Reading poems at Emge Elementary School
"Through the inviting poems in Shrimp, jason vasser-elong includes us on his lyric quest to determine who he is and in what ways he as an individual connects with his family, his multi-racial lineage and present day society. With quiet determination, poetic poise and concision, in shrimp he paints for us a powerful portrait of a man unafraid to examine himself and his surroundings, whether he's in the kitchen cooking dinner or walking down Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis."
- Sally Van Doren, poet, artist and author of the poetry collection, Promise: Poems (2017).
Teaching artist
"In Shrimp, jason vasser-elong casts past, present, and future into the waters of fitful reckoning. His words emerge from the waves and froth, spelling out the truths behind ancestry and individuality."
- Ron Austin, professor, author and 2016 Regional Arts Commission Fellow
"