Kind things said about my debut collection, The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak:
“Grace Lau’s poetry will saunter into a room inside of your heart, take a seat in the front row, and stay there for weeks. These poems bravely make their way into the lonely corners and abandoned underbellies of some very painful places: a childhood closet, a complicated inheritance, forsaken faith, queer love, and family, to name just a few, and somehow render these memories into heirlooms. I read these poems once to discover what this poet has given us, and will now read them again and again, in order to truly unwrap and cherish her gifts.” - Ivan Coyote, storyteller and author of Rebent Sinner
“This is a collection to take in slowly in order to fully experience the observational aspects of the poems. Some of the most evocative moments occur within spaces of stillness.” - Manahil Bandukwala, ROOM Magazine
“The poems in Grace Lau’s debut collection, The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak embody wryness, curiosity, and care.” - Leanne Dunic, The Capilano Review
“Grace Lau’s debut poetry collection is blessed by fine details—fine details that hold immense meaning. Multi-generational histories steep in Grandma’s cup of cha. A lifetime of queer desire knits along with the poet’s own skinned knees. Lau’s refined poetic lines and crisp stanzas ask us to slow down the pace of our reading, so we too can discover the deep substance of each image and word.” - Amber Dawn, author of My Art Is Killing Me and Other Poems
“While the beating heart of Lau’s poems are the intangibles – love, longing – the physical realm is nonetheless significant. The body is a diary upon which memory and meaning are writ.” - Ren Iwamoto, Canthius Magazine
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1. Review by Ren Iwamoto for Canthius - I didn’t know that Ren would be reviewing my book until the review was live! Deep thanks to Ren for reading and reviewing the collection with such a generous spirit—I think they might enjoy food just as much as I do.
2. Review by Leanne Dunic for The Capilano Review - I first met Leanne at a virtual reading (thanks, COVID…), and even though I shared the stage with many talented and lovely poets, I probably enjoyed her reading the most. I love that she resonated with the theme of love so much.
3. Review by Kate Gorton for PRISM - Kate is a brilliant writer herself, and though she focuses more on prose, I was touched that she accepted the invitation to review the book.
4. Review by Manahil Bandukwala for ROOM Magazine - Manahil’s mastery of language herself is always so exciting for me, and I’ve been a fan of ROOM Magazine for a long time. Double the love!
I didn’t realize how much reviews mattered until I became an author. Thank you to book reviewers everywhere. ❤️