Bite Hard

by Justin Chin

The first collection by award-winning performance artist/poet Justin Chin. In Bite Hard, Chin explores his identity as an Asian, a gay man, an artist, and a lover. He rails against both his own life experiences and society's limitations and stereotypes with scathing humor, bare-bones honesty, and unblinking detail. Whether addressing what really goes on in the kitchen of Chinese restaurants or a series of ex-boyfriends, all named Michael, Chin...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0916397475
• ISBN13: 9780916397470
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Manic D Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Raw, funny, and always sincere

Reading this collection as a first generation immigrant from Malaysia (as is Chin), I was pleasantly surprised by the synergy of our experiences as I paged through the pieces. Chin's style is raw yet sincere; a titillation of all the senses. From the sterile scent of Dettol, the taste of spicy and MCG-saturated Chinese restaurant food, to familiar alliterations of "Manglish/Singlish", Chin at times teases us with love/hate sentimentalities, and at others, unapologetically shoves the practices and nuances of his desires down our throats. The book's cover and binding fail to stem issues of sexuality, home, memory, colonialism, betrayal, obsession, race, nationality, envy, and beauty from flooding out from the pages. All this is rolled compactly like a layered piece of candy, demanding that you not suck on it, but to BITE HARD! Take it all or spit him out. He demands no compromise.

A faafafine on the bus to Santa Cruz.

You kept me awake and happy

Outrageous and daringly funny - a real slice of life!

Wow - I loved it...I'd first seen Chin perform in San Francisco and this book is just as dangerous - it challenged my own comfort levels and at the same time left me in hysterics. These are real experiences I could relate to. Thanks!

This collection of poems is enlightening and wonderful.

I just wanted to comment on the book. I thought it was very good. Justin Chin writes very well and his images are so brilliant. "Bitterness comes as revolution, cyclic, a snake biting its tail scales, a dog nipping its tatil hairs, bitter, continuity avhieved by subtlety, perceptions played out, questions followed by answers, ask, answer, some days you will know..."