Epidemic of Nostalgia by Sujash Purna

Poached eggs, flittering sparrows, a tiny Buddha, and mysterious words coexist lusciously in this playful Epidemic of Nostalgia by Sujash Purna.

Flexible language reminds us of the magic we daily dwell in…”We knew life was going to be short” or, to a grandfather, “…you and I are the same body, just one earth away” — luminous truths rising through time blurs, rich blends of appealing images. An utterly delicious, original voice speaks here – welcome this wonder!

–Naomi Shihab Nye

It starts with a poem about knitting, and that’s apt: The meticulous and deliberate knotting and its resultant warmth seem just right for this collection of poems that are willing to get into some delightful entanglements. Many of the poems in Sujash Purna’s chapbook deal with love and its knottiness—but it’s a kiss with one eye open to view the delicious details of the world, from a black diary thrown in the trash to her lipstick stains on coffee cups. This small collection is one to savor.

–Karen Craigo, Poet Laureate of Missouri; author of Passing Through Humansville (Sundress, 2018) and No More Milk (Sundress, 2016).