Responding to the rise of artificial intelligence in an age of automation, this collection asks: what makes us distinctively and authentically human? 

Awake, a Vigil: or an Instance of Human meditates on the challenges and hopes of our time. At its heart is an exploration of what makes us uniquely human—beyond artificial intelligence or algorithms—drawing on themes of creation and the imago Dei. Thanks to Karen An-hwei Lee’s signature lyric grace, these poems urge us to embrace our unique humanity and “hold the light aloft and do things with love, regardless.” For readers seeking a poetic space of solace, renewal, and imaginative reflection, Awake, a Vigil invites us to recognize both our individuality and shared humanity in moments of darkness and light.