CD Davidson-Hiers

Tallahassee Democrat

Poet Dorothy Chan has a revenge plan in mind.

It may come in iambic pentameter.

Chan, 29, is a recent graduate of Florida State University and published her second poetry collection, “Revenge of the Asian Woman,” in March.

In 40 poems, from "Ode to the First Boy Who Made Me Feel It" to "Triple Sonnet for Liberace's White Pianos and Dream Houses," Chan grapples with food in the U.S. and streets of Hong Kong, sex and a fluid sexuality – sometimes at the same time.

She’s the former editor of graduate program literary journal, The Southeast Review, and current poetry editor Hobart literary journal.

In the fall, she'll join the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as an assistant professor of creative writing. She’s working on a third full-length poetry collection which has been accepted by Spork Press.

Chan recently spoke with the Democrat about her book — and how the way people eat can be a deal-breaker in any relationship.

Q: This is quite a book. Your poems grab hold of the reader and don't let go. How did you balance making these demands on the reader, but also in taking care of them throughout?

A: I believe that the most effective pieces of writing are pieces of writing that aren’t afraid to "give it all away." I always think that the best writing is stuff that is easy for the reader to read. Not in an elementary sense...If the reader must work so hard to interpret what something means, simply put, then there’s something missing.

Q: How important is food to you and your poetry?

A: I think that my major themes would include food, sex, fantasy and family. Food is very important in terms of my identity.

The Chinese-American female identity is very important to the speaker…Sometimes there’s going to be generational gaps between her and her parents, for instance, but I think that food is something that ties them together. Food is also something that exists in every single culture, in every single continent, so as human beings, I believe it’s always going to be a common ground.

Q: Even with how much food brings us together, the speaker talks to people in the poems who misconstrue food or malign it. What’s going on when that happens?

A: That’s where sexuality comes into play because, in some of the poems, the Chinese-American is talking about white boys that she’s had flings with and how they misinterpret food.

Maybe they don’t know how to use chopsticks, maybe they’re mixed up between what’s a dumpling and what’s a bun at the dim sum table. And sure, that presents a lot of cultural difference, but what I think is being pointed out is not necessarily the mistake, but more of the unwillingness to learn.

Q: It then turns into the question of sexuality and sex. How are all these related?

A: The first thing is food, alcohol, all these things we put into our mouths — because eating is a carnal act. Sex is also a carnal act. So that’s how they’re connected, right? But at the same time, food and sex, they’re also what makes the world go ‘round and ‘round because we need food to survive but, in a sense, if we want to populate the human race, we also need sex. So, both of these are almost unavoidable topics.

Have a comment? Email CD Davidson-Hiers at CDavidsonH@tallahassee.com and follow her on Twitter @DavidsonHiers.