In Liu's text the ascent, the ecstatic apprehension of the divine (he is a religious poet, there are no two ways about it, though perhaps there are twenty) can be effected only by a demonic insistence upon abjection, upon the descent. He shrives himself, and his poems show the marks of the lash--they are the lash--and his vision is naturalized to a degree that would astonish his predecessors, that astonishes us. This is a shocking poetry, and the shock is not of recognition, but of estrangement. It makes an unfamiliar claim ...
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In Liu's text the ascent, the ecstatic apprehension of the divine (he is a religious poet, there are no two ways about it, though perhaps there are twenty) can be effected only by a demonic insistence upon abjection, upon the descent. He shrives himself, and his poems show the marks of the lash--they are the lash--and his vision is naturalized to a degree that would astonish his predecessors, that astonishes us. This is a shocking poetry, and the shock is not of recognition, but of estrangement. It makes an unfamiliar claim upon us, the claim of apostasy. --Richard Howard, from the forward
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Seller's Description:
SIGNED: Foreword by Richard Howard. Close to fine decorative stiff wraps with excellent spine and crisp text throughout. Inscribed by the poet on the half-title page and dated the year of publication. Signed.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. No Jacket. First Edition in wrappers only. Inscribed by the author to the poet Ai. Very Good. Unless otherwise noted, our first editions are first printings.
