Muscle Memory

Jenny Lious' debut poetry collection, "Muscle Memory," explores the intersection of cage fighting and the experiences of immigration, using the sport as a means of coping with trauma and exploring her own identity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 100 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: Kaya Production,U.S.

In her debut poetry collection, Muscle Memory, Washington-based poet Jenny Liou explores the intersection of cage fighting and the experiences of immigration. Liou delves into the realm of violence and identity, beginning with the confines of the prizefighters' cage and expanding outward into the vast tapestry of Chinese American history. Through her spare, stunning lyricism, she reveals how cage fighting provided solace from the trauma inflicted by the vanishing ghosts of diasporas. In the cage, she observes how an elbow can split an eyebrow, or an armbar can snap a limb, and even in defeat, there is a sense of victory, as pain becomes a shared experience.

Liou juxtaposes the physical manifestation of violence in her sport with the deeper traumas of immigration and her own intricate journey of self-discovery. She delves into the inheritance she received from her Chinese immigrant father, who was equally passionate about poetry and martial arts. As she steps away from the cage to nurture her own children, Liou begins to ponder the transmission of violence and history from one generation to the next. She questions whether healing is achievable without forgetting the past.

Jenny Liou, born in 1983, holds the dual roles of an English professor at Pierce College and a retired professional cage fighter. She currently resides and writes in Covington, Washington. Muscle Memory is a testament to her ability to blend the worlds of poetry and combat, offering a profound exploration of identity, trauma, and the enduring power of healing.

Dimension: 203 x 133 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781885030801