A Distant Center

February 15, 2018

Many know Ha Jin for his fiction, the Pulitzer finalist War Trash and National Book Award-winning Waiting being two novels of note. However, he has also written six poetry collections in English. Clear, centered, and lacking artifice, this latest is a quiet series of contemplations about the domestic and home building. Home here takes a few shapes--the arms of a lover, the country from which the speaker and his family came, the simple pleasures of the quotidian. While some of Ha Jin's representations of the home, specifically those of gender roles and dynamics, may feel out of step for some, his tenderness, clarity, and honesty will make readers feel as if they are listening to an old friend wax poetic over coffee. VERDICT This pleasant collection will appeal to fans of W.S. Merwin, Billy Collins, and Mary Oliver, with the poems about China even eliciting resonances with Charles Simic. But some readers may leave feeling underwhelmed by its simplicity and quotidian focus. Those looking for more contemporary Chinese poetry in English might be better served by Liu Xia's Empty Chairs. [See Prepub Alert, 10/22/17.]--Trevor Ketner, Junior Library Guild

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 19, 2018
Poet and novelist Jin (The Boat Rocker) shares an honest, restrained look at his philosophies about home, writing, and staying true to oneself in these muted, yet arresting poems. He writes how “at night I often hear a voice/ whisper, tickling my ear:/ ‘there’s no meaning in an effortless life—/ you came into this world/ just to strive into another self.’ ” The poems, originally composed in Chinese, are often addressed to a “you,” which can take the form of a “little rascal” wren attempting to build a nest above the author’s door or a schoolchild who is unwilling to practice Chinese calligraphy. But most of the time, Jin’s “you” is aimed as much at the self as it is the reader: “May you have/ fresh excitement every day, but don’t/ linger at any charming site for long. If you are/ blazing a path, do not expect to meet/ a fellow traveler.” This fine collection of handsomely crafted musings displays Jin’s signature simplicity and offers readers a guide to the creative process: “You must hold your quiet center,/ where you do what only you can do./ If others call you a maniac or a fool,/ just let them wag their tongues./ If some praise your perseverance,/ don’t feel too happy about it –/ only solitude is a lasting friend.”