Virga

by Shin Yu Pai

Poetry. Asian & Asian American Studies. After decades of promoting the Chinese masters of poetry and Buddhist texts, Empty Bowl is honored to publish its first collection by a female Asian American author. VIRGA, Shin Yu Pai's elegant eleventh collection of poems, is a crisp and intelligent response to recent and ancient history. In poems at once visionary and practical, VIRGA portrays Buddhist thought from lived experience, and demonstrates the everyday life of a poet who can see for herself in the "shafts of rain going sublime" the reality of being an Asian American woman in America today. This collection rediscovers who we are in an age when hate-crimes and terrorization destroy the lives of Asians and all people of color. Experiencing these poems, we witness Shin Yu Pai rise in and through the wearying atmosphere of the "dominant caste," as historian Isabel Wilkerson calls white culture, to hold herself, her child, her community, in that sublime state that, within the Zen mind, arises "before touching the ground."

Genres: Poetry

72 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2021

About the author

I am the author of numerous poetry books.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoga and Zen Buddhism are major elements in this tenth collection by a Chinese American poet based in Washington. She reflects on her family history and a friend’s death as well as the process of making art, such as a project of crafting 108 clay reliquary boxes. “The uncarved block,” a standout, contrasts the artist’s vision with the impossibility of perfection. The title refers to a weather phenomenon in which rain never reaches the ground because the air is too hot.

[Greg Bem · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable text that confronts feminism, anti-racism, and deep roots in nature and Buddhism. The book lacks much of what made the previous volume so special: reflection and context. The poems stand well on their own, but waver without the presence of the poet's full voice and all its ambitions.

[Chris LaTray · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those quiet, powerful books that seems to come along just when I need it. Probably my favorite bring-home from among all of the books I brought back from AWP '23.

[Isla McKetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between the language and the Buddhism, I loved this book. It both set my mind at ease and made me think deeply.