Desert: Poems by David Hinton is the translator's first collection of original poetry. Hinton is a writer and translator who has produced bodies of work exploring the weave of consciousness and landscape. His previous works are insights of ancient Chinese culture; and have primarily taken the form of translation, which he uses as a way to make contemporary poetry that operates outside the limitations of self-identity and the Western intellectual tradition.

Desert captures life and the universe in the desert landscape. To many, the desert is a lifeless void yet to others the desert is filled with wonder. The water that erodes the landscape in brief and sudden appearances goes unseen but leaves its marks everywhere. The mountains stand guard alone and appear older than time itself. There is also an emptiness that mimics the vast emptiness of space itself. The desert speaks volumes on life if one can only listen. Hinton takes his experience of the desert and puts it into words for those who have never been.

The desert represents many things to Hinton.  The mountains are ages of memory extending back millions of years. They also represent the loneliness of standing singularly in the vast desert.  The horizon extends forever.  It is a journey. 

It’s a long way
from me to

you, so much
light and space. I
set out

here, nothing much
to say, mostly curious
what might
happen along
the way.

The desert provides many things to the traveler.  It provides an examination of life and contemplation on how one's life was lived and, perhaps, a call to live life over again.  It is a place of peace where little is said and much is understood.  It is a microcosm of the entire cosmos.  We are small and it is vast beyond our comprehension; we are vulnerable to its environment.  We stand in awe of the sheer size and space of the desert.  Hinton transposes his knowledge of Chinese culture and gives it a Native American feel.  One can easily imagine standing in the Mojave. I have found myself there before in awe of the initial emptiness, then slowly seeing life, geology, and an ecosystem, something far greater than it first appears.  It almost like a child lying awake at night, staring at the heavens, and imagining the vastness of space.  One becomes absorbed into the environment and becomes a conscious part of it. 

A breathtaking collection of poetry.  Hinton adds to the feeling by breaking apart the sections by several pages of almost empty space.  The pages have a thin blurry line that is not uniform.  It leaves the reading wondering if he or she is looking at a vast horizon or the edge of the universe.  A remarkable collection of poetry.  One of the best new collections I have read.

David Hinton is best known as a translator of classic Chinese poetry like Li Po. This collection, however, is his own original poetry. While clearing influenced by the poets he translates, he has own his voice. He explores the desert landscape as a meditation on the vast terrain of his thoughts and philosophies. I look forward to more of his original work.
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