Biography
From a Chinese culture-rooted landscape to a new and welcoming Canadian landscape, Anna Yin has found her home in poetry and authored six poetry collections and four books of translations including Mirrors and Windows (Guernica Editions 2021). She won the 2005 Ted Plantos Memorial Award, two MARTYs, two scholarships from USA, three grants from Ontario Arts Council and one from Canadian Arts Council. Anna was appointed to be Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015-2017) and was elected to be Ontario representative for the League of Canadian Poets (2013-2016). Her poems/translations have appeared at Queen’s Quarterly, ARC Poetry, New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, Literary Review of Canada etc. She performed on Parliament Hill, at Austin International Poetry Festival, Edmonton Poetry Festival and INSPIRE Toronto International Book Fair etc. She has designed and hosted various Poetry Alive workshops with multimedia since 2011. After 20 years working in IT field, she has founded SureWay Cultural Services to focus on cultural projects, teaching and writing. Check more: http://annapoetry.com
Micro-interview
When I was a kid, like others in China, I was taught to recite Chinese traditional poetry. In high school, we also read mordern Chinese poetry. There were several poems I loved, they were in chinese and I loved them because of the feeling of loneliness and mystery.
When I was in university I wrote some love poems in Chinese. After I immigrated to Canada and worked in my IT job, I wanted to improve my English. I started writing short pieces in English. One night after busy work and family chores, I read The Emperor’s New Clothes to my son, a poem came to me. In the poem, I saw a child turn to me asking “Who are you?”…since then I started writing poetry in English. There are more stories in A World of Poetry: Life and Truth (an article I wrote for National Poetry Month)
When I won my first poetry award in 2005, and soon after CBC Radio wanted to interview me and broadcast my poem: "Toronto, No More Weeping," I started thinking of myself a poet. Because I felt my poems were useful not only for myself but also for others.
A poet's job for me is to be like Mirrors and Windows, seeking one's inner side and also reaching out for others. As a poet, I want to share my understanding of the world and enchange feelings and ideas with others, to help each other to see things differently and to listen to our hearts.
Yes. I am so glad that "Picking Up a Dandelion" has been included in the Poetry In Voice anthology. I have always liked dandelions and think they are beautiful. I wrote a few haiku about them. Once I listened to CBC radio to an interview of Lorna Crozier about her poems: Sex Lives of Vegetables, I was blown away…I wanted to challenge myself to write like that. So I wrote “Picking Up a Dandelion”, which is a poem that could be read both erotically and spiritually.
I would like to memorize P.K.Page's The Blue Guitar. It flows very well and I love the image and meaning behind it.