To Write a Poem in Chinese and Bid It Sing: The Translatable Spaces of Creativity by Afaa Michael Weaver 蔚雅風 A condensed version of this essay was delivered as a lecture at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China, in October 2008 for the World Literature Today conference co-sponsored with the University of Oklahoma. ”Yet do I marvel at this curious thing…” --Countee Cullen Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction,…” --Steven Pinker In early autumn in Boston, I use the rearmost door of the subway car at the Museum stop so I can walk the longer way to my office. Simmons College sits on the edge of Fenway Park, and in early fall the changing colors of the trees are mesmerizing. I ease along, allowing the power of the season to distract ...