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Tigrefou Editions featured in the news! šŸ—žšŸ…

Writer: Judy ChoiJudy Choi
Jun 28, 20191 min read

Updated: Apr 13, 2023

Thank you so much to Isabella Fincher, Zack Cohen, and the CU Independent for the wonderful article about our book and author event at Tattered Cover Bookstore. We are so grateful to Zack for reaching out to us and Isabella for taking the time to interview Judy and getting the word out about our book. Keep spreading the news!


Judy Choi Phoenix Brown Francis George in the news CU Independent CU Boulder Book Signing Tattered Cover Denver Colorado Writer Poet Photography French Photographer

University of Colorado Boulder alumni Judy Choi and her niece Phoenix Brown will be signing their debut poetry book ā€œThe Cloud that Fell from the Skyā€ at the Tattered Cover on Colfax Avenue Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m. ā€œThe Cloud that Fell From the Skyā€ is a compilation of poems by Choi and Brown exploring their turbulent family life as Chinese Americans. At 15-years-old, Brown began using poetry as an outlet for her pain and a way to cope with her parentsā€™ drug addiction. When Choi discovered Brownā€™s poems, she was powerfully moved by the authenticity, sophistication and maturity of her nieceā€™s work. When asked about Brownā€™s poetry in an interview with the CU Independent, Choi expressed very high regard for Brownā€™s talent of ā€œturning madness into something beautifulā€. Brown felt compelled to share her work with the world with the hope that the poems would help people know they are ā€œnot aloneā€ and that they can use art to express themselves. Brownā€™s poems are infused with sadness and loneliness. She explores her broken heart, as she yearns for her absent parents. Her style is both dreamy and nightmarish as she juxtaposes her idealized family life with her shattered home. Choi also incorporated some of her own poems about ā€œlove, hope and lossā€ into the book. Choiā€™s style is ā€œmusical, almost like singing a song,ā€ similar to shi, traditional Chinese poetry. She also plays with space in her poems, such as with the word ā€œaway.ā€ ā€œI always break out the word away into ā€˜a way,'ā€ Choi said. ā€œMaybe being away is being the way youā€™re supposed to be. People think there is a negative connotation to the word away, but itā€™s also an opportunity to move forward.ā€ Choiā€™s poetry expresses her inner conflict between her Chinese upbringing and her desire for personal freedom. She said she felt stifled by the conformity expected by her Asian parents. ā€œYou are not allowed to self-reflect and to question,ā€ she said. At an early age, she realized she needed to break free of her parentā€™s expectations of ā€œmaterial gainā€ and pursue her dreams of writing. ā€œWhen I was following the dreams of my parents, it was breaking my heart,ā€ Choi said. ā€œWhen I followed my dreams, it broke their heart. I was stuck. I felt like I always had to choose between my happiness and their happiness.ā€ Choi said the design of the book, created by Mami Awamura, reflects the inherent struggle of Brown and Choiā€™s poetry. The text is tiny, nearly engulfed in the expanse of whiteness. The stark contrast ā€œemphasizes the fragility of what we have gone throughā€ for Choi. It represents that although the twoā€™s voices are small, they are ā€œtrying not to be lost in space.ā€ Photographs shot by photographer Francis George accompany the text. They are huge and abstract with vibrant colors and sweeping curves. The dreamy and indistinct features of the image create ambiguity, much like the poems. ā€œThe Cloud that Fell from the Skyā€ is currently available at the Colfax Tattered Cover and the Boulder Bookstore. The book can also be purchased at select locations in Los Angeles and Hong Kong or online at Tigre Fou Editions. Contact CU Independent Assistant Arts Editor Isabella Fincher at isabella.fincher@colorado.edu IZZY FINCHER Izzy Fincher is a managing editor for the CU Independent. She is a senior majoring in journalism and classical guitar performance. She enjoys writing about local arts and culture, especially classical music. In her free time, Izzy teaches yoga, listens to audiobooks and spends time with her bunny Suki.

Judy Choi Phoenix Brown Francis George in the news CU Independent CU Boulder Book Signing Tattered Cover Denver Colorado Writer Poet Photography French Photographer

Judy Choi Phoenix Brown Francis George in the news CU Independent CU Boulder Book Signing Tattered Cover Denver Colorado Writer Poet Photography French Photographer

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Photography by Francis George

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