Two Halves of the World Apple (Paperback)

Yang Ke

ISBN 10: 0806157593 / ISBN 13: 9780806157597

Published by University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma, 2017

About this Item

Paperback. An important voice in the ""Third Generation"" of contemporary Chinese poets - younger poets whose work emerged beginning in the late 1980s - Yang Ke has influenced his country's literary culture for more than three decades. As the first English-language collection of his poems, Two Halves of the World Apple introduces readers to a prolific and accessible writer at the forefront of Chinese poetry today. Rendered in English translations that deftly capture Yang Ke's lyrical and idiomatic style, the 73 poems in this volume reflect the depth, breadth, and evolution of the poet's work. Yang Ke's poems, praised by literary critics for their use of clear, distinctive language and linguistic and poetic texture, pair arresting imagery with pointed social commentary. Moving across the landscape of classical and modern Chinese poetry, they engage with the natural, social, and moral complexities of the everyday modern world, from evocative portrayals of South China's Zhuang minority culture to stark, personal depictions of the consequences of globalization. In this imaginative outpouring, the East and the West become two halves of an apple - ""a ball struck by God's bat,"" spinning through the cosmos - ""yin and yang fish chasing each other's tails."" Thoughtfully annotated by lead translator Denis Mair and with a foreword by Jonathan Stalling, this collection of poems showcases the best work of one of the leading lights of China's contemporary literary scene. An important voice in the Third Generation of contemporary Chinese poets, Yang Ke has influenced his country's literary culture for more than three decades. As the first English-language collection of his poems, Two Halves of the World Apple introduces readers to a prolific and accessible writer at the forefront of Chinese poetry. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780806157597

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Two Halves of the World Apple (Paperback)
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0806157593
• ISBN 13: 9780806157597
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

An important voice in the “Third Generation” of contemporary Chinese poets—younger poets whose work emerged beginning in the late 1980s—Yang Ke has influenced his country’s literary culture for more than three decades. As the first English-language collection of his poems, Two Halves of the World Apple introduces readers to a prolific and accessible writer at the forefront of Chinese poetry today.

Rendered in English translations that deftly capture Yang Ke’s lyrical and idiomatic style, the 73 poems in this volume reflect the depth, breadth, and evolution of the poet’s work. Yang Ke’s poems, praised by literary critics for their use of clear, distinctive language and linguistic and poetic texture, pair arresting imagery with pointed social commentary. Moving across the landscape of classical and modern Chinese poetry, they engage with the natural, social, and moral complexities of the everyday modern world, from evocative portrayals of South China’s Zhuang minority culture to stark, personal depictions of the consequences of globalization. In this imaginative outpouring, the East and the West become two halves of an apple—“a ball struck by God’s bat,” spinning through the cosmos—“yin and yang fish chasing each other’s tails.”

Thoughtfully annotated by lead translator Denis Mair and with a foreword by Jonathan Stalling, this collection of poems showcases the best work of one of the leading lights of China’s contemporary literary scene.
 

About the Authors

Denis Mair has translated the work of numerous Chinese poets into English, including the volumes Reading the Times: Poems of Yan Zhi and Selected Poems by Mai Cheng.

Ning Yang is a translator, poet, and Associate Professor in the College of Foreign Languages at Beijing Language and Cultural University.

Jonathan Stalling is Professor of English at the University of Oklahoma where he also serves as the Curator of the Chinese Literature Translation Archive and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Literature Today magazine.