{"product_id":"a-phone-call-from-dalian-dong-han-9780983297017","title":"A Phone Call from Dalian: Selected Poems of Han Dong","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn a 1989 interview, Han Dong declared that he wrote poetry for nobody, not even himself. He likens the poet to a roofer: \"I write poetry for the constitution of poetry, just as a roofer gives no thought to who lives in the house whose roof he is covering--he builds to meet the criteria of what a house is. Poetry is not subordinate to purposes beyond itself: its highest purpose is to be without purpose.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSo-and-so's come to a sad end . . .\"\u003cbr\u003eIn the gloom, he smiles gently, lovingly\u003cbr\u003eAs if to say I can rely on him in this world of nothingness\u003cbr\u003e\"But the thing is, we could never be sure\u003cbr\u003e. . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\"We probably should\" and \"Possibly\". . .\u003cbr\u003eEarnest words like the thread in a foster mother's hand\u003cbr\u003eAs she darns a monk's ragged robe\u003cbr\u003eThat's a story that can't be darned\u003cbr\u003e\"Poor man!\"--The thread is knotted\u003cbr\u003eBut the knot in my heart tries to pass through the needle's eye\u003cbr\u003eThe tree leaves at dusk have an oily gleam\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHan Dong\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1961 in Nanjing, where he continues to work as a full-time writer. He is also a respected novelist--his first, published in translation as \u003ci\u003eBanished!\u003c\/i\u003e by University of Hawai'i Press, was longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2008.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNicky Harman\u003c\/b\u003e lives in the United Kingdom. Besides translation work, Harman is active on the Chinese translated fiction website Paper Republic and in literary translation organizations in the United Kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Dong Han\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0983297010\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780983297017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Zephyr Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/03\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 144\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.80w x 0.50d","brand":"Dong Han","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43992597004543,"sku":"9780983297017","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_fd9c3446-9579-4251-a555-72b2c2cb19ac.jpg?v=1683319777","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-phone-call-from-dalian-dong-han-9780983297017","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}