Ouyang Yu graduated from La Trobe University with a doctoral degree in Australian literature. He has published more than twenty books in Chinese and English in the fields of fiction, poetry, literary translation and literary criticism. His first novel, The Eastern Slope Chronicle, was short-listed for the 2003 NSW Premier’s Awards. His third book of poetry, Foreign Matter, won the 2003 Fast Books Prize for Best Poetry in the self-published category in NSW, Australia.

Ouyang Yu is a skilled poet, critic, academic, translator and prose-writer. Operating in two languages and closely, caustically interrogating Australia’s cultural identity and diversity, Yu’s work typifies a present future of Australian poetry. His work matches a strident political voice with a tightly tuned lyrical self. Yu’s often savage humour is matched by his musical gifts as a technician-poet, and his unrelenting ability to sheer a subject back to its basic truths and half-truths. Clear-eyed scepticism betrays a generous plain-speaking heart, which has led to his successes as a poet internationally. His is a voice to attend not simply for its poetry but its insight into the broader and immediate contemporary world beyond poetry.

Bibliography
Poetry
In English:
Moon over Melbourne and Other Poems. Papyrus Publishing, Scarsdale 1995.
Songs of the Last Chinese Poet. Wild Peony, Sydney 1997.
Two Hearts, Two Tongues and Rain-Coloured Eyes. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 2002.
Foreign Matter. Otherland Publishing, Melbourne 2003.
New And Selected Poems. Salt Publishing, Cambridge 2004.

In Chinese:
Summer in Melbourne. 1998.
Cunt Sequence. Otherland Publishing, Melbourne 2000.
Wo Cao. Otherland Publishing, Melbourne 2003.
The Limit. Otherland Publishing, Melbourne 2003.
http://australia.poetryinternational.org/cwolk/view/24876

BEING DIFFICULT

that critic whose name i won’t tell you until a little while later
says that he does not like this poem or that for the simple reason
that they are simple because he says that he likes things difficult
but let me tell you a story of being difficult about a poet who is shitting
one day or sleeping one night who tries a bit of auto-writing stuff or
shitting stuff like dada you know or surrealist whatever even a little bit
of translation here and there ancient and modern collaging you know
very fashionable so that what comes out is not a bit unlike a prose poetry drama essay 
music pop song in style and derida foucault kristeva greer barthes marx freud jung 
nitzher
all put together so that nobody understands
and now the critic plunges into action rubbing his hands and smiling to himself gosh
 that 
is the thing So difficult! like myself
i must do a good job about this and prove to the world how clever i am
then he starts making cards compiling bibliography taking notes reading reviews
 phoning 
people and writing fragments dissecting the poem and himself so that they merge into 
each other
but what is his name you ask
never mind his name for you can easily pick up one anywhere nowadays
if a car ran into a telephone post and that post must fall on one

then you say i wish the post fell on one
see if it is not too difficult


© 2004, Ouyang Yu 

THE UNGRATEFUL IMMIGRANT

					
If you are looking for one
Don’t look further for he is here
Writing the poem about the hows and the whys and the nos

You expect me to be integrated into the mainstream
I don’t care although I become a citizen
Not to strengthen your national identity as you like to think

But in order to travel more freely in the rest of the world
You expect me to speak English and write English
Which I can do but not so that you think I am English

But to do just what I am doing here
Writing poems that do not sit comfortably with your
Another day another dollar mentality and nationality

You think that because I came to and live in Australia
I should be grateful for the rest of my life
But you don’t know that I already regret that I’ve made an irreversible mistake

And you have made a mistake, too, I think
Because years ago you promoted Australia in our country so aggressively
Why not be honest and say: We don’t fucking want you Asians, PERIOD!

And you know what I think you should do to make me grateful?
Strip me of my citizenship and send me back to China in forced repatriation
Like you have done to so many of them

You think I am serious?
Of course I am not
What do you reckon? 

© 2004, Ouyang Yu

AN IDENTITY CV