A.F. Moritz and Anna Yin discussed poetry, translations and life experiences. They also talked about how other poets’ work had inspired their own writing. Here are videos from the event.
Main part:
Q/A part
Poetry in Translation: Molly Peacock and Anna Yin was a great success
Our first session: Poetry in Translation: Molly Peacock and Anna Yin was a great success. There were 91 people joined us. Thank you Molly, Yang and all poetry/translation lovers, book lovers for supporting. Thank the League of Canadian Poets for funding. Thanks Guerinca Editions.
Here also from Molly’s thank-you note:
The conversation between Anna Yin and Molly Peacock about poetry translation from English to Chinese launched lots of ideas, and we so appreciate your support, either in person or in spirit.
谢谢 /多謝
A partial list of over 90 Canadian and American attendees, from Boston to Maryland, from Ottawa to Costa Rica to Detroit, from Vancouver to Colorado and from New York to Toronto, with gratitude from Molly for your presence, oh poets and translators, lawyer and arborist, IT coder and actor, painter, print-maker & portraitist, financiers and fiction writers, therapists, nonfiction writers, teachers and editors–& scholar-husband:
Gary Alexander, Bernice Baeumler, Susan Boone, Cathie Borrie, Helen Bournas-Ney, Lara Bozabalian, Madeleine Brown, Amy C. Clark, Mike Curtis, Dana Delibovi, Alison Edwards, Cindy Frenkel, Davidson Garrett, Michael Groden, Rachel Hadas, Jenine Holmes, Bob Kaplan, Mary Louise Kiernan, Anita Lahey, Deena Linett, Ashley Mabbitt, Wendy Mark, Bronwyn Mills, Irina Nikolova, Dawn Hansen Pergakes, Craig Poile, Ellen Rachlin, Janet Read, Patria Rivera, Lindsay Royce, Dale Matthews Satorsky, Jane Seskin, Terrill Soules, Norman Stock, Tim Suermondt, Helen Tzagoloff, David Williams, Joyce Wilson, and Pui Ying Wong.)
Here are slides and chat file at the events.
George Elliott Clarke – Review Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac by Anna Yin
Anna Yin is a startling dreamer. Poems that seem Romantic veer into Surrealism or Symbolism. Tutored in Sylvia Plath and William Carlos Williams, among many other poets (mainly American and Canadian), Yin issues poems that are nightmare dreams or dreamy nightmares: Here’s a world where the natural becomes unnatural, the unnatural natural: “the police-monkey escorts a well-suited rat / followed by his cloned brothers…” Some poems are parables, such as the story of a man- a father-who refuses to leave his home, even while it and others are being reduced to rubble: “I received a copy of the photo in the local newspaper. / My father looked so small on the top of the ruins. / It was titled, ‘The Last Temple.’”
In another poem, the speaker says, “You are tired of his / molding, over and over, / thrashing, nailing / into you.” There’s a fierce feminism here, reinforced by readings of Dot Livesay and Dame Atwood. Though it’s tricky following Yin’s wicked, impressionistic juxtapositions, her painterly imagery is deliciously lustrous.
Yin is endlessly perspicacious, endlessly compelling: “The autumn gusts feel warm / as if it’s spring…. / last night by accident I cut my finger… / slowly, on the rice paper, red roses grew.” She brings to Canadian poetry a sense of classicism and aestheticism and minimalism, all nicely mixed up with sensuality.
Yin’s bravura poems – so exquisite and extraordinary – merit bravo upon bravo.
Publisher’s website:
https://blackmosspress.com/dd-product/seven-nights-with-the-chinese-zodiac/
The 4th Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15) and the 7th Parliamentary/Canadian Poet Laureate (2016-17), George Elliott Clarke is a revered artist in song, drama, fiction, screenplay, essays, and poetry. Born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1960, Clarke was educated at the University of Waterloo, Dalhousie University, and Queen’s University. Clarke is also a pioneering scholar of African-Canadian literature. A professor of English at the University of Toronto, Clarke has taught at Duke, McGill, the University of British Columbia, and Harvard. He holds eight honorary doctorates, plus appointments to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada at the rank of Officer. His recognitions include the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellows Prize, the Governor-General’s Award for Poetry, the National Magazine Gold Award for Poetry, the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction, the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (US), and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award. Photo Credit of George Elliott Clarke : Harvard University.
Anna Yin was Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015-2017) and has authored five collections of poetry. Her poems/translations have appeared at ARC Poetry, New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, World Journal etc. Anna won the 2005 Ted Plantos Memorial Award, two MARTYs, two scholarships from West Chester University Poetry Conference, three grants from OAC and 2013 Professional Achievement Award from CPAC. She performed her poetry on Parliament Hill and has been featured at 2015 Austin International Poetry Festival and 2017 National poetry month project etc. She teaches Poetry Alive at schools, colleges and libraries. Her website: http://www.annapoetry.com/
© George Elliott Clarke/Anna Yin
Anna Yin shares her experiences of how to get poetry and books published
Poetry in Translation /East Meets West (Ongoing…)
A series of online events focus on poetry and translation by reading and discussing original poems then translations between poets and translator. The poets are George Elliott Clarke, Molly Peacock, Alice Major and A. F. Moritz, and the translator is Anna Yin
Each session lasts 90 minutes and involves one English-language poet and the Chinese translator to discuss techniques and adaptability required and close-reading poems of different styles and subjects.
- Aug 14, Molly Peacock and Anna Yin (see video)
- Aug 29, A.F.Moritz and Anna Yin (see video)
- Sept 11, Alice Major and Anna Yin (see video)
- Sept 25. George and Anna Yin (see video)
Oct 3, 15:00-16:30 the group session on Zoom -a summary with the above poets and open mic
Molly Peacock’s latest poetry collections are The Analyst and Cornucopia: New and Selected Poems. She is the series founder of The Best Canadian Poetry and the co-founder of Poetry in Motion on New York’s subways and buses. Her poems appear in leading literary journals such as Poetry, The Malahat Review and The Hudson Review, and are anthologized in The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Author of a one-person play about poetry, The Shimmering Verge, she is working on Form with Feeling, a collection of essays.
A. F. Moritzis the 6thPoet Laureate of Toronto. His most recent books are As Far As You Know (2020) and The Sparrow: Selected Poems (2018), both from House of Anansi Press. In 2015, Princeton University Press republished his 1986 volume in the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets, The Tradition. He has published nineteen books of poems, and several volumes of poetry translated from French and Spanish. His poetry has received the Griffin Poetry Prize, the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Award in Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Beth Hokin Prize of Poetry magazine, and other awards.
Alice Major‘s 11th poetry collection is “Welcome to the Anthropocene”. published by the University of Alberta Press. Science has been a source of inspiration for much of her work, including an award-winning collection of essays: “Intersecting Sets: A Poet Looks at Science.” Alice served as the first poet laureate for her home city of Edmonton and her honours include an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Alberta. www.alicemajor.com
The 4th Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15) and the 7th Parliamentary/Canadian Poet Laureate (2016-17), George Elliott Clarke is a revered artist in song, drama, fiction, screenplay, essays, and poetry. Born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1960, Clarke was educated at the University of Waterloo, Dalhousie University, and Queen’s University. Clarke is also a pioneering scholar of African-Canadian literature. A professor of English at the University of Toronto, Clarke has taught at Duke, McGill, the University of British Columbia, and Harvard. He holds eight honorary doctorates, plus appointments to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada at the rank of Officer. His recognitions include the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellows Prize, the Governor-General’s Award for Poetry, the National Magazine Gold Award for Poetry,, the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction, the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (US), and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award.
In Poetry We Meet: Poetry Reading at VPL – 在詩中相遇
Meet Dr. Chun Yu, an award-winning poet based in San Francisco, and Anna Yin, Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate, author of six collections of poetry and an IT Consultant; listen to their bilingual poems and share their creative experiences with boundary crossing. This event will be moderated by Dr. Shuyu Kong, Professor in Humanities at SFU and Co-Director of David Lam Centre for International Communication. This will be conducted in Mandarin.
A link and password to join the Zoom meeting will be sent by email.
register link: https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/5ef649a09cdc143a0004104c
在詩歌裡 — 遇见有趣的靈魂，遇見你。舊金山作家、詩人和科學家俞淳、多倫多密西沙加桂冠詩人、IT咨询师星子安娜，朗誦她們中英文詩歌，交流各自在詩歌中，如何穿越時空，跨越疆界，與愛和美相遇。SFU人文學系教授、林思齐國際文化交流中心主任孔書玉主持。國語活動(温哥华图书馆）
Online Reading for National Poetry Month from poets in Tamaracks and In A Fragile Moment
On Tuesday, April 21st, there was to be a poetry reading at the Annette Public Library. It would have featured eight poets from both Tamaracks, published by Lummox Press, as well as In A Fragile Moment, released by Hidden Brook Press.
COVID19 cancelled the reading. However, poetry is indomitable.
We have brought the event to you in another format. Please enjoy this collaboration, and celebrate National Poetry Month!
Eight Poets Reading as following:
James Deahl is the author of twenty-eight literary titles, the three most recent being: Travelling The Lost Highway, Red Haws To Light The Field, and To Be With A Woman. A cycle of his poems is the focus of the U.S. television documentary Under the Watchful Eye. He lives in Sarnia, Ontario, with the writer Norma West Linder.
Norma West Linder is the author of seven novels, fifteen poetry collections, two children’s books, a collection of short stories, a play, a memoir, and a biography of Ontario Lt. Governor Pauline McGibbon. Her selected poetry, Adder’s-tongues, was published by Aeolis House in 2012. She is the mother of two daughters and a son. Linder lives in Sarnia.
Allan Briesmaster’s Reading
A literary editor and publisher, Allan Briesmaster is the author of eight full-length books of poetry and eight shorter books. He has given readings and hosted poetry events at venues across Canada. His newest book, The Long Bond: Selected and New Poems, was published last fall by Guernica Editions.
Bruce Meyer’s Reading
Bruce Meyer is author of editor of 63 books of poetry, short fiction, flash fiction, and non-fiction. His most recent collection of poems is McLuhan’s Canary (Guernica Editions, 2019). He lives in Barrie, Ontario, and teaches at Georgian College and at Victoria College in the University of Toronto. He was the City of Barrie’s inaugural Poet Laureate from 2010 to 2014.
Keith Inman’s Reading
Keith Inman is an internationally published poet. His books, War Poems and SEAsia (Seize-ya) from Black Moss, can be found in major libraries across North America. The craziest review he’s ever received was in Canlit #223, which compared his work to Atwood, Boyden and Itani. Keith lives in Niagara.
Patrick Connors’ Reading
Pat Connors first chapbook, Scarborough Songs, was published by Lyricalmyrical Press in 2013, and charted on the Toronto Poetry Map. He contributed to Bottom of the Wine Jar, published by SandCrab Books in 2017.
Other publications include Blue Collar Poetry; Tamaracks; and Tending the Fire, a new chapbook by the League of Canadian Poets. His first full manuscript is forthcoming.
Anna Yin’s Reading
Anna Yin was Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015-2017) and has authored five collections of poetry. Her poems/translations have appeared at ARC Poetry, New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, World Journal etc. Anna won several awards and performed her poetry on Parliament Hill and 2015 Austin International Poetry Festival etc. Her Poetry Alive workshops are welcomed at schools.
Richard M. Grove’s Reading
Richard M. Grove lives in Presqu’ile Provincial Park, half way between Toronto and Kingston. He is the man of 7 Ps – Poet, Publisher, Photographer, Painter, President, Public Speaker, Potter. He runs Hidden Brook Press and is the founding president of the Canada Cuba Literary Alliance.
Joseph Fasano’s two poems and Anna Yin’s translation
Joseph Fasano is the author The Crossing (Cider Press Review, 2018); Vincent (2015); Inheritance (2014); and Fugue for Other Hands (2013), which won the Cider Press Review Book Award and was nominated for the Poets’ Prize, “awarded annually for the best book of verse published by a living American poet two years prior to the award.” A winner of the RATTLE Poetry Prize, among other honors, he teaches at Columbia University and Manhattanville College.
约瑟夫·法萨诺 (trans by Anna Yin)
信
今夜，当你离开
步入星空，森林，或者城市，
仰望
就像爱情来临之前，
爱情离去之前，
灰烬化为灰烬之前
你一定也这样望过。
看着它们：这城市的
迷雾，冬日，
以及刚开始时那盏
曾经握在你掌中的
月光杯。
那弯新月
你一定曾经在水中
触摸过，
喃喃自语着：蜕变我，蜕变
我，蜕变我。我只想要
做更真实的自己。
Anna Yin’s online poetry alive workshops for schools and Haiku workshop
Anna is a participating poet for the League’s Poets In The Schools Program, and she has thoughtfully made her “Poetry Alive” classroom workshops available on Youtube. Check out her workshop. it’s poetry fun for the whole family!
Anna Yin’s Online Haiku workshop
Anna is a participating poet for the League’s Poets In The Schools Program, and she has thoughtfully made her “Poetry Alive” classroom workshops available on Youtube. Check out her workshop. it’s poetry fun for the whole family!
Poems about COVID-19/抗疫诗歌分享
Waiting for You in the Sunlight
News of epidemic spread everywhere;
our anxiety and worries grow .
Yet the sun shines brightly and warmly,
birds are seen here and there.
Masks mailing to you are still on their way;
my heart waiting for you has set out flying.
I hope the spring will soon blossom,
and folks sing happily and freely.
Wandering in the woods at the moment,
I stare at the setting sun;
opening my hands to catch the distant light,
I long for a new day to come.
My dear, remember-
I am waiting for you in the sun light.
在阳光下等你/@2020/3/15
到处是疫情的消息,
到处充满焦虑。
而阳光温暖地照耀着，
鸟儿又四处可见。
寄去的几个口罩还在路上，
等你回来的心却在飞翔。
但愿那时春暖花开，
人们敞开心扉歌唱。
此刻在林中散步的我，
注视着即将降落的太阳，
伸出手掌去捕捉远去的光亮，
期待新的一天早早到来，
亲爱的，请记住，
我在阳光下等你。
写在雨水之后/星子安娜 02/19/2020
立春过后，便是雨水。
老黄历又撕下了一页。
灌木丛中心急的鸟雀飞出去，
像一把撒向空中的种子，
只是不知飞落何方。
江南的水乡无边寂寞，
一叶扁舟雾里来，雾里去，
昨夜漂在我的梦里。
北方的雪还是没有融化，
心中的诗句删了又写，
写了又删，就像田里的野草
割了又长，长了又割——
留下屋檐一串串冰凌，冷冷地闪光。
漫长的夜里，谁与我以雪煮梦，
忘记世间百态，忘记歌舞盛世，
再次记起那卖火柴的小女孩，
和那为众人抱薪的无名者?
在干净的雨水里，素面朝天，
等待春暖，等待阳光刺透?
songs from Nature
I pause to listen…
in this cold winter
*
feathers rise somewhere
I hope you
land safe
*
spring returns
sick and tired souls
weeping no more
-anna yin /2020/02/11
Ask /Anna Yin
Who has covered the Mouth of Truth?
Now all the invisible souls
wearing masks weep…
天問 /星子安娜
誰給真理之口戴上了口罩？
所有隱形的靈魂呀，
戴著口罩哭泣。。。