All the Flowers Kneeling

A virtuosic poetry debut on reinvention and rebuilding the self; on pain and triumph; on storytelling as survival.

All the Flowers Kneeling by Paul Tran is a profoundly moving and unforgettable collection of poems that dives deep into the heart of personal and historical trauma. This stunning debut charts the journey of self-reconstruction following moments of extremity, questioning how we can reimagine and reshape our given experiences to forge new identities, families, lives, and dreams. Visceral and astonishing, Tran's work grapples with themes of survival and love, illuminating the ways in which storytelling becomes a means for enduring and overcoming hardship.

Tran's rich, resonant poems explore the complexities of desire, freedom, control, and rebirth. The collection delves into history and mythology, invoking the tale of Scheherazade, the scars of US imperial violence, and the personal torment of abuse. These multifaceted poems show how past traumas can both mark and transform us. Employing innovative poetic forms, Tran mirrors the nonlinear experiences of trauma survivors, crafting ambitious sequences that scrutinise our systems of knowledge-making. The poems highlight the power of storytelling as a form of survival, revealing at once what is deeply confessional and profoundly defiant.

In All the Flowers Kneeling, Tran masterfully intertwines vulnerability and virtuosity, creating a text that is revelatory in its exploration of self-discovery and transformation. The collection emerges as a vital testament to the human capacity for resilience, endurance, and love. This book is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the powerful forces of narrative in shaping and healing our lives.

At once a celebration of poetic innovation and a poignant reflection on the scars we carry, All the Flowers Kneeling asserts itself as a cornerstone in contemporary poetry, boldly paving the way for new understandings of identity and survival.