n medieval philosophy, quintessence referred to the fifth and highest element, thought to imbue all of nature and to constitute the heavenly bodies. Chen Chen’s third collection of poetry considers the quintessences – the core elements – of contemporary life, not as fixed characteristics but as ever-evolving aspects of a soul, an insistently queer and creaturely one that doubts the existence of souls.
 
Ecstatic, elegiac, and erotic, these poems form a constellation of mortal loves and contradictions. Here, the celestial as well as the sacred are found in putting on a stunning denim jacket; speaking out against racism and homophobia; making a cup of tea, then promptly forgetting it; reconnecting with immigrant family; writing a letter by hand despite terrible handwriting; and asking a friend, 'Have you eaten yet?'