Tina Chang's latest poetry collection, LION, is set to be released on October 6 by W.W. Norton. This marks her first new collection since Hybrida in 2019. In LION, Chang, who is an English professor at Binghamton University, delves into themes of safety, danger, and the visibility of Asian American women, as well as the impact of the pandemic and the ongoing issues of bias and racism.
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The collection reflects on the violent incidents affecting Asian American communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Atlanta spa shootings in 2021 that left eight dead, six of whom were Asian women. Chang expressed her anger and grief over these events, prompting her to research the lives of victims like Michelle Alyssa Go and Christina Yuna Lee.
The title LION encapsulates a symbolic exploration of strength traditionally associated with masculinity but reinterpreted through the lens of feminine experience. Chang stated, "I chose the word lion as I’m consciously claiming a domain traditionally dominated by men and calling attention to spaces that exclude women." The lion motif runs throughout the book, highlighting both authority and the nuanced experiences of women.
The opening section, “The Document of Invisibility,” presents a speaker who witnesses her own birth and survival amidst attempts at erasure by societal forces. Chang explained, "There are many forms of violence against communities of color... to claim one’s identity is to be visible."
In addition to her poetry, Chang engages with the work of other Asian American women artists through a group art exhibition titled penetrates earth’s floor. This exhibition was a tribute to Christina Yuna Lee and inspired further poetry in her manuscript. Chang's process involved discussions with participating artists, which fueled the creation of new poems.
Looking ahead, Chang is currently working on a new collection focusing on caregiving and its emotional and physical ramifications. This project draws inspiration from Richard Wright's Haiku: This Other World, exploring themes of love and mortality through the lens of personal experience.