Virtual Program: Book Talk with Dorothy Bonett

Join us as local author Dorothy Trench Bonett translates modern Chinese poetry.
Nearly 90 years after his passing, China’s greatest modern poet, Xu Zhimo, is known through anthologies of his verse as well as biographies, TV shows, and music.  Xu's poetry is especially relevant today not just for it's beauty, but for the poet's literary influence as a multicultural icon.  Each year at least one million tourists flock to Cambridge, England to visit the monument dedicated to him. Yet this important figure is almost unknown in the United States. Local author Dorothy Trench Bonett hopes to change that. Her book, Broad Sea and Empty Sky, released for Lunar New Year, presents the greatest number of Xu’s poems available in English.  She has taught Chinese at both Mount Saint Mary’s University and at Hood College. Her book, which also tells the story of the great poet’s life and puts his poems into context for English readers, was the #1 new release on Amazon.com in Chinese poetry. Bonett lives in Mount Airy and is a Yale graduate.  She is also a prize-winning poet who has published works on figures ranging from Alexandre Dumas to Marie de France.  Bonett has presented readings of these translations at many venues, including at the Sixth Xu Zhimo Poetry and Arts Festival held annually at King’s College, Cambridge, UK.

Watch through Zoom Webinar here or on Facebook Live.