30 Under 30 29/30: Franny Choi

‘Tell me from the ups and lower backs. The knock
know jokes of fame –ask me what’s right and I’ll
hurricane the morning sun to the horizon’
-from The Carter III (Transcriptions)

And like a storm sweeping through paradise, Franny Choi came into the world and we are damn lucky to be a part of it. This poetry reads with a clarity that shows you how skilled the artist is with craft & how honest the work is to the self that even if it is taking a major leap, the artist is guided by what the work wants to do. Franny is a medium for the spirits of her own work. The poems are not just written, but seem to come into the world through her. When you read her work, you get the feeling that she has moved her ego and most filtered self out of the way in order to allow the work to come out as authentic and masterful as possible.  Franny’s work on race, culture, gender, sexuality, loss, & love is allowed to take whatever shape it wishes to take on. As a poet, she is not scared to grapple with the fantastic, to give ghost and things yet to be named the opportunity to exist. Everything and every one is allowed it’s own magic, and Franny is quite the magician. I do not trust my eyes and feet when I read her work. I know at the end of every poem that something in the world has shifted and has no intention on regressing. Franny is moving us forward with brilliant and innovative verse, images worthy of galleries, and stunning voice. Don’t even get me started on her readings! Franny is one of the most versatile and powerful performers you will ever meet. I dare you to look at her work and not become mesmerized by the passion and veracity she brings to her performances. Folks, get into Franny Choi, the best kind of lightning on earth. She will shock you, she will enlighten you, and she will burn you so damn good. 

-Danez Smith

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