No Rest, by Jason Koo: A Review

RITA MOOKERJEE

No Rest Jason Koo Diode Editions, 2024 172 pp. $18.00 I had no intention of rewatching Sixteen Candles tonight, but here we are. In Jason Koo’s collection No Rest, there is a current of irreverence exemplified by the author’s nod to Long Duk Dong, a throwback Asian caricature with fobby flair. Koo has a good sense of humor. I wouldn’t dare drop a Sixteen Candles reference around my students, most of whom have yet to see the 1984 cult classic, but for this millennial reader, the joke still lands. After all, who could forget Gedde Watanabe’s portrayal of the bizarre exchange student who comes to live with protagonist Samantha, played by Molly Ringwald. In one scene, Samantha sulks on the bottom bunk, arms crossed in a quintessential pose of teen angst. Long…

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The American Poetry Review (Digital) - 1 Issue, January/February 2025

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