D. Keali‘i MacKenzie
Winner of the 5th Annual Backbone Press Chapbook Contest.
Final Judge Khalisa Rae’s comments:
The Mana of Salt is a beautifully executed chapbook with language that’s gripping and evocative. In many ways, the collection works as both a catalog of family history and research of chemistry. The passion around family and tradition is palatable and resonates throughout like an ancient song. Poems like “Make a Meal” and “Invocation” are striking and call attention to generational food traditions along with the pain and complexity behind it. I was particularly intrigued and invested in that exploration and I found myself thirsting for more. Mana of Salt deserves all the praise.
D. Keali‘i MacKenzie is the author of the chapbooks From Hunger to Prayer (Silver Needle Press) and The Mana of Salt (Backbone Press). A queer poet of Kanaka ‘Ōiwi, European, and Chinese descent; his work appears in Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures, Qu, Cobra Milk, Foglifter, Ribbons, and Prismatica LGBTQ Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine.