The Magic Whip

by Wang Ping

This melodic, visceral collection -juxtaposes the author’s unbridled joy in motherhood with the complex and brutal practice of footbinding in China, the plight of Tibet, and the remarkable endurance of survivors everywhere. The Magic Whip pays particular attention to women and children whose ordeals have been -imprinted on their very bodies and whose memories resonate in these -exceptionally clear poems. Wang Ping , born in Shanghai, came to New York City in 1985 after graduating from Beijing University. She is the acclaimed author of the novel Foreign Devil, the story collection American Visa, the poetry collection Of Flesh & Spirit, and the academic study Aching for Footbinding in China . She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and teaches at Macalester College.

Genres: Poetry

90 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Born in Shanghai and grew up in the East China Sea. Love the body of water, its sound and smell, love the touch of the muddy beach and golden sand.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

wow i felt like i got mad at the author but made up. really enjoyed her poetry and writing, especially her time in Nepal.

i've just about had it reading anything more about footbinding. especially when it is written about like the practice was justified. uhuh, to me it is despicable, perverse, sick and i can't imagine what kind of evil mind could even dream this type of behavior up. when i was a carpenter i lost a couple fingers to a saw so any kind of descriptions of mutilation of the human body just makes me cringe. footbinding..yuck [this i wrote when I was at page 60 or so [8 hours, 22 min ago]
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[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of strong poetry and poetic prose. Especially powerful in her portrait of the life and work of Li Qingzhao, the 9th century Song Dynasty poet, and in the two disturbing pieces dealing with the practice of foot-binding. Other poems about the lives of immigrants struggling to preserve and understand the meaning of their own heritage in a new, often brutal American context are wonderful as well.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

my favorite book of poetry

[Lori Stoltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ping is FABULOUS!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually can't read long poems because I get distracted easily, but the poems in The Magic Whip are like no others I've read... and I actually did read them--all of them, and every single word. :)

[LemontreeLime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked how she interwove the written Chinese language into her poems, and her imagery was strong.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In love with the title poem.