Best Evidence

Mark S. Osaki undertakes to illuminate the difficulty of establishing one's home in a nation not one's own. These often soulful poems speak to us as members of families, as lovers, as travelers, journeys a reader is rewarded for taking.—Carole L. Glickfeld, author, Swimming toward the Ocean Mark Osaki brings a rich poetic voice to his collection of poems in his recent book, Best Evidence. He captures past and present moments, expressing hope through pain and personal loss. His work is subtle in nuances yet possesses a keen clarity of vision and ultimately celebrates life itself.—Elizabeth Hack, artist and editor, San Francisco Peace and Hope Poet Mark S. Osaki covers a number of poignant topics in Best Evidence. Each poem in the four sections gives you a glimpse of a formative moment in Osaki’s life or expands your viewpoint on conflicts in the world. Some poems, like the powerful “Chinese Camp, California,” speak of a larger cultural experience and the nuances of navigating identity as an Asian American. Others still, like “Gun Song,” show the psychological and cultural impact of war. In each new work, Osaki captures powerful moments of longing and loss.