{"product_id":"9781938890215","title":"Abyss","description":"\u003cp\u003eA seminal work from the second wave of Chinese modernism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo great is Ya Hsien's influence on younger generations of Taiwanese and Chinese writers that he is sometimes referred to simply as \"The Poet.\" Yet he never wrote a second book after Abyss appeared in an expanded edition in 1971. This single book's variety and virtuosity have made it a modern classic and the poet something of a legend. A new documentary, \"Ya Hsien: A Life that Sings,\" was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2015 Taipei Film Festival.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eUnder the Barber Pole\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe barbers sing\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eAlways it's the same wheat-harvest festival\u003cbr\u003eAlways an abundance of rye without ears\u003cbr\u003eAlways it is reaped, reaped\u003cbr\u003eOn the land of inspiration\u003cbr\u003eA small southern path leads to ears of grain\u003cbr\u003eAnd it's also a kind of horticultural school\u003cbr\u003eA kind of beauty\u003cbr\u003eA kind of agricultural reform\u003cbr\u003eA kind of taste for something other than Greek sculpture\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe barbers sing\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eYa Hsien\u003c\/b\u003e 's poetry runs the gamut from realism to surrealism, incorporating elements of folksong and modernist poetics, expressing a wide emotional range, and deftly capturing the critical spirit of the times. The sixty poems are divided into seven sections that present differing styles and themes, including \"Wartime,\" \"Songs without Music\", and \"Wild Water Chestnuts.\" The pen name Ya Hsien (his given name is Wang Ching-Lin) means \"mute string.\" Ya Hsien lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAward-winning translator \u003cb\u003eJohn Balcom \u003c\/b\u003e lives in Monterey, California.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zephyr Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47051577360624,"sku":"9781938890215","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781938890215_p0.jpg?v=1763665330","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781938890215","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}