The "Taiwan Literature in Translation" exhibition, a collaboration between the Taiwan Academy in Houston, the Ministry of Culture, and the University of Oklahoma Libraries, is now on display at the Chinese Literature Translation Archive at OU, featuring works by Taiwanese poets from the collections of the university and translator Steve Bradbury. The exhibition will run for one year.
"Taiwan Literature in Translation" showcases the works of Taiwanese poet Yeh Wei-lien collected by OU, as well as the works of Taiwanese poets collected and translated by translator Steve Bradbury over the past 20 years, including Hung Hung (鴻鴻), Hsia Yu (夏宇), Amang (阿芒), and Mimi Ye (葉覓覓).
The diversity in the creation and development of modern poetry in Taiwan can be seen from the collection of poems and translated manuscripts on display in English translation. Other exhibits include the original big-character poster edition of the out-of-print fifth issue of modern poetry journal "Poetry Now," which features a series of nine magnificent full-color wall posters that can be read both as a collection of poems and as a celebration of the beauty of poetry. The exhibition also features novel modern poems such as "Poetry Calendars," "Poetry from Surprise Eggs," and "Poetry from Matchboxes."
The curators, Professor Jonathan Stalling and translator Steve Bradbury, have created a series of unique titles for the exhibition that delve into the history of the works and the translators' reflections on the translations. With the title "Cultural Changes in Poetics and Content in Taiwan from the Late 20th Century to the Early 21st Century," Bradbury shares the artistic and creative expression of poetry collections by Taiwanese poets from a Western perspective. He uses Hsia Yu’s poetry collections as an example to demonstrate how works have transcended their framing as simple books to become art collectibles.