in his debut poetry collection, sam Cheuk attempts to invent a new way of truth-telling. Borrowing disparate ideas and modes ranging from self-censorship and identity performance, lyric poetry and phenomenology, Cheuk reverse-engineers the parlance of postmodernism in search of the primal motivation behind expression, all the while asking the question: is a lie a lie if the liar shows you how he lies?

Sam Cheuk is the author of Love Figures (Insomniac Press, 2011) and Deus et Machina (Baseline Press, 2017). He holds an MFA in creative writing from New York University and BA in English literature from University of Toronto. He is currently working on the second half of the diptych, tentatively titled Marginalia, which examines the function, execution, and generative potential behind censorship.

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“Sam Cheuk's first collection, Love Figures, reveals the poet as a kind of detective in inner sanctum. Cheuk’s wit shows in the movement of each trope and through moments of adroitness where both pain and joy meet in the same line. Get ready for Love Figures, as the poet aims continuously and hits the mark slantwise.” — Yusef Komunyakaa, author or Warhorses and Talking Dirty to the Gods