The Roots of Wisdom

Honored three times as one of China's "top ten" poets, Zang Di observes nature, relationships and self in these startling and moving lyrics.

An inveterate traveler and obsessive observer, Zang Di uses rich, emotional language to explore the natural world, including his beloved Weiming Lake at Peking University — his "Walden." His poems often begin with finely-wrought details, frequently from nature ("on such a tiny bird body/all of life is reflected"), and proceed inward to reveal the layers of his psyche.

Poet, critic, translator, and editor Zang Di is one of the leading poets and literary critics of his generation.

Eleanor Goodman won the 2015 Lucien Stryk Prize and was shortlisted for the 2015 Griffin Poetry Prize for her translations of Chinese poetry.