A Portrait of the Self as Nation

October 15, 2018
Fierce and Tender is the epithet Chin uses to end her poem, A Portrait of the Self as Nation. Out of context, it may seem clich�d. But as evidenced by her collection of the same name, which spans 30 years of her poetry, Chin isn't interested in stereotypes unless she's blowing them sky high. Nor is she interested in truth. As she writes in Barbarian Suite, Truth has no face, we make it wear ours. This gathering of selected and new poems introduces readers to the many truths of Chin, which are as vast and contradictory as you might expect a poet's self-portrait to be. The collection is immensely historical, playing across thousands of years of Chinese civilization as well as the contemporary Chinese American immigrant experience. Somehow, Chin's verse is never overly purposeful, perhaps due to her mastery of form and miraculous sense of humor. Chin's most recent poems manifest her ongoing dedication to political activism and poetic experimentation. If the intensity of her newer work is any indication, readers won't see Chin resting on her laurels any time soon.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)