“After” is a book of letters in the form of poems that poignantly describes the author’s life and experiences as a child before, during and after the Khmer Rouge. It traces the author’s journey out of Cambodia to the United States and the experiences he had thereafter, through loss of and separation from family members. A kind of unity emerges as each poem addresses the author’s yearning to make sense of one of the greatest tragedies of our world.

Many of us know Chath, a poet, community activist, and more, with strong ties to Lowell. He is a graduate of the master’s program in Community Social Psychology at UMass Lowell.  He has a new book of poems from Abingdon Square Publishing Co. that can be ordered via amazon.com here.

Amazon.com reviewer Stan Sesser wrote:  “Chath pierSath, a Cambodian-American who grew up witnessing the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, has come to grips with his traumas through profound poetry and art. Arriving in the U.S. as a penniless refugee who spoke no English, he’s had an astonishing career, earning advanced degrees, helping impoverished Cambodians in the U.S., and returning to Cambodia to spearhead all sorts of educational, artistic and social work projects. His poetry captures this extraordinary life in words that are moving and inspirational. It’s brilliant; I can’t recommend it highly enough.”