Woman Growing Tobacco Leaves

Author: Xiao An
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: The third generation of Chinese poetry in the 1980s gave rise to numerous poetic groups and schools. Although the vibrant poetic movement has passed, it is undeniable that the outstanding poets active in the 1980s created poetic miracles. Their works have never been systematically and comprehensively collected and published. This volume showcases the exceptional writing and linguistic marvels of ten poets, some already renowned and others yet undiscovered. Contemporary Chinese poetry has spanned nearly three decades since the 1970s. Despite the distinct spiritual atmospheres and material carriers of each period, poets have achieved remarkable accomplishments. These achievements have directly or indirectly influenced modern Chinese, bringing about profound and significant changes. As a written language, modern Chinese has gradually matured and refined through the efforts of several generations of poets. Over time, this will become increasingly evident. The purpose of this poetry anthology is to trace the lineage of contemporary Chinese poetry, systematically and valuably introducing outstanding poets and their works, aiming to fill the void in mainland Chinese poetry publishing. In an article titled "Myself and 'Feifei'," He Xiaozhu wrote about the poet Xiao An: "In the 1980s, a female poet in the 'avant-garde' camp would not be taken seriously if her poetry lacked 'subconscious' revelations explainable by Freudian theory, or if it did not exhibit the 'death consciousness' and narcissism, Oedipal complexes of American 'confessional' poet Plath. I do not intend to belittle poets like Plath, nor do I wish to deny the existence and value of 'female poetry.' What I want to emphasize is that a poet who transcends gender and begins writing 'from language,' such as Xiao An, has not received the recognition and attention she deserves. In terms of the purity of her poetry and her linguistic awareness, she could easily rank ahead of any 'male' poet in 'Feifei.'" In fact, since the 1990s, an increasing number of poets and poetry enthusiasts have come to appreciate Xiao An's poetry. The Woman Who Grows Tobacco is the poet's th poetry anthology, covering the creative period from 1986 to 2000.