Becoming Ghost
| Author | Cathy Linh Che |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Washington Square Press |
Publication date | April 29, 2025 |
| Pages | 128 |
| ISBN | 978-1668088920 |
Becoming Ghost is a 2025 poetry collection by Cathy Linh Che and published by Washington Square Press.[1] A companion to We Were the Scenery, a short film which Che produced and wrote, its poems chronicle the experiences of Che's family members who were cast as extras in Apocalypse Now directed by Francis Ford Coppola.[2][3] It was a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry.[4]
Critical reception
Electric Literature named Becoming Ghost one of the best poetry collections of 2025, observing its "infinite, global layers of context to what might first seem like a simple family drama."[5]
Poetry Northwest said that "Harrowing, lyrical, surprisingly restrained at times while also fiercely visceral, Becoming Ghost is, above all, courageous in its willingness to confront the conflicts within the author’s own family without letting the world off the hook."[6]
References
- ^ Hunt, Aaron E. "The Other Side of Apocalypse: A Conversation on We Were the Scenery". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "Quiet on Set | Commonweal Magazine". www.commonwealmagazine.org. 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ ""Becoming Ghost" with Cathy Linh Che". IMPULSE Magazine. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "Here Are the Finalists for the 2025 National Book Awards". 2025-10-07. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ Lit, Intern Electric (2025-11-20). "Electric Lit's Best Poetry Collections of 2025". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ Gallo-Brown, Alex (2025-05-01). "We Give it to Ourselves: On Cathy Linh Che's Becoming Ghost". Poetry Northwest. Retrieved 2025-12-28.