The Nanjing Massacre Poems

Poetry. Asian American Studies. The subject is the notorious Japanese occupation of Nanjing, China, in 1937. Wing Tek Lum's poems capture all perspectives of the tragedy—from the weary, casually cruel Japanese soldiers to the uncomprehending child victims, and from the desperate helpless parents and the brutalized "comfort women" to the bloodless yet vicious bureacrats of death. "THE NANJING MASSACRE is a striking volume of poetry. The poems, intelligent and at times brutal, provide both kaleidoscopic slices and a vast panorama of the tragedy. The magnitude of the poetic vision and effort is simply overwhelming."—Ha Jin "History is not poetry and of course poetry is never history—and yet, Wing Tek Lum has fused the two with skill, sensitivity and fury. This brilliant collection, based on documents, avoids agenda, although Lum is necessarily partisan in addressing a massacre that others prefer to forget. By way of his poems, he invigorates dry record. For those who have a bias against 'political poetry,' this collection will crack preconceived notions. Lu is unflinching in his art."—Kimiko Hahn