Cha: An Asian Literary Journal

22/01/2025

Not quite English Whirled Wide but sharing a love poem I like very much.

22/01/2025

“Kamala,” by Kadir Nelson, would have been the cover of the November 18, 2024, issue of The New Yorker, had Kamala Harris had won the election. Read about the cover that never was: https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/xSz9Wd

20/01/2025

🧵 We'd love to publish reviews of these books in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal in 2025. If you are interested in reading and reviewing any of these titles, please send an email to [email protected].

▚ 𝐸𝑧𝑟𝑎 𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑'𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠: 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠
By Zhaoming Qian
"Provides exceptional glimpses of Pound's private dialogues with the Chinese, [...] and the evolution of his China-related works."
LINK: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/ezra-pounds-chinese-friends-9780199238606

▚ 𝐿𝑎𝑜 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑛
By Anne Witchard
"... reveals Lao She’s encounter with British high modernism and literature from Dickens to Conrad to Joyce."
LINK: https://hkupress.hku.hk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1404

▚ 𝐿𝑢 𝑋𝑢𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
Edited by Xiaolu Ma and Carlos Rojas
"[The essays] offer detailed analyses of Lu Xun’s own literary oeuvre and of foreign works that engage with his writings."
LINK: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/L/bo245008634.html

▚ 𝐸𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔: 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠, 𝐶𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒𝑠
Edited by Kam Louie
"The thirteen essays examine the fidelity & betrayals that dominate her alter ego’s relationships with parents and lovers[.]"
LINK: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/E/bo37856296.html

▚ 𝑀𝑢 𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑎’𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑡
New Translations and an Appreciation by Andrew David Field
"Field situates Mu’s work within the transnational and hedonistic environment of inter-war Shanghai[.]"
LINK: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/M/bo37857676.html

▚ 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐷𝑢 𝐹𝑢: 𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠
Edited by Xiaofei Tian
"These essays are engaged in historically nuanced close reading of Du Fu’s poems, both canonical and less known, from new angles and in various contexts[.]"
LINK: https://hkupress.hku.hk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1301
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20/01/2025

/ The answer, I believe, is that many (not all!) rich men are extraordinarily insecure. I’ve seen this phenomenon many times, although I can only speculate about what causes it. My best guess is that a billionaire, having climbed to incredible heights, realizes that he’s still an ordinary human being who puts his pants on one leg at a time, and asks, “Is this all there is?”

So he starts demanding things money can’t buy, like universal admiration. Read Ross Douthat’s interview with Marc Andreessen, in which the tech bro explains why he has turned hard right. Andreessen says that it’s not about the money, and I believe him. What bothers him, instead, is that he wants everyone to genuflect before tech bros as the great heroes of our age, and instead lots of people are saying mean things about him and people like him.

Of course, Trump’s victory won’t do anything to restore the adulation he misses, so I can confidently predict that Andreesen and others in his set will keep on whining — that there will be so much whining that we’ll get sick of whining. Actually I already am. /

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-pathetic-billionaires-club
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How f**k-you money can become f**k-me money

19/01/2025

{{{ Submissions of previously unpublished English poems or poems newly translated (from any languages) into English on 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by poets and translators from all over the world are accepted until 31 January 2025, to be published in an upcoming issue of Hong Kong's 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine. Guidelines: https://tinyurl.com/InvolutionCall }}

𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑤𝑒𝑖 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑚:

◎ 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 encapsulates the social reproduction of class and the internalisation of neoliberal values within a competitive, capitalism-driven society. While resisting these norms and deviating from the established trajectory may seem challenging, individuals still possess the agency to reject these values—to "lie flat" My poem, "Black Cat", explores a child's awakening to their true desires and their quiet defiance of societal expectations, symbolizing a reluctance to partake in the relentless game.
。。。。。

In a forthcoming issue of 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, we will publish an English-language section on 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. Hongwei Bao's "Black Cat" will be included in this section. [ Contributors to the 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. feature: https://tinyurl.com/InvolutionPoets ]

{{{ We are accepting submissions until 31 January 2025: https://tinyurl.com/InvolutionCall }}
𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑤𝑒𝑖 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑚:

◎ 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 encapsulates the social reproduction of class and the internalisation of neoliberal values within a competitive, capitalism-driven society. While resisting these norms and deviating from the established trajectory may seem challenging, individuals still possess the agency to reject these values—to "lie flat" My poem, "Black Cat", explores a child's awakening to their true desires and their quiet defiance of societal expectations, symbolizing a reluctance to partake in the relentless game.
✑ 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗲𝗶 𝗕𝗮𝗼 is a q***r Chinese writer and academic based in Nottingham, UK. His work explores q***r desire, Asian identity, diasporic positionality and transcultural intimacy. He is the author of the poetry pamphlet Dream of the Orchid Pavilion (Big White Shed, 2024), poetry collection The Passion of the Rabbit God (Valley Press, 2024) and nonfiction book Queering the Asian Diaspora (Sage, 2024).
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19/01/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪] Hongwei Bao reviews 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑠: 𝐹𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑠 (Invisible Publishing, 2024), selected, edited & translated by Yilin Wang:

/ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑠 (灯与夜蛾) is a collection of beautifully translated poems written by five modern and contemporary Chinese poets; it is also the poet-translator Yilin Wang (王艺霖)’s philosophical musings on Chinese poetry and poetry translation. The book is divided into five sections. Each section is dedicated to a poet’s work, showcasing five to six poems in both their original Chinese version and the translated English version, presented side by side on the page. These carefully curated poems are followed by an essay in which Wang introduces each poet’s biography, historical and social contexts, her selection rationales, the challenges she encountered and the choices she made during the translation process, as well as her personal reflections on the works. The poems and essays complement each other harmoniously: the translations serve as enactments of Wang’s translation philosophy, while the essays provide nuanced insights into the poems and their contexts. Together, they offer a rich tapestry of affective experiences and thought-provoking reflections on Chinese poetry. As they challenge the dominant perception of Chinese poetry in the Anglophone world as being solely composed of classical works, they introduce readers to modern and contemporary poetry—rhymed and unrhymed, metrical and non-metrical—imbued with feminist, q***r, trans, working-class, Buddhist, Daoist, and transnational diasporic themes. /

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://chajournal.blog/2025/01/19/night-moths/
。。。。。

19/01/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪] Abhinav Tulachan reviews Prajwal Parajuly’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑟𝑘ℎ𝑎’𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 (Quercus, 2012):

/ This is a book my father gifted to me more than a decade ago, during a particularly uneventful winter holiday, when I asked him for an “engaging story to read.” At that time, the eleven-year-old version of myself read through it, thought some of the stories were sad, and eventually left it on my shelf, where it remained largely forgotten as time went on.

Years later, after moving to Hong Kong for my undergraduate studies, I rediscovered the same book among my luggage, having packed some novels from my collection to read while trapped in quarantine. In the midst of my 21-day mandatory isolation, I revisited this forgotten gift and found myself profoundly moved by the stories within. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑟𝑘ℎ𝑎’𝑠 𝐷𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 has since become an annual read, with newer details, themes, and moments emerging with each passing year—details my younger self could scarcely have grasped. /

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://chajournal.blog/2025/01/19/gurkha/
。。。。。

19/01/2025

{{{ Submissions of previously unpublished English poems or poems newly translated (from any languages) into English on 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by poets and translators from all over the world are accepted until 31 January 2025, to be published in an upcoming issue of Hong Kong's 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine. Guidelines: https://tinyurl.com/InvolutionCall }}

𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑦 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑚:

◎ My poem is inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's "I live my life in widening circles," particularly the imagery of "widening circles," which beautifully encapsulates the broadening of perspective as one reflects on their connection to the world. Writing from a different context, I seek to visualise an involuted world, focusing on the experience of personal striving in an environment where the rewards of hard work are uncertain, overshadowed by relentless competition. This theme resonates deeply with me, as I struggle to make my voice heard in the fiercely competitive world of poetry. Yet I will keep writing; through persistence, I uncover the best version of myself. In my poem, I suggest that this journey of self-recognition holds relevance for the unsuccessful, the overlooked—those who often remain invisible in an achievement-driven society.
。。。。。

In a forthcoming issue of 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, we will publish an English-language section on 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. Pinky Ho's "The Involuted World and Me" will be included in this section. [ Contributors to the 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. feature: https://tinyurl.com/InvolutionPoets ]

{{{ We are accepting submissions until 31 January 2025: https://tinyurl.com/InvolutionCall }}
𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑦 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑚:

◎ My poem is inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's "I live my life in widening circles," particularly the imagery of "widening circles," which beautifully encapsulates the broadening of perspective as one reflects on their connection to the world. Writing from a different context, I seek to visualise an involuted world, focusing on the experience of personal striving in an environment where the rewards of hard work are uncertain, overshadowed by relentless competition. This theme resonates deeply with me, as I struggle to make my voice heard in the fiercely competitive world of poetry. Yet I will keep writing; through persistence, I uncover the best version of myself. In my poem, I suggest that this journey of self-recognition holds relevance for the unsuccessful, the overlooked—those who often remain invisible in an achievement-driven society.
✑ 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆 𝗛𝗼 hails from Macau and is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at the University of Macau. Writing is her daily companion—whether for academic research or poetry, which she embraces as a creative outlet. In her poetry, she explores her city as a backdrop to her journey of self-discovery. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the Burlesque Press COVID-19 Anthology Project, The Voices Project, 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, and the EWCC Review.
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VISIT 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 website:
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19/01/2025

Suggested reading: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/chinas-involuted-generation
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𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐄𝐌𝐒—In an upcoming issue of Hong Kong-based print bilingual (Chinese and English) poetry magazine, 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, we will devote an English-language section to 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. We encourage poets and translators from all over the world to submit their poetry and translations on this theme. Closing date: Friday 31 January 2025. NOTE: Early submissions are preferred.

Previously unpublished poems written in English or newly translated into English on 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 can be sent to [email protected] before Friday 31 Januaty 2025 with the subject line “VV: Involution: [your initials]” for consideration. Each poet can submit up to two poems (please do not send us PDFs). Emails without proper salutation will not be read. Editor of the section: Tammy Lai-Ming Ho.

Poets whose work is accepted will be notified. If you do not receive a response within two weeks, please assume that your work has not been selected for publication.

𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 is a Hong Kong-based print bilingual (Chinese and English) poetry publication distributed by The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. We have previously published English-language sections on, among other topics, “Food”, “Ecopoetry”, “Estrangement”, “Emergency”, “Bullet”, “Virus”, “Masks”, “Home”, “Distance”, “Other”, “Mirror”, “Boar”, “Wall”, “Curel Spring”, “Departures”, “Beginnings”, "Neighbourhood", "Intervention", "Crossings", "Outsiders", "Whale", "Peace", "Dystopia", and most recently, "Lying Flat".

Our motto: “From Hong Kong to the World.”

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VISIT 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 website:
https://vvpoetry.com/
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19/01/2025

18/01/2025

Suggested reading: https://www.newyorker.com/.../chinas-involuted-generation

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𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐄𝐌𝐒—In an upcoming issue of Hong Kong-based print bilingual (Chinese and English) poetry magazine, 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, there will be an English-language section devoted to 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. Poets and translators from all over the world are encouraged to submit their poetry and translations on this theme for consideration. Closing date: Friday 31 January 2025. NOTE: Early submissions are preferred.
◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯

Suggested reading: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/chinas-involuted-generation
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𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐄𝐌𝐒—In an upcoming issue of Hong Kong-based print bilingual (Chinese and English) poetry magazine, 聲韻詩刊 Voice & Verse Poetry Magazine, we will devote an English-language section to 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. We encourage poets and translators from all over the world to submit their poetry and translations on this theme. Closing date: Friday 31 January 2025. NOTE: Early submissions are preferred.

Previously unpublished poems written in English or newly translated into English on 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 can be sent to [email protected] before Friday 31 Januaty 2025 with the subject line “VV: Involution: [your initials]” for consideration. Each poet can submit up to two poems (please do not send us PDFs). Emails without proper salutation will not be read. Editor of the section: Tammy Lai-Ming Ho.

Poets whose work is accepted will be notified. If you do not receive a response within two weeks, please assume that your work has not been selected for publication.

𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 is a Hong Kong-based print bilingual (Chinese and English) poetry publication distributed by The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. We have previously published English-language sections on, among other topics, “Food”, “Ecopoetry”, “Estrangement”, “Emergency”, “Bullet”, “Virus”, “Masks”, “Home”, “Distance”, “Other”, “Mirror”, “Boar”, “Wall”, “Curel Spring”, “Departures”, “Beginnings”, "Neighbourhood", "Intervention", "Crossings", "Outsiders", "Whale", "Peace", "Dystopia", and most recently, "Lying Flat".

Our motto: “From Hong Kong to the World.”

▚▚▚▚▚▚▚▚▚
SUBSCRIBE to 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 or BUY individual issues: https://vvpoetry.com/subscription/

VISIT 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 & 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 website:
https://vvpoetry.com/
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18/01/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘—𝗣𝗢𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗬] Marco Yan on his poem "Beginnings are Generous": "I consider this poem an ode to beginnings—a constant reminder that, before the hurt sets in, before any damage is done, the first page of any story holds infinite promise. There is always a reason for characters to meet, a reason for a bud poised to bloom. As continuous as life may be, one always retains the liberty to invent a new beginning, to trust it, and to live another story."

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://chajournal.blog/2025/01/18/generous/
。。。。。

18/01/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘—𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡] We're very honoured to publish Chris Song's translation of Ma Ka Fan's “Master Ip and the Dragonling”, taken from Ma's forthcoming novel 𝑂𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑈𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐾𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐼𝐼𝐼 (雙天至尊). Ma Ka Fai on the excerpts:

/ These are selected excerpts from my novel 𝑂𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑈𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐾𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐼𝐼𝐼 (雙天至尊), forthcoming this year. The story’s protagonist, Hon Tien-Yan, is a passionate martial arts enthusiast and an ardent admirer of Bruce Lee. One day, his master, Willow Beard, shares evocative tales of the mentor-disciple relationship between Ip Man and Bruce Lee. Though derived from second-hand accounts, these stories enthral Tien-Yan, drawing him into a vivid reverie. Ip Man passed away in December 1972, and Bruce Lee’s untimely death followed in July 1973. Drawing upon historical records, I have interwoven my own imaginative interpretations to breathe life into this narrative. My intent has been to pay homage to these iconic figures with the utmost respect and sensitivity. The excerpts delve into the early days of Bruce Lee’s apprenticeship and the poignant moments preceding his departure from Hong Kong. In my conception, the transmission of mastery across generations is imbued with a profound ambivalence—a delicate balance of resolute determination and a bittersweet reluctance to let go. /

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 “𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴” 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://chajournal.blog/2025/01/18/dragonling/
。。。。。

Ma Ka Fai’s note: These are selected excerpts from my novel Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong III (雙天至尊), forthcoming this year. The story’s protagonist, Hon Tien-Yan, is a passionate martia…

18/01/2025

[𝗡𝗘𝗪 Cha: An Asian Literary Journal 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘—𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡] We're very honoured to publish Chris Song's translation of Ma Ka Fan's “Master Ip and the Dragonling”, taken from Ma's forthcoming novel 𝑂𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑈𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐾𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐼𝐼𝐼 (雙天至尊). Ma Ka Fai on the excerpts:

/ These are selected excerpts from my novel 𝑂𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑈𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐾𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐼𝐼𝐼 (雙天至尊), forthcoming this year. The story’s protagonist, Hon Tien-Yan, is a passionate martial arts enthusiast and an ardent admirer of Bruce Lee. One day, his master, Willow Beard, shares evocative tales of the mentor-disciple relationship between Ip Man and Bruce Lee. Though derived from second-hand accounts, these stories enthral Tien-Yan, drawing him into a vivid reverie. Ip Man passed away in December 1972, and Bruce Lee’s untimely death followed in July 1973. Drawing upon historical records, I have interwoven my own imaginative interpretations to breathe life into this narrative. My intent has been to pay homage to these iconic figures with the utmost respect and sensitivity. The excerpts delve into the early days of Bruce Lee’s apprenticeship and the poignant moments preceding his departure from Hong Kong. In my conception, the transmission of mastery across generations is imbued with a profound ambivalence—a delicate balance of resolute determination and a bittersweet reluctance to let go. /

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 “𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴” 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://chajournal.blog/2025/01/18/dragonling/
。。。。。

18/01/2025

🧵 All about translated literature. We'd love to publish reviews of these titles in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal in 2025. If you are interested in reading and reviewing one of these books, please send an email to [email protected]

▚ 𝑇𝑒𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑑𝑠 & 𝑀𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑠: 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑊𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔
Edited by Zuo Fei, Xiao Yue Shan, and Simon Shieh (translated by various)
"gathers sixteen phenomenal writers of the Chinese language in their English debut"
https://honfordstar.com/products/ten-thousand-miles-of-clouds-and-moons-new-chinese-writing

▚ 𝐻𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑂𝑙𝑑 𝑅𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠
By Yu Xuanji, translated by Lucas Klein
"Innovative translations of the work of one of the most famous poets in premodern Chinese literature"
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/hiding-in-caverns-formed-from-old-roots-9780197778173

▚ 𝐼 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑠: 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠
By Can Xue, translated by Karen Gernant and Zeping Chen
"they tend to limn a disordered and poetic state given structure by philosophical wonder and emotional rigor."
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300247435/i-live-in-the-slums/

▚ 𝐶𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑛
By Zhang Yueran, translated by Jeremy Tiang
"A new generation comes to terms with China’s past"
https://worldeditions.org/product/cocoon/

▚ 𝑊𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑑𝑒
By Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu
“An accomplished eco-techno-thriller with heart and soul as well as brain."
https://torpublishinggroup.com/waste-tide/?isbn=9780765389336&format=trade

▚ 𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑊𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙
By Mu Cao, translated by Scott E. Myers
“an unrelentingly realistic portrait of working-class gay men in the underbelly of Chinese society."
https://seagullbooks.org/in-the-face-of-death-we-are-equal/

▚ 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑑: 𝐴 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙
By Zhang Guixing, translated by Carlos Rojas
“an atmospheric account of a Malaysian Chinese young man’s journey upriver deep into the Sarawak rainforest of northwest Borneo" https://cup.columbia.edu/book/elephant-herd/9780231559034

▚ 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑇𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑖𝑐𝑘
By Qu You, translated by Zhenjun Zhang, Sidney Sondergard, and Trever McKay
"First complete translation of this important collection of Chinese tales"
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/new-stories-told-while-trimming-the-wick-9780197668771
。。。。。

17/01/2025

I know see why they call it a kangaroo word.