酷我-北美枫

[anna]

Eric:
You began writing in English barely four years ago, and now have become a published and award-winning poet. How do you practice your writing in English?

Anna:
As you know, I work as a java developer. In my work, I don’t have much chance to practise English writing. I didn’t study English writing in a formal way, but I did read a lot. In china, I liked to read short stories. After I immigrated here in 1999, I read newspapers and all kinds of books. I like to go to the library to pick up books randomly. I didn’t make a plan of whose books or which book to read.

It is interesting to see that many computer technology books, garden magazines and other various books are written in different attractive ways. To improve my English, I try to learn new words each day. For a few months I tried to write a journal, but then I found poetry is more joyful and expressive. So, I use writing poetry as the way to practise my English. Lately I also use translation as a means of practising my English.

Eric:
What roadblocks have you encountered and what treasures have you found on your journey to writing in English?

Anna:
The roadblock I encountered on my journey to English writing is the lack of a sense of the mother-tone language voice. Some poets may criticise my voice like second-language writing or speaking. But others encourage me to keep my unique voice; they think that it is exotic and exquisite. So I really struggle about how to keep my unique voice yet not sound too foreign. Sometimes, my poems have no grammatical errors, but local poets may think the sound or flow doesn’t feel right. So I need to be aware of the right flow of sound and the habit of using language. It is tough. It is hard to notice since I don’t have the strong background of their culture and language; some even cannot be learnt. But there are many voices, styles and different readers and writers, so I hope I do not need to write like others. I hope to have a clear and unique way of presenting the art of poetry.
The treasure I found in writing is my self, my free spirit. I let it out through writing; I observe it and I get to know myself better. The inner world is broad and it is seldom touched by others, I find hope, passion, peace, love and strength there.

By expressing myself in a free way, I am more happy and grateful. I cherish both life and my passion.

Eric:
What are the literary influences for your writing in English?


Anna:
I would like to say Emily Dickinson’s poetry. I like her poems very much, especially her thoughts and her vision. I feel that I can relate to her poems about hope, freedom and death. I think her vision influences me, but most of my writing style and images are gained from Chinese traditional culture and Chinese traditional poems.

When I compose a poem, I always see the picture and myself as an observer.

Eric:
You started off writing English poetry and have almost exclusively focused on writing poetry. Why this genre? What does English poetry writing mean to you?

Anna:
I choose to write poetry because it fits me better. I don’t like to tell something but I like to render it. I like romantic and creative writing. I want to be unique and flexible. Poetry as an art form can be unique, creative and flexible. But the main reason is that I have no time to write too long and revise again and again. The Poetry forum provides other readers’ comments or suggestions; I need this feedback to improve my writing. Besides by writing poetry I feel that I accomplish more.

Eric:
Do you think it is fair to say that your poem, entitled How I Become Beautiful, can be categorized as the last step on your journey to writing poetry?

Anna:
I don’t think so. I have a long way to go in my writing. I hope that on the journey I will be always happy and peaceful. I wrote the poem How I Become Beautiful? and another poem titled Cocoon because I am aware of the change in myself, in nature. I could imagine myself as a butterfly emerging from a caterpillar. I fancy butterflies, gold fish and all other beautiful creatures. But my poetry journey was not always joyful and peaceful. In fact, I have encountered a painful process. In July 2005, I almost gave up writing, for I felt I was trapped by my limitations. You know, I began writing in mid-2003, and since then, each day I felt the urge to write. If I didn’t write, I felt restless. I continued writing and writing, and I wrote 100 poems. But then I felt that my writing blocked and I made no progress. So I struggled. Then I decided to stop writing and forget the struggle and pain. But poetry seemed to be my baby; it felt so hard, so sad to give it up.

Two days later, I wrote Farewell To the Sunflowers that exactly expressed my sorrowful decision. I posted it on coviews.com and I received strong encouragement.

Through this poem, I knew how much I loved poetry; I didn’t want to give up.

Poetry to me was so true and so dear; this sorrowful poem became a turning point in my poetry journey. I decided to continue writing and not to expect too much, slow down my pace and enjoy it. I continue to write till today. I don’t know how far I can go; I just hope to continue it and enjoy it.

Eric:
Do you conceive of your work in English or in Chinese?

Anna:
At the beginning, I just wrote English poems, because my goal was to practise English. I never thought it would be my passionate love.

Then my poems were translated into Chinese by Jacky and another friend, Rain in wind, since they liked them and thought it was fun to see the Chinese version. Later after we set up coviews.com, since most readers and poets were Chinese, I began translating some of my poems into Chinese. Soon after I started to write poems in Chinese too. Sometimes I write poems in Chinese, sometimes in English. For those I like the most, I try to translate.
It is interesting that if for a while I read more poems in Chinese, my flow to writing poems in English is stuck. Then I need to go back to read more poems in English in order to start writing in English again.

Eric:
How many revisions will you make in a poem? What is purpose of those revisions? Can you tell us what is the writing process like for your award-winning poem entitled Toronto, No More Weeping?

Anna:
I revise most of my poems at least three times. For me, the task of revision includes checking grammatical errors, and seeking consistent meaning and flow.

I revised Toronto, No More Weeping more than twenty times. The first three drafts were much too short, and I found them hardly able to convey the whole story, deep sorrow and future hope; so I rewrote it totally. For a lot of poems, I don’t have much time to do more revision. For some poems I may need to come back to do the revision later.

In my reading of your poetry, I observed that the evocation of images is pervasive throughout your poetry. How do your poetic ideas come to you? Do you start with an image, a situation, or a theme?

My poetic ideas mostly come from nature, daily life or children’s books. When I hear a beautiful word or the name of a plant, animal or landscape etc, I am very curious and excited.

I would like to search for more information about it, and then I like to use it in my poem.

When I write poems, the images or pictures are presented in front of me. But most of the images are pure oriental scenes; I could not present myself in a modern western background. What I write most are about love and nature. When I changed to other themes, some poets viewed them as not in my original voice and style. This is a limitation on which I need to work.

Eric:
In his work entitled Modern Chinese Poetry: Theory and Practice since 1917, Chinese Modern Poetry scholar Michelle Yeh observes that formal and thematic elements aside, the recognizable difference between modern and traditional Chinese poetry is a lack of traditional poetic conventions in modern Chinese poetry, which “seems to imply a new attitude toward poetry, a new way of writing and reading it. … poetry is a process of cognition, of discerning a relationship thus far unknown between mankind and the world, or a tool for discovering oneself and the world.” However, it seems to me that your poetry writing is a synthesis of modern and traditional poetic conventions. One of the pleasures of reading your poetry is to discover Chinese poetic conventions or allusions used in a modern way. For example, in one of your latest poems, entitled Love Survives a Lot of Forms, the opening and concluding lines take me back to the Chinese literary tradition of the Books of Odes (Shi Jing):
"Facing life, death, distances,
Here is my promise to thee –
I take thy hand in mine:
We will grow old together."
How do you reconcile or integrate these two different literary traditions?


Anna:
Here you raised another question, the tradition and modern integration.

When I wrote the poem Love survives a lot of forms that is my hope when I am old. I want to believe love survives a lot of forms, through youth till death. When passion is dead, other forms of love carry on and touch us. I guess I render the old verse a little further, more visualized.

I agree poetry is a process of cognition, of discerning a relationship thus far unknown between mankind and the world, or a tool for discovering oneself and the world. I enjoy a lot Zen poetry and haiku; they bring mystery and wisdom together. You know, I I always wish to retreat to a remote place, read and talk about poetry or other stuff with people who share the same interest and passion as I do.

Eric:
You are a computer engineer by profession and a poet by choice. In your poem entitled Bridge, you mention that doing programming work is to meet the needs of your body while writing poetry is to satisfy the desire of your soul. We know these two professions require and exercise different human faculties: reason and imagination. What are their roles in your poetry writing?

Anna:
Many people also wondered the puzzle too. I guess reason make me think and be related to readers and imagination let me be creative and unique.

Eric:
You write not only English poetry but also Chinese poetry. As a border-crosser of two extremely different linguistic worlds, how does this border-crossing work out for you given that you’re still in the process of mastering English writing skills? Do they benefit or sometimes interfere with each other?

Anna:
You know sometimes I could feel myself swaying. In a period, if I read English more, then I intended to write more in English. So sometimes if I feel blocked, I will force myself read more in English. As you mentioned, I am still in the process of mastering English, I think I should focus on English reading and writing. Switching back and forth is not good.


Eric:
In my reading of your poetry, I found that the poetic principle organizing your poetry is often one of contrast, which juxtaposes a natural scene with a social or personal situation. The reader of your poetry can see the similarity in the natural description and the human condition, and he /she comes to a new awareness of each by this contrast. In Chinese, this idea is embodied in the terms fu, bi, and xing. How does traditional Chinese poetry writing influence the way you write English poetry?

Anna:
I like to use metaphor as you mentioned Fu, Bi and Xing. I try to keep writing interesting and creative. I don’t like narrative. I like to feel the awareness of an observer watching the nature in the depth and listening to the voice from it.

Traditional Chinese poetry gives me the same feeling of being there, feeling the feel and listening to its sound. Most of my poems are presented in a quiet way, not a dramatic way. But sometimes I do feel I need to emphasize and express myself powerfully. I still need to build these skills.


Eric:
In his introduction to the translation of Chinese poetry, entitled Images of Jade, Arthur Christy stresses,
Nature, the universe, is the Chinese poet's field. Here he exercises the widest liberty in indulging his passion for the things which please his fancy. And what he produces is not primitive or elemental in feeling, nor is it a mere enjoyment of the sensuous. If a comparison may be permitted, he is more Wordsworthian than Keatsian. His poetry is a chastened and subdued product of reflection, for he regards Nature not merely as a physical phenomenon, with sensuously enjoyable qualities, but as animating soul which is in intimate relation with life itself. For him spirit interprets matter.

I found that the bulk of your poetry centres around Mother Nature and even the titles of two of your three books are related to it. Do you think it is fair to say you’re more like a Wordsworthian poet? And what is the role of Chinese nature poetry in your English poetry writing?

Anna:
I guess you could say that. I like to write in a natural way. I appreciate Mother Nature and find so many wonders around, even a tiny grain of sand. I once wrote a poem:


Microscope

My son indulges in it,
A dull grain, or a shiny drip,
He sees the chain of life.

The world unfolds its secret,
His sight goes beyond;
I see the future in magnification.

I like to bring people back to the wonders of Mother Nature. I believe we all relate to nature, beauty, love and life struggles. Each has its own magic and gifts. Many still haven’t found them out. To live better we should find the deep root of our life, the meaningful moment and peace. Chinese nature poetry nourishes me with beautiful images and essences of Chinese culture.
Perhaps I desired modern life in the past, now I am more aware of the peace and joy of a simple life.

Eric:
While you’re an immigrant writer, the “typical themes” of immigration literature, such as the Promised Land, estrangement, nostalgia for the fading past, and the limbo state in the ambiguous present, pay few visits in your poetry writing. In my reading of your article entitled My Poetry Journey: Through Poetry, I Became Peaceful and Happy, especially that of the concluding paragraph, I observed that the way to poetry writing for you is to shut your eyes to reality and to construct another world of your own that may help you cope with your struggling life in Canada. Do you agree with my observation?

Anna:
I am not a perfectionist. I don’t worry whether life is perfect or not. But I do have the desire of being free to choose what I want to d and to say. I do want to be myself.
In real life, in society, we as human have many rules to follow. Sometimes we must suppress our true self. We wear invisible masks. But poetry is a safe garden for me to express myself freely, to paint what I dream, to sail as far as I wish.
Though most of my poems are confessional or sorrowful, this is a reflection of our life. You can plant sorrow, but don’t grow hatred. When I write for myself, I also feel for others. Thus I have more sympathy and compassion for others too.

With my life experience, I know if you want to change others, you must change yourself first. Because you are the mirror of others. When you want to love others, love yourself first. If you want to spread peace and love, be peaceful and full of love first. When I found out that my inner world is pure, full of love for nature and free spirits, I knew I was changed; I am still the person who I am, I am happy. So To me, the way to poetry is to open my eyes to my inner world and reflect it in the reality and then construct a more alive person for the real world. And the truth is when I am happy I spread the happiness.

Eric:
South African novelist Lynn Freed once said that estrangement is a necessary ingredient to her work because it gives her the perspective of another world from which to examine her own. Do you agree with her viewpoint? And how does your life as an immigrant shape your writing?

Anna:
Yes. I agree. In my early poems, I could see my own portrait through another person’s eyes. Today when I read them, I wonder if they are written by me. Sometimes I may switch to another gender to write.

Eric:
How is your immigrant life in Canada that shapes your writing?


Anna:
My immigrant life brings me more of an appreciation of nature and love. Living in Canada, I feel more free. I am a person who likes to try new things and I am willing to embrace change. Here, people are closer to nature and a healthy life. They enjoy outdoor sports and activities. There are many kinds of hobbies from which to choose, you only need to find the time and the right club. You can make friends with whom you like. You can live in your way as long as you do not break the law. For Chinese immigrants, many still struggle to have a stable life and they worry about culture differences. But I believe that wherever we go, we always will confront some issues and life struggles. Only the difference is less or more. So wherever we are, we still need to root our hearts.


Eric:
Finally, it is the last question. You work and live in Canada with no plans of returning to China, how does your English writing relate to your sense of home?

Anna:
My English writing reminds many western poets of a beautiful oriental place, China.

To me, it is dreams, passions and the home of my heart. A home is not a house, but a heart, I write from my heart, from my home.
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[[星子安娜]]

Eric:
You began writing in English barely four years ago, and now have become a published and award-winning poet. How do you practice your writing in English?

Anna:
As you know, I work as a java developer. In my work, I don’t have much chance to practise English writing. I didn’t study English writing in a formal way, but I did read a lot. In china, I liked to read short stories. After I immigrated here in 1999, I read newspapers and all kinds of books. I like to go to the library to pick up books randomly. I didn’t make a plan of whose books or which book to read.

It is interesting to see that many computer technology books, garden magazines and other various books are written in different attractive ways. To improve my English, I try to learn new words each day. For a few months I tried to write a journal, but then I found poetry is more joyful and expressive. So, I use writing poetry as the way to practise my English. Lately I also use translation as a means of practising my English.

Eric:
What roadblocks have you encountered and what treasures have you found on your journey to writing in English?

Anna:
The roadblock I encountered on my journey to English writing is the lack of a sense of the mother-tone language voice. Some poets may criticise my voice like second-language writing or speaking. But others encourage me to keep my unique voice; they think that it is exotic and exquisite. So I really struggle about how to keep my unique voice yet not sound too foreign. Sometimes, my poems have no grammatical errors, but local poets may think the sound or flow doesn’t feel right. So I need to be aware of the right flow of sound and the habit of using language. It is tough. It is hard to notice since I don’t have the strong background of their culture and language; some even cannot be learnt. But there are many voices, styles and different readers and writers, so I hope I do not need to write like others. I hope to have a clear and unique way of presenting the art of poetry.
The treasure I found in writing is my self, my free spirit. I let it out through writing; I observe it and I get to know myself better. The inner world is broad and it is seldom touched by others, I find hope, passion, peace, love and strength there.

By expressing myself in a free way, I am more happy and grateful. I cherish both life and my passion.

Eric:
What are the literary influences for your writing in English?


Anna:
I would like to say Emily Dickinson’s poetry. I like her poems very much, especially her thoughts and her vision. I feel that I can relate to her poems about hope, freedom and death. I think her vision influences me, but most of my writing style and images are gained from Chinese traditional culture and Chinese traditional poems.

When I compose a poem, I always see the picture and myself as an observer.

Eric:
You started off writing English poetry and have almost exclusively focused on writing poetry. Why this genre? What does English poetry writing mean to you?

Anna:
I choose to write poetry because it fits me better. I don’t like to tell something but I like to render it. I like romantic and creative writing. I want to be unique and flexible. Poetry as an art form can be unique, creative and flexible. But the main reason is that I have no time to write too long and revise again and again. The Poetry forum provides other readers’ comments or suggestions; I need this feedback to improve my writing. Besides by writing poetry I feel that I accomplish more.

Eric:
Do you think it is fair to say that your poem, entitled How I Become Beautiful, can be categorized as the last step on your journey to writing poetry?

Anna:
I don’t think so. I have a long way to go in my writing. I hope that on the journey I will be always happy and peaceful. I wrote the poem How I Become Beautiful? and another poem titled Cocoon because I am aware of the change in myself, in nature. I could imagine myself as a butterfly emerging from a caterpillar. I fancy butterflies, gold fish and all other beautiful creatures. But my poetry journey was not always joyful and peaceful. In fact, I have encountered a painful process. In July 2005, I almost gave up writing, for I felt I was trapped by my limitations. You know, I began writing in mid-2003, and since then, each day I felt the urge to write. If I didn’t write, I felt restless. I continued writing and writing, and I wrote 100 poems. But then I felt that my writing blocked and I made no progress. So I struggled. Then I decided to stop writing and forget the struggle and pain. But poetry seemed to be my baby; it felt so hard, so sad to give it up.

Two days later, I wrote Farewell To the Sunflowers that exactly expressed my sorrowful decision. I posted it on coviews.com and I received strong encouragement.

Through this poem, I knew how much I loved poetry; I didn’t want to give up.

Poetry to me was so true and so dear; this sorrowful poem became a turning point in my poetry journey. I decided to continue writing and not to expect too much, slow down my pace and enjoy it. I continue to write till today. I don’t know how far I can go; I just hope to continue it and enjoy it.

Eric:
Do you conceive of your work in English or in Chinese?

Anna:
At the beginning, I just wrote English poems, because my goal was to practise English. I never thought it would be my passionate love.

Then my poems were translated into Chinese by Jacky and another friend, Rain in wind, since they liked them and thought it was fun to see the Chinese version. Later after we set up coviews.com, since most readers and poets were Chinese, I began translating some of my poems into Chinese. Soon after I started to write poems in Chinese too. Sometimes I write poems in Chinese, sometimes in English. For those I like the most, I try to translate.
It is interesting that if for a while I read more poems in Chinese, my flow to writing poems in English is stuck. Then I need to go back to read more poems in English in order to start writing in English again.

Eric:
How many revisions will you make in a poem? What is purpose of those revisions? Can you tell us what is the writing process like for your award-winning poem entitled Toronto, No More Weeping?

Anna:
I revise most of my poems at least three times. For me, the task of revision includes checking grammatical errors, and seeking consistent meaning and flow.

I revised Toronto, No More Weeping more than twenty times. The first three drafts were much too short, and I found them hardly able to convey the whole story, deep sorrow and future hope; so I rewrote it totally. For a lot of poems, I don’t have much time to do more revision. For some poems I may need to come back to do the revision later.

In my reading of your poetry, I observed that the evocation of images is pervasive throughout your poetry. How do your poetic ideas come to you? Do you start with an image, a situation, or a theme?

My poetic ideas mostly come from nature, daily life or children’s books. When I hear a beautiful word or the name of a plant, animal or landscape etc, I am very curious and excited.

I would like to search for more information about it, and then I like to use it in my poem.

When I write poems, the images or pictures are presented in front of me. But most of the images are pure oriental scenes; I could not present myself in a modern western background. What I write most are about love and nature. When I changed to other themes, some poets viewed them as not in my original voice and style. This is a limitation on which I need to work.

Eric:
In his work entitled Modern Chinese Poetry: Theory and Practice since 1917, Chinese Modern Poetry scholar Michelle Yeh observes that formal and thematic elements aside, the recognizable difference between modern and traditional Chinese poetry is a lack of traditional poetic conventions in modern Chinese poetry, which “seems to imply a new attitude toward poetry, a new way of writing and reading it. … poetry is a process of cognition, of discerning a relationship thus far unknown between mankind and the world, or a tool for discovering oneself and the world.” However, it seems to me that your poetry writing is a synthesis of modern and traditional poetic conventions. One of the pleasures of reading your poetry is to discover Chinese poetic conventions or allusions used in a modern way. For example, in one of your latest poems, entitled Love Survives a Lot of Forms, the opening and concluding lines take me back to the Chinese literary tradition of the Books of Odes (Shi Jing):
"Facing life, death, distances,
Here is my promise to thee –
I take thy hand in mine:
We will grow old together."
How do you reconcile or integrate these two different literary traditions?


Anna:
Here you raised another question, the tradition and modern integration.

When I wrote the poem Love survives a lot of forms that is my hope when I am old. I want to believe love survives a lot of forms, through youth till death. When passion is dead, other forms of love carry on and touch us. I guess I render the old verse a little further, more visualized.

I agree poetry is a process of cognition, of discerning a relationship thus far unknown between mankind and the world, or a tool for discovering oneself and the world. I enjoy a lot Zen poetry and haiku; they bring mystery and wisdom together. You know, I I always wish to retreat to a remote place, read and talk about poetry or other stuff with people who share the same interest and passion as I do.

Eric:
You are a computer engineer by profession and a poet by choice. In your poem entitled Bridge, you mention that doing programming work is to meet the needs of your body while writing poetry is to satisfy the desire of your soul. We know these two professions require and exercise different human faculties: reason and imagination. What are their roles in your poetry writing?

Anna:
Many people also wondered the puzzle too. I guess reason make me think and be related to readers and imagination let me be creative and unique.

Eric:
You write not only English poetry but also Chinese poetry. As a border-crosser of two extremely different linguistic worlds, how does this border-crossing work out for you given that you’re still in the process of mastering English writing skills? Do they benefit or sometimes interfere with each other?

Anna:
You know sometimes I could feel myself swaying. In a period, if I read English more, then I intended to write more in English. So sometimes if I feel blocked, I will force myself read more in English. As you mentioned, I am still in the process of mastering English, I think I should focus on English reading and writing. Switching back and forth is not good.


Eric:
In my reading of your poetry, I found that the poetic principle organizing your poetry is often one of contrast, which juxtaposes a natural scene with a social or personal situation. The reader of your poetry can see the similarity in the natural description and the human condition, and he /she comes to a new awareness of each by this contrast. In Chinese, this idea is embodied in the terms fu, bi, and xing. How does traditional Chinese poetry writing influence the way you write English poetry?

Anna:
I like to use metaphor as you mentioned Fu, Bi and Xing. I try to keep writing interesting and creative. I don’t like narrative. I like to feel the awareness of an observer watching the nature in the depth and listening to the voice from it.

Traditional Chinese poetry gives me the same feeling of being there, feeling the feel and listening to its sound. Most of my poems are presented in a quiet way, not a dramatic way. But sometimes I do feel I need to emphasize and express myself powerfully. I still need to build these skills.


Eric:
In his introduction to the translation of Chinese poetry, entitled Images of Jade, Arthur Christy stresses,
Nature, the universe, is the Chinese poet's field. Here he exercises the widest liberty in indulging his passion for the things which please his fancy. And what he produces is not primitive or elemental in feeling, nor is it a mere enjoyment of the sensuous. If a comparison may be permitted, he is more Wordsworthian than Keatsian. His poetry is a chastened and subdued product of reflection, for he regards Nature not merely as a physical phenomenon, with sensuously enjoyable qualities, but as animating soul which is in intimate relation with life itself. For him spirit interprets matter.

I found that the bulk of your poetry centres around Mother Nature and even the titles of two of your three books are related to it. Do you think it is fair to say you’re more like a Wordsworthian poet? And what is the role of Chinese nature poetry in your English poetry writing?

Anna:
I guess you could say that. I like to write in a natural way. I appreciate Mother Nature and find so many wonders around, even a tiny grain of sand. I once wrote a poem:


Microscope

My son indulges in it,
A dull grain, or a shiny drip,
He sees the chain of life.

The world unfolds its secret,
His sight goes beyond;
I see the future in magnification.

I like to bring people back to the wonders of Mother Nature. I believe we all relate to nature, beauty, love and life struggles. Each has its own magic and gifts. Many still haven’t found them out. To live better we should find the deep root of our life, the meaningful moment and peace. Chinese nature poetry nourishes me with beautiful images and essences of Chinese culture.
Perhaps I desired modern life in the past, now I am more aware of the peace and joy of a simple life.

Eric:
While you’re an immigrant writer, the “typical themes” of immigration literature, such as the Promised Land, estrangement, nostalgia for the fading past, and the limbo state in the ambiguous present, pay few visits in your poetry writing. In my reading of your article entitled My Poetry Journey: Through Poetry, I Became Peaceful and Happy, especially that of the concluding paragraph, I observed that the way to poetry writing for you is to shut your eyes to reality and to construct another world of your own that may help you cope with your struggling life in Canada. Do you agree with my observation?

Anna:
I am not a perfectionist. I don’t worry whether life is perfect or not. But I do have the desire of being free to choose what I want to d and to say. I do want to be myself.
In real life, in society, we as human have many rules to follow. Sometimes we must suppress our true self. We wear invisible masks. But poetry is a safe garden for me to express myself freely, to paint what I dream, to sail as far as I wish.
Though most of my poems are confessional or sorrowful, this is a reflection of our life. You can plant sorrow, but don’t grow hatred. When I write for myself, I also feel for others. Thus I have more sympathy and compassion for others too.

With my life experience, I know if you want to change others, you must change yourself first. Because you are the mirror of others. When you want to love others, love yourself first. If you want to spread peace and love, be peaceful and full of love first. When I found out that my inner world is pure, full of love for nature and free spirits, I knew I was changed; I am still the person who I am, I am happy. So To me, the way to poetry is to open my eyes to my inner world and reflect it in the reality and then construct a more alive person for the real world. And the truth is when I am happy I spread the happiness.

Eric:
South African novelist Lynn Freed once said that estrangement is a necessary ingredient to her work because it gives her the perspective of another world from which to examine her own. Do you agree with her viewpoint? And how does your life as an immigrant shape your writing?

Anna:
Yes. I agree. In my early poems, I could see my own portrait through another person’s eyes. Today when I read them, I wonder if they are written by me. Sometimes I may switch to another gender to write.

Eric:
How is your immigrant life in Canada that shapes your writing?


Anna:
My immigrant life brings me more of an appreciation of nature and love. Living in Canada, I feel more free. I am a person who likes to try new things and I am willing to embrace change. Here, people are closer to nature and a healthy life. They enjoy outdoor sports and activities. There are many kinds of hobbies from which to choose, you only need to find the time and the right club. You can make friends with whom you like. You can live in your way as long as you do not break the law. For Chinese immigrants, many still struggle to have a stable life and they worry about culture differences. But I believe that wherever we go, we always will confront some issues and life struggles. Only the difference is less or more. So wherever we are, we still need to root our hearts.


Eric:
Finally, it is the last question. You work and live in Canada with no plans of returning to China, how does your English writing relate to your sense of home?

Anna:
My English writing reminds many western poets of a beautiful oriental place, China.

To me, it is dreams, passions and the home of my heart. A home is not a house, but a heart, I write from my heart, from my home.
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[星子]

Thank Eric for taking time to interview me and edit this article.

Translation is here
http://www.coviews.com/viewtopic.php?p=175313#175313
_________________

[[ANNA]]

Thank Eric for taking time to interview me and edit this article.

Translation is here
http://www.coviews.com/viewtopic.php?p=175313#175313
_________________

[ericcoliu]

During the interview with Anna, I was impressed by her eagerness to write truthfully about her stories and thus to create Hertory in a land of foreign tongues.

[[ericcoliu]]

During the interview with Anna, I was impressed by her eagerness to write truthfully about her stories and thus to create Hertory in a land of foreign tongues.

[Champagne]

[[Champagne]]

[星子]

thanks Eric & Champagne

You are right. I carry my home wherever I go.
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[[ANNA]]

thanks Eric & Champagne

You are right. I carry my home wherever I go.
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[Champagne]

Hi! Anna:

I think the title of your interview with Eric is a little plain and uninventive.

How about A Life in Translation or A Life in a New Language?
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I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[[Champagne]]

Hi! Anna:

I think the title of your interview with Eric is a little plain and uninventive.

How about A Life in Translation or A Life in a New Language?
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[星子]

Thanks Champagne.

Changed.

Anna
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[[ANNA]]

Thanks Champagne.

Changed.

Anna
_________________

[anna]

Today read it again,,,, I found my style changed a lot...

It is good to have discussed with Eric.
_________________
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Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com

[[星子安娜]]

Today read it again,,,, I found my style changed a lot...

It is good to have discussed with Eric.
_________________
---------------------

Anna Yin

《爱的灯塔-星子安娜双语诗选》
<Nightlights> <Seven Nights with the Chinese Zodiac> ...

http://annapoetry.com