Cathy Song

Christopher Spaide

Brian Kim Stefans

Adrienne Su

Arthur Sze

Eileen R. Tabios

Jeff Tagami

Dujie Tahat

Alex Tarampi

Souvankham Thammavongsa

Bryan Thao Worra

Jeet Thayil

Barbara Tran

Paul Tran

Truong Tran

Pimone Triplett

Amy Uyematsu

Mai Der Vang

Pramila Venkateswaran

Catzie Vilayphonh

Ocean Vuong

Divya Victor

Sharon Wang

Ronaldo V. Wilson

Jane Wong

Janet Wong

Nellie Wong

David Woo

Koon Woon

Khaty Xiong

Lynn Xu

Wendy Xu

Mitsuye Yamada

Jeffrey Yang

John Yau

Emily Jungmin Yoon

Mia You

Monica Youn

C. Dale Young

Timothy Yu

Jenny Zhang

Visiting Pittsburgh Spring, 2026: A Quick Guide

Coming to Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft during the 30th National Poetry Month and the first few days of Year of the Horse, and wondering what to do? That seems unlikely, but just in case here are some tips for you:

There are multiple statues to Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood fame, but for something really different, I would absolutely recommend the Fred Rogersaurus currently located near the Cheesecake Factory and the Southside Works on 27th street. A little further down Carson Street you can also take a ride at the famous incline seen in the opening of the show. The South Side Color Park is a fun jaunt in the South Side. At any given point in time has a wide range of graffiti, some examples more creative than others to enjoy, all of the way up to the 10th Street bridge, and maybe a little past that. Fans of street art and graffiti will also want to check out the murals by Raymer and others in the Lawrenceville neighborhood near the 40th street bridge. The Color Park is very picturesque with plenty of pre-con and post-con photo opportunities.

If you can get your way up to the nearby Northside, you'll want to visit Randyland at 1501 Arch Street, which just has to be seen to be believed. It's also near the supposedly haunted National Aviary, as well as City of Asylum Bookstore and the Poet Houses, also worth looking at. I happen to also like the relatively nearby Children's Museum, which features a number of plaques containing cryptid poetry, and a fun "dragon" sculpture, and on one floor, the original puppets from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

The Carnegie Museums are HUGE here, but the Natural History Museum is also connected to the major art museum, and has a great dinosaur collection as well as a gigantic diplodocus outside. Be prepared to spend a whole afternoon here if you go.

The Caliban Bookstore also has a good selection of used books nearby. But this IS a little further out from the main hotel zone. White Whale Books and City Books are also very popular bookstores in the city.

Some of you may want to visit the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum at 4141 5th Avenue, which is where they shot a key scene from Silence of the Lambs, but the cage isn't usually in there anymore. Approximately 30 minutes away is the Monroeville Mall where the classic film Dawn of the Dead was shot, but there have been so many renovations that you really can't spot any landmarks from the film. However, there is a bust of George Romero and the Living Dead Museum, which features some excellent exhibits. You may want to go see this in particular because the mall is about to be demolished for some harebrained developer hustle in the near future.

If you have a car, you can make your way up north to the cemetery in Evans City where Night of the Living Dead was shot. Here you can see a reading of my poem "Zombuddha" I did there back in 2021. It IS an actual cemetery however, so remember to be respectful. Others may find the Carrie Blast Furnaces a more interesting side stop.

Trundle Manor is located a similar distance away and is by appointment only, but it promises one of the more unusual experiences as you see some truly bizarre and macabre objects and taxidermy.

Along that line, if you time it right, you might be able to see the Center for PostNatural History at 4913 Penn Avenue. It's a small museum but it includes extensive exhibits of humans meddling with nature, including the only example I've ever seen of a biosteel goat, who was genetically modified to produce spidersilk proteins in its milk. The Center is only open on Sundays from noon to 4PM, so it's a VERY narrow time frame, but peek ahead. For some of you it may be just what you need to see.

There are of course many other sights and horrors to be found throughout Pittsburgh. I hope this will give some of you a headstart in enjoying the city during your visit!

Ruth Berman appointed SFPA Grand Master

 The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association has named its 13th Grand Master. The honor goes to the multi-talented Ruth Berman.

Ruth Berman's speculative poetry has appeared in Asimov’s SF, Amazing Stories, Analog, Aliens and Lovers, Burning With A Vision, Fungi, Tales of the Unanticipated, Weird Tales, Worlds of Fantasy and Horror, Star*Line, and other magazines and anthologies. As a translator from French, she has placed work in Space & Time, Tales of the Unanticipated, and Fantasy Macabre. Editing credits include working with Mythlore and Pandora, assembling a collection by past Rhysling winner Terry A. Garey, The Middle Earth Songbook, The Star Trek Songbook, and the in-house newsletter on the set of the original Star Trek.

Her impact in and out of the genre has been far-reaching. In 1973, she was a nominee for the John W. Campbell category Best New Writer. She won the first ever Dwarf Stars Award (2006), won the Rhysling Award twice (2003 & 2016) and placed twice (2nd in 2000 & 3rd in 2015). Her articles on genre writing appeared in Jabberwocky (from the Lewis Carroll Society), Extrapolation, and Children’s Literature in Education.

She was active in the performances and publications of the group the Lady Poetesses from Hell. Her imprint of crumbfairy press has published sf/fantasy poetry by herself, Terry A. Garey, Rebecca Marjesdatter, and Eleanor Arnason.

https://ruthberman.com

Congratulations!

A SFPA Grand Master designation may be conferred by the SFPA President with consensus of the membership to an individual living at the time of selection whose body of work shall reflect the highest artistic goals of the SFPA, who shall have been actively publishing within the target genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy for a period of no fewer than 20 years, and whose poetry has been noted to be exceptional in merit, scope, vision and innovation.

The other Grand Masters include:

F.J. Bergmann (2024)

Akua Lezli Hope (2022)

Mary Soon Lee (2022)

Linda D. Addison (2020)

Ann K. Schwader (2018)

David C. Kopaska-Merkel (2017)

Marge Simon & Steve Sneyd (2015)

Jane Yolen (2010)

Ray Bradbury (2008)

Robert Frazier (2005)

Bruce Boston (1999)

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association was established in 1978 by Suzette Haden-Elgin and has an international membership representing over 19 nations and cultures including United States, Italy, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, Poland, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Israel, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, the Hmong, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association publishes two journals: Star*Line and Eye to the Telescope. It oversees three major literary awards for poetry: The Rhyslings, the Dwarf Stars, and the Elgin Awards. We also conduct an annual science fiction poetry contest and other special events and gatherings. Further, we also provide resources for emerging and established poets seeking professional publication and networking opportunities.

Research and Reflections on Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement available now!

A look at the anthology I helped to edit in advance of the 20th anniversary of the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, housed at the University of Purdue.

The cover is by Amorn Setthithorn. Mr. Setthithorn was born April 18, 1949, and his education includes a 1971 Diploma in Painting; Sculpture & Printing from Silprakorn University, in Bangkok ,Thailand and a 1974 Postdiploma in Painting & Sculpture from Visva Bharati University, West Bengal, India, and he has been a practicing artist for over 40 years now, and he now resides in Chiangmai, Thailand. I was happy we were able to get a 20-headed Naga for the cover just in time before the end of Year of the Dragon in April, 2025. There are so many anniversaries to observe as we also prepared to recognize 50 years in the United States since the end of the Southeast Asian conflicts of the 20th century.

I have now served as the Creative Works Editor there for almost 18 years, so it has been a delight to revisit so many wonderful pieces in our community and to see where the authors have gone since. Thank you all for your support!

I give a special thanks to my fellow editors, Dr. Wayne E. Wright, Vikrant Chap, Phitamay S. Uy, Chhany Sak-Humphry, and Vichet Chhuon who’ve been exceptional colleagues across the decades in this journey. The journal is an on-line and free open access interdisciplinary journal providing a forum for scholars and writers from diverse fields who share a common interest in Southeast Asian (SEA) Americans and their communities. JSAAEA is published with support from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the College of Education at Purdue University, and Purdue Libraries Scholarly Publishing Services and Purdue University Press.