Lalit Kumar’s Poetry Collection Rekindles the Stories of Many Migrants Who Were Called to California

In December 2023, I was given an advanced copy of “Yosemite of My Heart: Poems of Adventure in California” by Lalit Kumar. As I read the introduction quote by naturalist John Muir, I knew that the collection would be inspiring. Reading the poems, I immediately connected with Kumar’s love for adventure and his favorite activities. From the beginning to the end, Kumar details how his outdoor adventures call forth a sense of wonder, which compelled me to appreciate the Redwoods, mountain ranges, and Joshua trees while breathing in the California air. 

“There is something in the air of California,
I have spent my thirties belonging here.
My parents have grown old in another land,
What was it about California that made me stay?” 

— “The Places We Inhabit – A Pantoum” by Lalit Kumar.

The poetry collection also called me to remember the stories of the many migrants who were called to California. Like Kumar, I have spent my thirties in California, a land far from the eastern coasts I once called home. Therefore, this review discusses the poems in “Yosemite of My Heart” and explores why creatives are drawn to connect with California through the medium of technology and the natural world. 

“I got lost in the labyrinth of music and San Francisco sound”

— “Of Metallica, Green Day, Jefferson Airplane” by Lalit Kumar.

While “Yosemite of My Heart” focuses on Kumar’s adventures in nature, the poems also explore the culture of technology in California and Kumar’s love and appreciation for Beat poetry. The poems set in San Francisco, in particular, show how poetry and code come together in the cafes of Silicon Valley, as depicted in poems like “High on Poetry and Caffeine.” 

“I troll by writing poems among the nerds, the founders/And people who code” 

— “High on Poetry & Caffeine” by Lalit Kumar.

With the creative use of technology, writers and poets have access to new ways of creating and sharing their work. Kumar also references how movements like the San Francisco Renaissance of the mid-20th century sparked this move toward experimentation in art and literature. 

“This rich California soil yielded gold in the past Birthed a poetry renaissance” 

— “Moving to California” by Lalit Kumar 

In San Francisco, artists sought freedom from the limitations of traditional literary and commercial structures by creating innovative work that deviated from traditional literary forms. Consequently, Kumar’s poetry collection is reminiscent of the cut-up method of Beat writer William S. Burroughs, who encouraged writers to cut up any form of media and recombine it to create spontaneity. 

While this spontaneity is focused on the structure of the poems, I believe Kumar’s poetry collection details how we should also embrace spontaneity and adventure in our life stories. By combining pictures from his travels with an appreciation for the natural world and technoculture, Kumar has constructed a poetry collection that resonates with the heart of the “San Francisco sound.” 

The spirit of spontaneity is most present in my favorite poem from the collection, “On California.” This final poem is almost a cut-up collage of all the previous poems and includes all the most prominent themes from each part of California. This poem also calls the reader to reflect on the meaning of home and the American dream. 

“I see California through my own eyes,
And I see mountains and oceans, iconic Yosemite and Big Sur Calling the adventurer, dreamer, and poet in each of us,
To explore, push forth through obstacles, and write our own story.” 

— “On California” by Lalit Kumar 

The poems in this collection predominantly explore the themes of finding a home in distant lands or the journey of coming home to oneself, a classic story of immigration and following one’s calling. Kumar begins his final poem by reflecting on the gold rush prospectors’ perspective of California’s history. He ends the poem by acknowledging the many migrants who have traveled to the state to search for success by mining the gold of their skills and talents. 

This final poem also pays homage to the ancestors who built California and the adventurers that will continue its future. Through this collection, I believe many more poets will be called to write, travel, and follow their dreams, wherever they may lead. Therefore, I hope everyone touched by the spirit of nature, technology, and adventure will read “Yosemite of my Heart – Poems of Adventures in California”when it premieres in February 2024.

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Faithe J. Day (she/her/they) is a writer, creator, and educator with a B.A. in English and Digital Humanities and a Ph.D. in Communication Studies. Her research, writing, and most recent projects can be found on fjday.com.