All Heathens
All Heathens by Marianne Chan, published by Sarabande Books in 2020, is a debut poetry collection that delves into themes of identity and the enduring impacts of colonization. This edition, comprising 74 pages, presents a nuanced exploration of the speaker’s Filipino American identity, intertwining personal narratives with broader historical contexts.
Readers will encounter poems that reflect on family dynamics and the complexities of diaspora, as Chan revisits Magellan’s voyage and reinterprets familiar stories. The collection features a blend of anecdotal and folkloric elements, showcasing the author’s wit and insight while asserting a strong sense of self. Through her work, Chan invites contemplation on ownership of identity and history, making this collection a significant contribution to contemporary poetry.
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“Marianne Chan’s brilliant debut collection masterfully develops themes of identity and the long-term effects of colonization.”
–Largehearted Boy
All Heathens is a declaration of ownership–of bodies, of histories, of time. Revisiting Magellan’s voyage around the world, these poems explore the speaker’s Filipino American identity by grappling with her relationship to her family and notions of diaspora, circumnavigation, and discovery. Whether rewriting the origin story of Eve (“I always imagined that the serpent had the legs of a seductive woman in black nylons”), or ruminating on what-should-have-been-said “when the man at the party said he wanted to own a Filipino,” Chan paints wry, witty renderings of anecdotal and folkloric histories, while both preserving and unveiling a self-identity that dares any other to try and claim it.
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