Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Start discussion here for My Urohs by Emelihter Kihleng.

Summary (from Poetry Foundation)

According to one of the many footnotes in My Urohs, Urohs is a Pohnpeian skirt, the quintessential dress for women at special events. In the title poem, the dress transforms into a feast, a singing woman, a funeral, a matriarch, a lei, a basket, and finally the speaker herself. Just as various patterns are woven into the urohs, Kihleng’s first collection of poems weaves the personal and the ethnographic, the poet and the witness.


About the Author

Emelihter Kihleng is a Micronesian (and more specifically Pohnpeian) poet. She is the first ever Micronesian to publish a collection of poetry in the English language, and is one of few published Micronesian poets.


Author wearing a uroh

Discussion Questions (from Living Poetry)

1. Pick one of your favorite poems and explain why you like it.

2. Describe the overall tone of the author’s work in two or three words.

3. What inspires or influences this poet’s work?

4. What are some of the shortcomings of this book?

5. What are you as a reader taking away from this book?

6. On a scale of 1-10, how strongly would you recommend this book?

I was quite surprised and impressed by this short set of poems/stories about life in Micronesia. The author paints a plague of social issues, the domination of the USA and islands where the traditional life has been replaced by fast food and Kool Aid. I liked the simplicity of the first poem of a domestic shooting and how the police seem disinterested when it is two locals involved. I would recommend this book as an insight in a part of the world that seems to be forgotten.

This was a nice collection of poems from the Pacific. Some are universal, such as her reflection on Writer's Block; others uniquely celebrated Micronesian culture, like the titular My Urohs. The one that stood out the most to me was Korean Stores, which takes place in eastern Honolulu. Hawaii is home to many immigrants from around the Pacific, and it brought back memories to picture a neighborhood grocery store stocked with familiar foods for these Pacific communities. In fact, I even have an idea where one of the stores is based on the address. There is a bit of melancholy mixed with hope in the poem: for all the Micronesian foods available, the stores aren't owned by Micronesians...yet.
I enjoyed this collection; it was a good pick for Micronesian literature.