Presented by Manoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing
Beyond Words presents more than two dozen authors from China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Malaysia discussing their particular approaches to writing. The editors have collected their words as they appear in essays, interviews, stories, and poems and have sought diversity in nationality, language, age, gender, and aesthetics.
PART ONE: HUMAN NATURE ITSELF IS POETIC
Human Nature Itself Is Poetic: An Interview, 1
Ko Ŭn with Patricia Donegan
Three Poems, 9
Ko Ŭn
Writing in Two Tongues, 12
Wang Ping
A Necessary Beginning: An Interview, 17
N.V.M. Gonzalez with Roger J. Bresnahan
Fishing in the River Esk, 28
Alfred A. Yuson
My American Books, 31
Mo Yan
PART TWO: INSCRIPTION ETCHED BY WATER
Inscription Etched by Water, 36
Pak Tujin
Coming Full Circle: An Interview, 39
Nguyen Duy with Nguyen Ba Chung
The Writer and the Native Tradition: A Conversation, 44
Muhammad Haji Salleh with F. Sionil José
A Quid of Betel, 49
Muhammad Haji Salleh
Spirit and Literature, 51
F. Sionil José
Keeping Not Writing: An Interview, 58
Yasutaka Tsutsui with Larry McCaffery and others
The Lion, 66
Yasutaka Tsutsui
Pasemon: On Allusion and Illusions, 72
Goenawan Mohamad
PART THREE: WORDS FROM THE FIRE
Parable of the Googol Balloons, 83
Gémino H. Abad
An Autobiography, 85
Nguyen Chi Thien
Words from the Fire: An Interview, 93
Pal Vannariraks with Sharon May
Nyima Tsering’s Tears, 97
Woeser
Cricket Song, 105
Lam Thi My Da
Without Words: An Interview, 108
Soth Polin with Sharon May
PART FOUR: ENCOUNTERS
A Poem That Came Easily, 116
Yun Tongju
Realism, Humor, and Social Commitment: An Interview, 119
Phuntshog Tashi with Patricia Schiaffini
A Particular Sort of Story, 126
Can Xue
The Land of Peach Blossoms, 130
Can Xue
To the Readers, 138
Han Yong’un
From Mother Tongue to Linguistic Mother, 139
Yoko Tawada
Encounters, 144
K. S. Maniam
A Commitment to Life: An Interview, 155
Xue Di with Melissa Clark