Writing


Book
The cover art of Jade Cho's book, In the Tongue of Ghosts. On a yellow background, there is a pattern of illustrations by Alex Chiu: an open mouth, a raised fist, a ghost making angry, happy, and surprised facial expressions, a pineapple, and a girl with chin-length hair speaking. White text in a brown box overlaying the pattern reads: "In the Tongue of Ghosts: Poems and Other Writings by Jade Cho. Forward by Dennis Kim."

In the Tongue of Ghosts (First Word Press, 2016) is a collection of the first poems I wrote and performed, examining identity, belonging, and coming of age in the Bay Area as a grandchild of Chinese immigrants. Between diaspora angst and unrequited crushes, these early articulations map the obsessions I continue to write through: history and myth, language and death, poetry as a practice of mourning and becoming.

Cover art by Alex Chiu