Nights of Fire, Nights of Rain

by Amy Uyematsu

Set in riot-torn Los Angeles, the poet's second collection deals with such subjects as her Japanese ancestry in relation to her American identity, youth gangs and racial unrest, and the intricate ties between family and lovers. Original. IP.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Amy Uyematsu (born in 1947) is a Japanese-American poet. She is a third-generation Japanese American from Pasadena, California. A graduate of UCLA in mathematics, Amy became active in Asian American Studies in the late sixties. As a college senior, she penned the essay “The Emergence of Yellow Power in America” (Gidra, 1969), an assertion of Asian American identity influenced by the consciousness-raising theories of the Black Power movement.

That same year she joined the staff of the newly formed UCLA Asian American Studies Center, where she co-edited the widely-used anthology, Roots: An Asian American Reader (1971).

In the 1970's she was involved in what would become known as the Asian American movement. Modeled after the Black Power movement it too emphasized racial pride, economic empowerment, and the creation of political and cultural institutions but for Asian American people in the United States.

She was a public high school math teacher for 32 years, and in the 1990s she began publishing her poetry. In 1992 she won the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize for her first book, 30 Miles from J-Town. Her poetry reflects her Japanese American heritage and continues to address issues of racism and social inequities. The Poetry Foundation states, “Uyematsu’s poems consider the intersection of politics, mathematics, spirituality, and the natural world.” In 2012 she was recognized by the Friends of Little Tokyo Branch Library for her writing contributions to the Japanese-American community.

Reviews

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably because of my interests but the opening section of this book was amazing! The way it expressed the feelings of LA hit me. I dog eared page after page to reread later. The sections following showed skill but the substance I wasn’t much into. Again I think that’s because of my specific interests.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very emotional & powerful.