Poems I have written

The Xi You Ji Series - A few short poems inspired by the cantos of Ezra Pound and of course by the Chinese literary classic by Wu Cheng'en, Xi You Ji (Journey to the West). This series is in the process of being written, but parts are complete:

1. The White Horse
2. The Monkey of the Mind

The Jin Yong Series - Character pieces inspired by the works of Jin Yong (Louis Cha). Just an idea for now.

Individual poems - Unconnected, free-standing poetry.

• Meditations of a Growing Consciousness - My senior oration for the Reynolds Scholarship Committee at Wake Forest University was a spoken word poem. This is the poem in its entirety.

Poems I have translated

The Poems of Hàn Mạc Tử - One of the great Vietnamese poets, Hàn Mạc Tử was a renowned scholar. He was also a leper, and that strange duality of his life has led to a powerful analogue in his poetic works. The poems are presented here in the original Vietnamese as well as in my own translation.

• Âm Thầm (Secretly)
• Bẽn Lẽn (Apprehensive)

The Poems of Hồ Xuân Hương - She is probably the most skilled and famous of the female poets of Vietnam. Her wit is razor sharp and her metaphors poignant, yet she leaves an undeniable feminine grace rarely seen in the chauvinistic literary world of old Vietnam. Although I make extensive use of John Baliban's translations when I am discussing her poems with English-speakers, an occasional poem pops up where I disagree with him, and those I present here.

Song Lyrics - Songs are their own kind of poetry, with special imagery and rhythm. These are some Vietnamese songs that I have translated for various reasons.

• Lâu Đài Tình Ái (The Castle of Romance) by Trần Thiện Thanh