(1963– )
Born Gu Pan in Suzhou, a city noted for its exquisite gardens and aesthetic traditions, Che Qianzi is a renaissance man who is adept at poetry, essay, painting, and calligraphy. Steeped in Chinese classics, he represents the avant-garde, experimental spirit of contemporary Chinese poetry. Seriously playful and profoundly witty, he once won a sonnet contest by writing the same line fourteen times. In 1992 he graduated from Nanjing University, where he had formed a poetry group called the “Original.” A prolific essayist and noted painter, he now lives in Beijing.
* The Chinese word for “letter” in the title is zimu, literally meaning “mother of words.” Hence, the title may be translated as “Sign: Inspired by Mother of Words.”
A Chinese Character Comic Strip
a long line of ants another long line of ants another long line
(Translated by Yunte Huang)