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Umbilicus
Short story by Chi Ta-wei, translated by Susan Wilf. This English translation was first published in Renditions no. 63 (Spring 2005) and is now available to read online at The Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing website. Chinese version also available to read on same site.
Emerging from the station, I tightened my collar and headed for the corner, where the glare of the strip club’s gaudy yellow neon lights blotted out all of the stars in the sky. At the doorway, an attractive young man flashed a neatly arranged sheaf of stage photos at me. They all showed scantily clad men—this club didn’t peddle female flesh. But I didn’t need a hard sell. I’d come of my own accord, even though I’d never dreamed of setting foot in such a place before.
Emerging from the station, I tightened my collar and headed for the corner, where the glare of the strip club’s gaudy yellow neon lights blotted out all of the stars in the sky. At the doorway, an attractive young man flashed a neatly arranged sheaf of stage photos at me. They all showed scantily clad men—this club didn’t peddle female flesh. But I didn’t need a hard sell. I’d come of my own accord, even though I’d never dreamed of setting foot in such a place before.
14 pages, Unknown Binding
First published June 1, 1996
15 people want to read
About the author
Chi Ta-wei
10 books69 followersChi Ta-wei was born in Taichung, Taiwan in 1972. He attended National Taiwan University, graduating from the Department of Foreign Language and Literature, and received a degree in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles. He teaches literature at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan.
Chi Ta-wei is most well-known for his science fiction novel Membrane (膜, 1996), which was one of the first queer novels to be published in Chinese. He has also published various short story collections and volumes of critical essays on queer and science-fiction literature, and translated several foreign works into Chinese, including a series of novels by Italian author Italo Calvino.
Chi Ta-wei is most well-known for his science fiction novel Membrane (膜, 1996), which was one of the first queer novels to be published in Chinese. He has also published various short story collections and volumes of critical essays on queer and science-fiction literature, and translated several foreign works into Chinese, including a series of novels by Italian author Italo Calvino.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 21, 2023
3.5
Very short story by taiwanese author Chi Ta-wei that can be found in translation and in its original Chinese here.
This short story was first published in 1996, and his debut novel The Membranes in 1995 - I keep wondering what stories the author has to say now, almost thirty years later.
The story opens on a gay strip club, where our protagonist (not a usual frequenter) is looking for one of the models in order to find a common acquaintance.
Much as the previous work of his that I read this year, it gives us a glance on the author's view of codependence and gender in what is a seemingly neat package at first, but leaves us with a kernel of doubt. It also depicts a chilling picture of the LGBT+ community in Taipei, which reminded me of another Taiwanese cult LGBT+ book from the 90s, Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin, which uses the crocodile as an allegory for the lesbian protagonist and her community.
Chi Ta-wei's simple prose and matter of fact tone keep sucking me in - and I never know what to expect next. Best believe I'll keep reading whatever work of his I can get my hands on.
Very short story by taiwanese author Chi Ta-wei that can be found in translation and in its original Chinese here.
This short story was first published in 1996, and his debut novel The Membranes in 1995 - I keep wondering what stories the author has to say now, almost thirty years later.
The story opens on a gay strip club, where our protagonist (not a usual frequenter) is looking for one of the models in order to find a common acquaintance.
Much as the previous work of his that I read this year, it gives us a glance on the author's view of codependence and gender in what is a seemingly neat package at first, but leaves us with a kernel of doubt. It also depicts a chilling picture of the LGBT+ community in Taipei, which reminded me of another Taiwanese cult LGBT+ book from the 90s, Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin, which uses the crocodile as an allegory for the lesbian protagonist and her community.
Chi Ta-wei's simple prose and matter of fact tone keep sucking me in - and I never know what to expect next. Best believe I'll keep reading whatever work of his I can get my hands on.
Displaying 1 of 1 review