AKirkusBestBookofOctober2021FrompoetVictoriaChang,acollectionofliterarylettersandmementosontheartofrememberingacrossgenerations.ForVictoriaChang,memory“isn’tsomethingthatblooms,butsomethingthatbleedsinternally.“Itiswilled,summoned,anddraggedtothesurface.Theremembrancesinthiscollectionoflettersarefoundedinthefragmentsofstorieshermothersharedreluctantly,andthesilencesofherfather,whofirstwouldnotandthencouldnotsharemore.Theyarewhittledandsculptedfromanarchiveoffamilyrelics:amarriagelicense,aletter,avisapetition,aphotograph.And,justasoften,theyarebuiltonthequestionsthatcannolongerbeanswered.DearMemoryisnotatranscriptionbutaprocessofsimultaneouslyshapingandbeingshaped,knowingthatwhenawriterdipstheirpenintohistory,whatemergesispoetry.Incarefullycraftedcollagesandmissivesontrauma,loss,andAmericanness,VictoriaChanggraspsontoasenseofselfthatgriefthreatenstodissipate.Inletterstofamily,pastteachers,andfellowpoets,astheimagination,DearMemoryoffersamodelforwhatitlooksliketofindourselvesinourhistories.OtherHonorsforDearMemory:AnElectricLiteratureFavoriteNonfictionBookof2021ATIMEMagazineMostAnticipatedBookofFall2021ALosAngelesTimesMostAnticipatedBookofFall2021ALiteraryHubMostAnticipatedBookof2021AnNPRMostAnticipatedBookofOctober2021
