Before and since his enforced exile from 1989, Yang Lian has been widely hailed in America and Europe as a highly individual voice in world literature, he has been translated into many languages.
The different sections - short poems, sequences, and one long poem - form a single comprehensive statement of Yang's recent explorations. It is rooted in his living experience of the historical retrogression of Hong Kong, the disaster of Covid-19, the global spiritual crisis, as well as his personal sadness at events such as his father's death.
Yang Lian's work was criticised in China in 1983 and formally banned in 1989 when he organised memorial services for the dead of Tiananmen while in New Zealand. This edition of A Tower Built Downwards contains the full, unabridged collection, including poems that were removed for its publication in China.
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(@BloodaxeBooks, 23 March 2023, e-book, 160 pages, #ARC from the publisher via @ edelweiss_squad, translated by Brian Holton)
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This is a new poet for me. I really enjoyed A Tower Built Downwards. I liked the range of subject matter including recent events such as lockdowns and the pandemic as well as more personal events and historical events. I also liked the fact the poems are of different lengths and style. I don't like collections where the poems all look the same as it can become repetitive. I especially enjoyed Railway Tracks in the Woods, Stone-Feather, Reincarnation, Hungry Ghost at South Gate and the title poem.
