This volume of fourteen essays explores Chinese poetic modernism in all its facets, from its origins in the 1920s through 21st century manifestations. Modernisms in the plural reflects the complexity of the ideas and forms which can be associated with this literary-historical term. The volume’s contributors take a variety of focus points, from literary groups such as “9 Leaves” or “Bamboo Hat,” to individuals such as modernist sonneteer Feng Zhi 冯至, or Taiwan experimentalist Xia Yu 夏宇 (Hsia Yü), and Hong Kong modernist Leung Ping-kwan 梁秉钧, to non-biographically oriented chapters concerning modernist language, poetry and visual art, among other issues. Collectively, the volume endeavors to present as complete a picture of modernist practice in Chinese poetry as possible.

Paul Manfredi’s research concerns modern and contemporary Chinese poetry and art, modernism, and urban culture in China in Pacific Lutheran University. His articles have appeared in Modern Chinese Literature and Culture, Journal of Modern Literature in Chinese, and Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, while his translations have appeared in various collections of modern and contemporary Chinese poetry. He now lives with his family in Bellevue, WA, a small city that is slowly but surely surpassing its status as mere “Seattle suburb.”

Christopher Lupke’s research interests lie in modern and contemporary Chinese literature, cinema, and culture. He began his study of Chinese in the late 1970s at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, pursued language study and research at National Taiwan University in the 1980s, and has lived in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Beijing. He was classically trained in Chinese at the University of Wisconsin under Tse-tsung Chow, Joseph Lau, and Robert Joe Cutter, and then further trained at Cornell in classical studies under Tsu-Lin Mei, modern studies under Edward Gunn, and in cultural theory under Daniel Schwarz, Jonathan Culler, Dominick LaCapra, Benedict Anderson, Biodun Jeyifo, Sander Gilman, Mary Jacobus, and many of the leading luminaries in literary and film theory. He is a prof in University of Alberta.