Becoming poets: The Asian English experience

Description

Literatures in English have emerged in several Asian communities and have enjoyed a growing readership. Creative writing programmes in Asia and other parts of the world have also attracted many new voices from Asia. However, little is known about how learners from different language backgrounds become published poets in English. This book is a pioneering work on the development of poets and poetry in English in Asia. It offers a five-stage model to understand such phenomena. The life experiences of 50 published poets from five Asian locations: Macao, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and India, based on interviews conducted by the author, and their poetry are analyzed to appreciate how learners of English in multilingual environments become published poets and how such individual metamorphosis contributes to the growth of literary communities at local, regional and cosmopolitan levels. Researchers on Asian Englishes and literatures in English, teachers and participants in creative writing programmes, policy makers for English in education or the nurturing of the creative arts and any one interested in poetry writing will find the book highly informative and inspiring. Cover Contents List of Tables Acknowledgements Chapter 1 – Introduction Introduction Creative Writing in Bilingual and Multilingual Contexts Speech Communities, Literary Communitiesand Embodied Creativity A Model for the Development of Poetsand their Communities The (Auto)biographical Research Method The Contemporary Asian Poetry in English Project Outline of the Book References Chapter 2 – Defining Asian Poetry and Poets in English Introduction The Complexity of Asia and Asian Writers Representations in International Anthologies Representations in National/Urban Anthologies Delimitating Corpuses, Community and Poetic Identity Approach Adopted in this Book Summary References Chapter 3 – Macao: Creating Poets Introduction Ten Poets in Macao Stage 1 – Emergence of English Literacy Stage 2 – Secretive Writing or Apprenticeship Stage 3 – Publishing as Initiation Stage 4 – Poetic Identity and Voice Stage 5 – Mentoring The Community in Macao Themes, Language and Poetics Summary References Poems Cited in Table 3.2 Chapter 4 – Hong Kong: A Cosmopolitan Mix Introduction Ten Poets in Hong Kong Stage 1 – Emergence of English Literacy Stage 2 – Secretive Writing or Apprenticeship Stage 3 – Publishing as Initiation Stage 4 – Poetic Identity and Voice Stage 5 – Mentoring The Community in Hong Kong Themes, Language and Poetics Summary References Poems Cited in Table 4.2 Chapter 5 – Singapore: Changing of the Guards Introduction Ten Poets in Singapore Stage 1 – Emergence of English Literacy Stage 2 – Secretive Writing or Apprenticeship Stage 3 – Publishing as Initiation Stage 4 – Poetic Identity and Voice Stage 5 – Mentoring The Community in Singapore Themes, Language and Poetics Summary References Poems Cited in Table 5.2 Chapter 6 – The Philippines: A Heritage of Mentoring Introduction Ten Poets in the Philippines Stage 1 – Emergence of English Literacy Stage 2 – Secretive Writing or Apprenticeship Stage 3 – Publishing as Initiation Stage 4 – Poetic Identity and Voice Stage 5 – Mentoring The Community in the Philippines Themes, Language and Poetics Summary References Poems Cited in Table 6.2 Chapter 7 – India: Home and Beyond Introduction Ten Poets in India Stage 1 – Emergence of English Literacy Stage 2 – Secretive Writing or Apprenticeship Stage 3 – Publishing as Initiation Stage 4 – Poetic Identity and Voice Stage 5 – Mentoring The Community in India Themes, Language and Poetics Summary References Poems Cited in Table 7.2 Chapter 8 – Conclusion Introduction The Five-Stage Model Revisited The Myth of Poetic Death Nurturing Poets and Literary Communities Cosmopolitan Asian English Poetries A Final Word References Appendix – Interview Questions Background Development The Writing Process and Discussion of Poems