Vespers & Faraway Land by Desmond Kon

Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé, Kitaab’s Poetry Editor, is the author of the epistolary novel, Singular Acts of Endearment, as well as four poetry collections. The poetry books are titled: I Didn’t Know Mani Was A Conceptualist, The Arbitrary Sign, Sanctus Sanctus Dirgha Sanctus, and The Wrong/Wrung Side of Love. Founding editor of Squircle Line Press, Desmond has edited over fifteen books and co-produced three audio books, several pro bono for non-profit organizations. Trained in publishing at Stanford University, with a theology masters (world religions) from Harvard University and fine arts masters (creative writing) from the University of Notre Dame, his honors include the PEN American Center Shorts Prize, Poetry World Cup, Beverly Hills International Book Award (Poetry & Visionary Fiction), Cyclamens & Swords Poetry Prize, Notre Dame Poetry Fellowship, National Arts Council Creation Grant, NAC Gardens-by-the-Bay Residency, Singapore International Foundation Grant, Stepping Stones Nigeria Poetry Prize, and Little Red Tree International Poetry Prize, among other awards. An interdisciplinary artist, Desmond also works in clay, his ceramic works housed in museums and private collections in India, the Netherlands, UK, and USA. These poems are from his upcoming collection, Phat Planet Cometh.