Bei Dao not only explores his relationship with poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Tomas Transtr mer, but also sketches the more personal and sometimes seemingly banal episodes of a dissident living in exile. This is Bei Dao's first collection of essays in English translation. Those familiar with Bei Dao will notice the same lucid eye and strength that mark his poetry. Bei Dao has been in exile since the 1989 Tiananmen incident, has lectured...