Susan Wan Dolling discusses themes of friendship and love in Tang poetry
My China in Tang Poetry is a collection of translations and readings of Tang dynasty poetry by Susan Wan Dolling, offering new perspectives on the literary achievements of China’s Golden Age. The third volume, Friends and Lovers, highlights poets from the mid- to late-Tang periods, focusing on themes of friendship and love. Featured poets include pairs of close friends and exiled poets Liu Zongyuan and Liu Yuxi, as well as Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen, alongside selections from late-Tang poets Li He, Du Mu, and Li Shangyin. This volume seeks to present these works in a contemporary and accessible format.
Susan Wan Dolling is a Chinese American writer with extensive experience in both modern and classical Chinese literature. Born in Hong Kong, she pursued her undergraduate studies at Princeton University, earning a degree in English and Creative Writing. She later completed a PhD in Comparative Literature. Her academic career includes teaching positions at Fordham University, where she lectured on English Literature, and the University of Texas at Austin, where she specialized in Chinese Literature.
Her translations have appeared in respected literary publications, including Poetry, Words Without Borders, Two Lines, and Renditions. Contributions to major anthologies, such as The Columbia Books of Modern Chinese Literature and Bamboo Shoots After the Rain, further highlight her work in the field. She translated Wang Wen-hsing’s novel Family Catastrophe, published as part of the University of Hawaii Press’s Fiction from Modern China Series.
Further information about her work can be found on her website, www.susanwandolling.com.
