Travel Over Water
BY Ye Chun
(The Bitter Oleander Press, 2005)

How do you feel about the choice of Chinese poetry in translation that exists in the so-called mainstream poetry scene today?

I’ve noticed most of the contemporary Chinese poets who have a book in translation are expatriates. They live in the West and have more access to translators, so understandably they were translated first. Though in recent years, I’ve seen more and more translations of non-expatriate Chinese poets in American literary journals. The choice is quite diverse. But very few of them have yet to publish a book in translation.

How has your writing changed since Travel Over Water?

It has changed quite a bit. When I wrote Travel over Water, I had just discovered poetry as my way of expression, so there’s a rawness and excitement in those poems. While working on my second manuscript Lantern Puzzle, I was more conscious of what I wanted to write and how I wanted to write them. I also did a lot of art work at the same time, especially mixed media and collage, which has channeled into my writing as well.

In the poem “March,” you write, “I’ve been looking for three ways / to say a sentence.” Bilingualism enriches your work; has speaking and writing in Chinese/English lead to a third experience, one that bridges between them?

Writing poems bilingually was out of necessity in the beginning. I had attempted to write directly in English, but the words simply wouldn’t flow. So I decided to write in Chinese first, and then translate them into English. After that, I revise and translate the new drafts back to Chinese, and so on. It’s not as troublesome as it sounds, since much of the translation is done in my head. When I eventually believe a poem works well in both languages, I feel it has reached a state of transparency, where language is no longer a confinement. Maybe I can call this transparency “a third experience.”

Feet II, 2006
(Mixed media on vellum, 18 x 24 in)
BY Ye Chun

Would you consider your writing “dark”?

As a parent, I really want to see the world bright and beautiful. But when I write, I can only write what I have to write, which doesn’t exclude the dark and painful.

Parent, author, artist, translator, poet — many creative women balance multiple roles; how do you negotiate or integrate them?

I’m not a fan of multi-tasking. I would rather concentrate on one thing at a time. When I need a break from writing, I’ll usually translate and spend most of my free time doing so, at least for a couple of months. Then I may want to go back to my own writing again, and will shift focus. I haven’t painted much since my daughter was born, as it takes more time than I currently have. But raising a child itself can be quite a creative endeavor.