But I Don't Feel Empowered

by Suri Chan

In But I Don't Feel Empowered , poet and artist Suri Chan harnesses the power of beautiful language and whimsical illustrations to speak on both the lighthearted and heartbreaking experiences that bind us.

But I Don’t Feel Empowered is Suri Chan’s debut collection of honest, free-verse and whimsically illustrated poems. She explores themes of heartbreak, womanhood, and trauma from the lens of a queer Asian woman coming of age.
 
This collection is earnest in its belief that healing is about accepting your emotions as they are. And in a world that asks you to be empowered at all times, it asks you to just be.
 
Deeply moving and thought-provoking, But I Don’t Feel Empowered solidifies Suri as an artist to watch and a voice to root for.

Genres: Poetry, LGBT, Queer

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Brianna Ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so enamored with Suri’s beautiful, poignant, and honest poetry. I value and appreciate Suri’s work, and will certainly hold onto her truths. I’m already excited for her next creation!

[Jennifer Chou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautiful. I loved the phrasing and the anti-acknowledgements at the end. Felt very authentic and you can tell the author put a lot of work and courage into these words. A lot of them will stay with me for a while. I also liked how it felt like a breath of fresh air - very honest and anti-toxic positivity.

[Brianne Ewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled across this at my local bookstore and am so glad I did. The imagery of loss and longing and grief is so beautifully encapsulated in each of the poems.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning, raw collection of poems accompanied by gorgeous illustrations

Chan is a master of imagery and metaphor, weaving achingly beautiful stories from her life into pure magic

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Suri's work on insta for a few years and was super excited to get my hands on a physical copy of her work. This collection is brutally honest, emotional, and makes you feel like you're not alone in what you're feeling. Even if you don't relate to every scenario she writes about, you'll relate to the overarching themes. She's one of the few people out there who isn't afraid to admit the tough things to herself and to the world. The physical copy is lovely, the cover is embossed and the printing of the illustrations is nice and bright. Looking forward to her future works :)

[Star Shining Forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book like a cold cherry soda on a hot summer day. Suri expertly weaves metaphors and heart wrenching stories about inner child work, generational trauma, multiculturalism, heartbreaks, late blooming sapphic love, parental issues, and more. I especially felt the complicated swirls around being single and proudly independent while also feeling lonely and desiring partnership.

Plus, it’s a lovely book with thick pages and color illustrations beautifully bringing perspective to the words. Follow Suri on instagram for more lovely words + art!

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Powerful and vulnerable ❤️

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 for me. Loved many of the poems, particularly the Buffy one. Also loved the Anti-Acknowledgement

[Taylor]

I really enjoyed this poetry collection!! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read poetry before but I’m glad I found this when I did. It was raw, real, and relatable. I’d definitely read more from this author.

[karebear · Rating 5 out of 5]

my fav poetry book of the year

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these poems a lot. Also, I don't think illustrated poems are modern at all, they are classic, take William Blake's poetry for example.

My faves so far are "I think the kitchen sink is a woman" and "Sourdough and Sunflowers" because partially related but liked the poems I didn't relate to as well.

I recommend this to anyone who likes challenging toxic positivity, and especially if you're gay (lol, like me!).

[Abby Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful in the way it approaches queer relationships, growing up in an asian household, and how it shapes one’s future.

Even with me not really being the target audience for this, I still was able to take away so much from it.

The illustrations compliment each poem perfectly and help convey the main message from each.

I absolutely recommend it if you’re looking for a quick but engaging read.

[Emily Nicoletta · Rating 3 out of 5]

In But I Don’t Feel Empowered, Chan doesn’t shy away from crafting poetry that embraces vulnerability and a sense of self. I particularly appreciated that, despite her writing often covering heavy, challenging, or lonely subject matter, she countered this weight with an undeniable aura of optimism through both her direction and illustrations.

However, while I truly appreciate and respect Chan’s vision and storytelling within her poetry, I must admit that her writing came off as a bit juvenile at times. Some poems were incredibly beautiful, thoughtful, and genuine, while others felt packed with nonstop clichés and cheesy references. I’ve seen other reviewer’s feedback say that Chan’s pieces often reminded them of reading poetry written in a diary or a Notes app, and I must say I agree. While there were some gems, But I Don’t Feel Empowered personally left me with a bit to be desired.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Suri on Instagram for a while and have loved the illustrations with heartfelt text. It’s wonderful to see it all together in a physical form.

I personally love prose, so this style of writing speaks very well to me. The subject matter is very personal and portrayed beautifully. The illustrations are super cute and definitely add a unique element to each piece.

[Jesie Randhawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My god, Chan knows how to distill art from her experiences without losing an ounce of integrity.

[Eloise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most beautiful book, both the illustrations and the words. So beautiful. I cried, but in the most relieving way. I cried and cried. And I smiled. I even laughed at parts, that I probably wasn’t supposed to laugh at, but they fit me so well. It was like having a deep chat with a close friend, having the kind of cry that feels nourishing, and then having the tightest hug to put you back together.

I must read for anyone with an adventurous spirit who doesn’t fit the expectations of their upbringing and/or those who moved away from their home country. I truly felt so understood.

[Bernadette Olivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chan’s honest vulnerability is one of its strongest features. She doesn’t shy away from messiness - heartbreak, shame, generational trauma, longing - and these emotions are laid bare in free verse that feels both intimate and immediate.

Because the style is deeply personal and emotive, some poems may feel like diary entries with certain metaphors and phrasing verging on cliches.

For readers seeking poetry that allows room to be human, messy, vulnerable, this collection is both comforting and stirring. Chan establishes a clear voice, one that’s earnest and needed.

[Nicole Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this poetry collection was breathtaking... so many of the pieces resonated with me, and Suri was captured so many feelings that I've had, but up until now, I haven't had the words to describe or express what I was feeling. I can tell that this will be a book that I revisit / reread again and again, and I'm definitely looking forward to more of Suri's work in the future! Thank you for sharing your art with us, and in doing so, helping me understand myself better too. :)

[Kristen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suri Chan is a brilliant poet and brutally emotionally honest. As a trans lesbian who spent most of her life in the dark of the closet, I found much to relate to that caused me to put the book down for a moment on multiple occasions, my eyes watering (the one about the ants, ughhhhh). And also gained insight into and more appreciation of experiences not my own. It's the kind of deeply honest and empathic work our society desperately needs more of.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems and raw thoughts resonates hard with me. I had tears in my eyes reading through it. Such elegantly stated feelings. I love it so much, it’s gorgeous and makes me feel like yes, this is what it is to be human. Thank you Suri for being open and brave and sharing this. It meant a lot to me to read something like this, I treasure it. And I feel inspired to open up and try to write more too. I’m not a big poetry person but this opened my heart!

[Phyre 日暉 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poetry is very down to earth and easy to connect to in certain aspects. Other aspects cater to an audience that is often overlooked. Chan's words speak directly to Asian lesbians and Asian women in a deeply communal way. As an Asian lesbian myself, I saw major parts of myself in this book- it makes me feel less alone and seen. Reading Chan's authentic self made me feel at home with myself.

[Dede Yocum · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

a really lovely collection of queer poetry but not my favorite. i kept teetering between “wow thats really beautiful” and “a lil cheesy but ok” but i did love the author’s writing style and thought the anti-acknowledgements were super cool.

[Natalie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me of Rupi's poetry.
I enjoyed the art along with the written work. I enjoyed all of them, and had many I wanted to share with others. I had to read some aloud to my family they were so good.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I didn't appreciate or understand poetry when I was younger (or when in school). This book of poetry has proved to me that it can be meaningful, relatable, and amazing. (For me, it helps that it is written by a queer Asian woman.)

[Steph Briard · Rating 5 out of 5]

So needed for anyone who is nurturing their inner child. A must-have for your bookshelf, Suri captures what it’s like to be a woman in today’s society through beautiful images and poetry. Also a great gift for a friend. I can’t recommend this book more highly!

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book might feel profound to some, but personally I found it completely unnecessary, most of the poems are without a real sense of rhythm or flow. It lacks elegance and reads like a diary rather than a book.

[Ketsana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried because it was too beautiful and painful in many ways!

[marella · Rating 5 out of 5]

simply divine. suri's writing was the respite i needed from toxic positivity culture. she is truly an artist of her craft and each poem had me in a trance from beginning to end.

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Big let down…