Thinking Its Presence : Form, Race, and Subjectivity in Contemporary Asian American Poetry

When will American poetry and poetics stop viewing poetry by racialized persons as a secondary subject within the field? Dorothy J. Wang makes an impassioned case that now is the time. __Thinking Its Presence__ calls for a radical rethinking of how American poetry is being read today, offering its own reading as a roadmap. While focusing on the work of five contemporary Asian American poets—Li-Young Lee, Marilyn Chin, John Yau, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, and Pamela Lu—the book contends that aesthetic forms are inseparable from social, political, and historical contexts in the writing and reception of __all__ poetry. Wang questions the tendency of critics and academics alike to occlude the role of race in their discussions of the American poetic tradition and casts a harsh light on the double standard they apply in reading poems by poets who are racial minorities. This is the first sustained study of the formal properties in Asian American poetry across a range of aesthetic styles, from traditional lyric to avant-garde. Wang argues with conviction that critics should read minority poetry with the same attention to language and form that they bring to their analyses of writing by white poets. When Will American Poetry And Poetics Stop Viewing Poetry By Racialized Persons As A Secondary Subject Within The Field? Dorothy J. Wang Makes An Impassioned Case That Now Is The Time. Thinking Its Presence Calls For A Radical Rethinking Of How American Poetry Is Being Read Today, Offering Its Own Reading As A Roadmap. While Focusing On The Work Of Five Contemporary Asian American Poets{u2014}li-young Lee, Marilyn Chin, John Yau, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, And Pamela Lu{u2014}the Book Contends That Aesthetic Forms Are Inseparable From Social, Political, And Historical Contexts In The Writing And Reception Of All Poetry. Wang Questions The Tendency Of Critics And Academics Alike To Occlude The Role Of Race In Their Discussions Of The American Poetic Tradition And Casts A Harsh Light On The Double Standard They Apply In Reading Poems By Poets Who Are Racial Minorities. This Is The First Sustained Study Of The Formal Properties In Asian American Poetry Across A Range Of Aesthetic Styles, From Traditional Lyric To Avant-garde. Wang Argues With Conviction That Critics Should Read Minority Poetry With The Same Attention To Language And Form That They Bring To Their Analyses Of Writing By White Poets. --amazon.com. Introduction : Aesthetics Contra Identity In Contemporary Poetry Studies -- Metaphor, Desire And Assimilation In The Poetry Of Li-young Lee -- Reading Too Much Into : Marilyn Chin, Translation, And Asian American Poetry In The Post-race Era -- Irony's Barbarian Voices In The Poetry Of Marilyn Chin -- Undercover Asian : John Yau, Parody, And The Politics Of Ethnic Identification And Self-identification -- Genghis Chan : Parodying Private Eye -- Mei-mei Berssenbrugge's Poetics Of Contingency And Relationality -- Subjunctive Subjects : Pamela Lu's Pamela : A Novel And The Poetics And Politics Of Diaspora -- Epilogue : American Poetry And Poetry Criticism In The Twenty-first Century? Dorothy J. Wang. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. When will American poetry and poetics stop viewing poetry by racialized persons as a secondary subject within the field? Dorothy J. Wang makes an impassioned case that now is the time. Thinking Its Presence calls for a radical rethinking of how American poetry is being read today, offering its own reading as a roadmap. While focusing on the work of five contemporary Asian American poets- Li-Young Lee, Marilyn Chin, John Yau, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, and Pamela Lu- the book contends that aesthetic forms are inseparable from social, political, and historical contexts in the writing and reception of all poetry. Wang questions the tendency of critics and academics alike to occlude the role of race in their discussions of the American poetic tradition and casts a harsh light on the double standard they apply in reading poems by poets who are racial minorities. This is the first sustained study of the formal properties in Asian American poetry across a range of aesthetic styles, from traditional lyric to avant-garde. Wang argues with conviction that critics should read minority poetry with the same attention to language and form that they bring to their analyses of writing by white poets. --Amazon.com When Will Poetry by racialized persons no longer be viewed as secondary within the American poetry field? Dorothy J. Wang makes an impassioned, case that now is the time. Thinking Its Presence calls for a radical rethinking of how we read American poetry. Focusing on the work of five Asian American poets-Li-Young Lee, Marilyn Chin, John Yau, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, and Pamela Lu-the book contends that aesthetic forms are inseparable from social, political, and historical contexts in the writing and reception of all poetry. Wang questions the tendency of critics to occlude the role of race in their discussions of the American poetic tradition and to apply a double standard in reading poems by minority poets. This is the first sustained study of the formal properties in Asian American poetry across a range of aesthetic styles. Wang argues with conviction that minority poetry should be read with the same attention to language and form as writing by white poets. Book jacket This title provides a detailed study of the formal properties in Asian American poetry across a range of aesthetic styles, from traditional lyric to avant-garde. With passion and conviction, Wang argues that critics should read minority poetry with the same attention to language and form that they bring to their analyses of writing by white poets This book makes an argument for paying serious attention to the full complexity, formal and social, of Asian American poetry—and of minority poetry—and for rethinking how we read American poetry in general.