Crossing with the Light

The poems from this book have been reprinted in a multitude of textbooks and anthologies, including the Norton Introduction to Literature. This is the last printing for this paperback book published by Tia Chucha Press, Chicago's acclaimed multicultural poetry publisher. The book is not available as an ebook. Get it while you can. . Crossing with the Light contains one of the most reprinted poems about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII -- "In Response to Executive Order 9066." The poem has appeared in CELEBRATE AMERICA IN POETRY AND ART (Smithsonian) and many textbooks and anthologies.  The poem looks at this moment in American history through the eyes of a teenage girl. Another popular poem is "Notes for a Poem on Being Asian American," which has appeared in the NORTON INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE and NORTON INTRODUCTION TO POETRY.  Okita's poetry is widely reprinted every year in textbooks and anthologies.  .The book also looks at the poet's life as a gay man in poems like "When Frank Walks In" and "Where the Boys Were."  This last poem was inspired by the AIDS crisis.  There is often humor in the poems, sometimes a sense of wonder.  Other titles included:  "Mysteries of a Bowling Alley," "Letters I Never Wrote," and "Poem for the Unnamed."  The Amazon page used to let visitors to Look Inside but it hasn't worked in a while.  .If you enjoy Okita's poetry, you may want to take a peek at his award-winning, debut novel THE PROSPECT OF MY ARRIVAL.  It was a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards and is available on Amazon in both kindle and trade paperback.  Okita was named an "Author to Watch" by Best Indie Book Awards for his second novel, THE HOPE STORE.  It's about the first store in the world to sell hope over the counter, the customers who were transformed by it, and the controversies that ensued.Author site:  DwightOkita.com. NOTE:  Sometimes Amazon carries this book, sometimes it doesn't. Another way to purchase remaining copies of Crossing with the Light is to visit:  tiachucha.org/bookstore