How to Exi(s)t: A Poet's Memoir

A neurodivergent gay war refugee navigates academia, racism, and indeed life itself as a poet, artist, and teacher How to Exi(s)t: A Poet's Memoir is an experiment in nonlinear autobiography by the author of the American Book Award-winning Book of the Other, Truong Tran. Beginning in the present—at a writing residency in the aftermath of this success—How to Exi(s)t moves back and forth in time, in bursts of brief poetic essays grouped by theme. The duality of the title thematizes a dilemma at the heart of the book: how does a poet separate himself from the academic career to which he's devoted his professional life and what does being a teacher mean outside of it? Unpeeling the layers between present and past, Tran proceeds in reverse as he explores crucial events and figures in his life, including the reaction to the publication of Book of the Other, the dynamics of whiteness and power framing his repeated rejection for a tenure track position, the profound effect of his dyslexia on his evolution as a writer and artist, the repercussions of being outed by a newspaper after winning an undergrad poetry prize, traumatic episodes growing up in the Vietnamese diaspora in San Jose, and complicated relationships with both his family and his chosen family. Attempting to fathom these experiences and connect them to his present self, Tran examines and reexamines key details rather than dispensing with them in neat anecdotes, reflecting the volatile process of imagination and memory. Unsparing, even caustic in its instance on racism as a dominant note of American life, but marked by surprising tenderness and humor, How to Exi(s)t is a compelling portrayal of Tran's pedagogical philosophy as well as an interrogation of a poetic language that conceals as much as it reveals. Publisher ‏ : ‎ City Lights Publishers Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 20, 2026 Language ‏ : ‎ English Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0872869490 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0872869493 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.25 x 8 inches