“Withthisdecades-spanningcollection,MangKeisnowvisibletoageneralwesternaudience,givingusamorecompletepictureofChinesepoetryduringandsincetheCulturalRevolution.MangKe’spoemsareradicalintheirimmediacy,exploringthevexedspacebetweenpublicworldandprivateexperience,honinginonthegapbetweenwithsometimesuncannydirectness.Hedeliversasimple,fact-basedblowtoBeijingpoliciesinlineslike:“Mycity,yourwideeyesinthefaceofstarvingchildren/youarethatcold/thatdispassionate.”Butamorecommonthemehereisthenatureofidentity,or,tobespecific,howweareneverpreciselyourselves.Suchself-alienationappearsinanearlypoem:“sometimesIgoshoutinthevalley/andwhenthevalleysendsbackmyvoice/myvoice/shocksmyheart,”andagaininthelongfinalpoeminthisbook:“It’snotmeseeingthesunlight/overrunyourheadlikeaswarmofbees/myseeingyoufallingasleep/isnotmeseeingyoufallasleep.”MangKe’swork,fromfirsttolast,isbold,seeminglysimple,yetsyntacticallyunstable,strange.Idon’tthinkIhaveeverreadanythingquitelikeit.WeshouldbegratefultoLucasKleinfortheexcellentworkhehasdonetomakeitavailable.”
──RaeArmantrout
“MangKeisageniusamongstcontemporaryChinesepoets.Inadarkage,hisearlylyricpoemswereunparalleled—translucent,profound,andenchanting.Theyinfluencedanentiregeneration,andwithoutadoubtourstyleofpoetrywashisinvention.”
──BeiDao
