For this Syrian baker in Brooklyn, his ingredients are just like old friends — the kind that sit comfortably with you, in both silence and celebration.

Through their prose and poetry, writers reflect on the idea of the ”bona fide relationship”—the term the Supreme Court used in 2017 to grant an exception on President Trump’s travel ban. Who counts as close family in the eyes of the state? How do our relationships transcend those recognized by the court? These readings shed light on the ways that individual writers and communities wrestle with an ongoing effort to undermine their sense of belonging.

For Asian American poets, what is the relationship between bearing witness to history and giving voice to marginalized communities? Four writers talk about how their work as poets, editors, translators, and scholars allows them to uncover intimacies among seemingly disparate colonial histories and contextualize narratives of intergenerational trauma. They draw on multidisciplinary practices to explore how the individual pursuits of poets can build empathy and community. Moderated by Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello, Yanyi, Emily Jungmin Yoon, E.J. Koh, Monica Sok.

We’re hosting a book signing for Margins Poetry Editor Emily Jungmin Yoon at booth #6000 from 12:00PM to 12:30PM on Friday March 29. Come meet Emily and get your copy of her collection A Cruelty Special to Our Species signed.

The two poets talk about their literary family trees, poetry as a protective force, and the changing landscape for Muslim American writers.