Pinocchia in the Drowning Trick by Lo Kwa Mei-en

“In dangerous times like these, we need writers like Lo Kwa Mei-en: innovative, nuanced, fearless. Lyrical and unflinching, Pinocchia in the Drowning Trick broke my heart and gave me courage. This radically re-imagined fable shows us how storytelling can be both resistance and world-building. With a ferocious love, Kwa invites us to examine what it costs to live under the illusions cast by empire, and what it will take to break free.”

– Tamiko Beyer, author of Last Days and co-editor of Poetry As Spellcasting

Cover image: Image from Papercuts: Homeland by Na Mee

Lo Kwa Mei-en is an Asian American writer and poet. She is the author of two chapbooks, Two Tales (Bloom Books) and The Romances (The Lettered Streets Press), and two poetry collections, Yearling and The Bees Make Money in the Lion. Her poetry and other writing can be found in The Offing, Apex Magazine, and her tarot blog, Little Nightporch. She lives with her family in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Author photo by Araminta Knight)