Museum of the Soon to Depart

A poetic exploration of life amid intimate losses.

In Museum of the Soon to Depart, poet Andy Young searches for her place in history as it unfolds around her through revolution, plague, and natural disaster. As curator of her museum, she navigates her own and others’ suffering through intense observation, from the inner mechanisms of grief and illness to the solace of distance provided by photography. The material of the poet’s own life and events on the world stage intertwine, resulting in poems with a staggering range, inhabiting language in ways that ultimately point to its limits.

Andy Young teaches creative writing at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Her work has been translated into several languages, featured in classical and electronic music, in flamenco and modern dance performances, and in jewelry, tattoos, and public buses.