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Bloom & Other Poems

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( 26 ratings, 4 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Bloom & Other Poems, Xi Chuan invites readers to embrace transformation and vitality. This striking collection ventures through the complexities of modern life while weaving in echoes of ancient history, ranging from reflections on mourning and reading to observations of cities like Manhattan and historical sites such as the Luxor Temple. The poems balance lyrical beauty with philosophical depth, capturing moments from the flow of the Nanjing river to intimate encounters with memory and authenticity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4399
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers fascinated by contemporary poetry that intertwines cultural history with personal reflection, as well as those interested in East Asian literature and bilingual editions. This work will appeal to those who appreciate poetic exploration of complex themes with both intellectual rigor and emotional resonance.

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A rhapsodic meditation on the dreams and defeats, disparities and excesses, mythologies and absurdities of contemporary life

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"Bloom and change your way of living," Xi Chuan exhorts us. "Bloom / unleash a deep underground spring with your rhizome." In his wildly roving new collection, Bloom & Other Poems, Xi Chuan, like a modern-day master of the fu-rhapsody, delves into the incongruities of daily existence, its contradictions and echoes of ancient history, with sensuous exaltations and humorous observations.

Problems of mourning and reading, thoughts on loquaciousness, Manhattan, the Luxor Temple, and socks are scrutinized, while in other poems we encounter dead friends on a visit to a small village and fakes in an antique market. At one moment we follow the river's flow through the history of Nanjing, in another we follow an exquisite meditation on the golden.

Brimming with lyrical beauty and philosophical intensity, the collection ends with a transcript of a conversation between Xi Chuan and the journalist Xu Zhiyuan that earned seventy million views when broadcast online. Award-winning translator Lucas Klein demonstrates in this remarkable bilingual edition that Xi Chuan is one of the most electrifying international poets writing today.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise Xi Chuan's exploration of history and memory in contemporary contexts, noting his skill in revealing how the past is constructed and remembered. Reviews highlight the collection's ability to challenge readers intellectually and sensually, with Heather Green from Poetry emphasising the dynamic and charismatic voice brought to life through the translation by Lucas Klein.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780811231374

Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 July 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Contributors:

  • Translated by Lucas Klein

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 231.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 176

About the Author

XI CHUAN, born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province in 1963 and raised in Beijing, is one of China’s most celebrated poets, essayists, and literary translators. Among the numerous prizes and honors he has received are the national Lu Xun Prize for Literature, the Cikada Prize for poetry in Sweden, and the Tokyo Poetry Prize in Japan. He is a professor at the International Writing Center at Beijing Normal University. LUCAS KLEIN is a father, writer, and translator, and an associate professor of Chinese at Arizona State University. In addition to Xi Chuan he has translated contemporary Chinese poets Mang Ke and Duo Duo as well as medieval Chinese poet Li Shangyin.

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