You learned to question yourself before you questioned the world.
KAOZ Theory: words for every version of you you’re becoming
Get a free preview of KAOZ Theory — a poetry collection for those who grew up between worlds, learned to carry more than they should have, and are still searching for language for everything they’ve felt but never knew how to name.
- Poems about migration, memory, and starting over (again)
- Honest lines about burnout, soft joy, and healing on your own timeline — across cultures and identities
- Language that makes your “too much / not enough” finally make sense
Drop your email to get 5 poems from the collection as a beautifully formatted digital preview.
No spam. Just words that feel like finally exhaling.
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Enter your email and I’ll send you 5 poems from KAOZ Theory + a short note about the moments that birthed them.
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Who KAOZ Theory is for
For first‑gen Americans, internet‑raised millennials & Gen Z, veterans, and readers of decolonization narratives
KAOZ Theory is for first‑generation Americans of immigrant parents; millennials and Gen Z who grew up with the free and open internet and feel that the world that we were promised was stolen from us; veterans who are struggling with what has become of the country we served; anyone interested in decolonization narratives; and anyone who's ever experienced something that changed their understanding of the way the world works.
Children of immigrant parents
Millennials and Gen Z who still believe a better world is possible
Veterans who remember the oath we swore
Readers interested in decolonization narratives
People who experienced perspective-shifting events
Does This Sound Like You?
- You grew up translating adult conversations and official forms at kitchen tables and DMV lines, carrying your parents’ hopes and quiet anxieties into your own adulthood.
- You were told the American promise would arrive if you worked harder, but you’re left navigating gig shifts, mounting bills, and a hollowed-out promise of security.
- You served, or loved someone who did—now you’re reconciling pride with the ache of watching the country change in ways that feel personal and unsettling.
- You’re in the slow, painful work of unlearning colonial expectations—reclaiming language, food, and memory while arguing quietly with family traditions that no longer fit.
If any of this lands, you belong here—sign up to get poems that name the small betrayals and fierce tenderness of living between worlds. You'll also be notified when KAOZ Theory is released and how you can grab yourself a copy.
A glimpse inside
From the poem: “Before It Had a Name”
Here’s a short excerpt from one of the poems you’ll receive in the preview:
About KAOZ Theory
For everyone who learned to question themselves before they questioned the world.
KAOZ Theory was born in the quiet spaces where things didn’t make sense but no one had the language for why. It began with a lifetime of feeling misunderstood—of being seen, but not fully understood—and the slow realization that maybe the problem wasn’t you…maybe something deeper was already breaking. These poems were written about moments spread across years of trying to make sense of that fracture: the moments that felt too small to explain, but too heavy to ignore.
This collection lives at the intersection of identity, belonging, and awakening. It moves through the experience of growing up between worlds—between cultures, expectations, and versions of yourself that never quite fit anywhere cleanly. It speaks to the weight carried by children of immigrants, to the quiet loneliness of feeling “too much” and “not enough” at the same time, and to the tension of trying to belong in spaces that were never built with you in mind. These are not arguments or polished conclusions—they are records. Lived moments. Emotional truths captured before they had names.
I wrote KAOZ Theory because I know what it feels like to carry something you can’t explain—and to wonder if you’re the only one. This book is my attempt to give language to that feeling. To turn isolation into recognition. And for anyone who finds themselves in these pages, even for a moment, I hope it reminds you of one thing: you were never alone in this.
Early reader notes
“I kept thinking, ‘Wait…how does he know this feeling?’”
These are some of the messages that landed after sharing early drafts of KAOZ Theory with friends, peers, and fellow in‑between people.
“I read this on the train home and had to pretend I had something in my eye. "The Last Drive Down Beach Road" feels like a hug for every 18‑year‑old kid from Saipan who thought moving to the mainland would fix everything.”
– A., Chamorro-American, 23
“I didn’t realize how badly I needed immigrant poetry that wasn’t about performing pain for other people. "Three Names for the Same Body" feels like texting my cousin at 2 AM and actually telling the truth.”
– J., Filipino‑American, 32
“Your poem 'Liberty Risk' is absolutely too relatable! Certain aft lookout watches were harder than others...”
– D., Navy veteran, 26
Questions, answered
Before KAOZ Theory lands in your inbox
A few quick notes about what you’re signing up for when you request the preview.
What exactly do I get when I join the list?
You’ll receive a digital preview of KAOZ Theory delivered to your email. It includes 5 full poems from the collection, a short note about the stories behind them, and updates when new writing or releases are coming. No paywall, no pressure — just first access.
Is this really free?
Yes. The preview is completely free. Sharing your email simply lets me send it to you and keep you in the loop about the full collection and related projects in the future.
How often will you email me?
Expect the preview right away, and then occasional notes when there’s a new poem, milestone, or release worth sharing. I’m a poet, not a growth hacker — if it ever feels like too much, you can unsubscribe with one click.
I’m not an immigrant, but the themes resonate. Is this still for me?
Absolutely. While many poems speak to migration and diaspora, they’re ultimately about transition, identity, and becoming—experiences that show up in many different lives and bodies. If the language of “in‑between” feels like home, you’re welcome here.
What if none of this resonates with me—should I still sign up?
Not everything here is meant to resonate with everyone—and that’s okay.
But sometimes the value isn’t in seeing yourself in the words…it’s in seeing something you might not have noticed before. The preview is free. No pressure, no expectations. Just a chance to step into a perspective you may not have encountered—and to understand experiences that often go unseen.
And if it’s not for you, that’s okay too.
But if it opens something you hadn’t considered before…then it’s already done its job.
Don’t go back to not having the language. If this felt like something you’ve lived…
Let KAOZ Theory lend you a few words. Drop your email and I’ll send you 5 poems that might feel like they're finally saying what you’ve been carrying.
No spam. Just poems, sometimes.