Two Brown Dots

Danni Quintos' debut collection of poems, Two Brown Dots, explores what it means to be a racially ambiguous, multiethnic, Asian American woman growing up in Kentucky. Quintos recounts the messiness and confusion of being a typical '90s kid, navigating microaggressions, puberty, and casual cruelties. She teases the line between tokenism and representation, offering a potent antidote to the assumption that "American" means "white." The collection subverts stereotypes to reclaim agency and pride in the realness and rawness of a brown girl's body.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 26 May 2022
Publisher: BOA Editions, Limited

Selected by Aimee Nezhukumatathil as the winner of the A. Poulin,Jr. Poetry Prize,Danni Quintos carves a space for brown girls and weird girls in her debut collection of poems.

Two Brown Dots delves into the experiences of being a racially ambiguous, multiracial, Asian American woman growing up in Kentucky. Quintos vividly captures the complexities of navigating adolescence through her honest and raw poems, exploring themes such as messy sleepovers, borrowed makeup, crushes on boys in khaki shorts, and the microaggressions from neighboring kids. Born to a Filipino immigrant with dark skin, Quintos weaves family stories and Philippine folklore to unravel her identity, which spans across different continents. With a sharp wit and a wry sense of humor, she challenges the notion of American identity as solely white and offers a powerful antidote to the assumption of assimilation. Spanning a journey from girlhood to motherhood, Two Brown Dots subverts stereotypes and reclaims agency and pride in the natural beauty and imperfections of a brown girl's body. The collection boldly declares, "We exist, we belong, we are from here, and we will continue to be."

Quintos' debut collection showcases her talent for capturing the essence of adolescence and the complexities of identity. Through her vivid imagery and relatable storytelling, she creates a space for brown girls and weird girls to feel seen and heard. Two Brown Dots is a testament to the power of poetry to challenge norms, disrupt stereotypes, and celebrate the diversity of human experiences.

Weight: 202g
Dimension: 176 x 228 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781950774517