China and the West

William Carlos Williams and David Rafael Wang
1957 First meeting between William Carlos Williams and David Rafael Wang. Wang brought up the idea of working together on a group of Chinese poems.
Letter from William Carlos Williams to David Rafael Wang ; March 16 (1957).
"For heaven's sake ! I've been looking for you everywhere since I read those Chinese translations in the last EDGE. Pound wrote me one of his unnecessarily cryptic cards telling me you were in New York. I thought you were merely passing through the city. Now I find out that you are a friend of Gil Sorrentino. Of course come out and see us. It will have to be after the middle of next week – if you will be free. Come in the afternoon unless you are not free then when you can make it Saturday or Sunday. I'm not much good evenings. Let me hear from you. I'm awfully glad you wrote."
Letter from William Carlos Williams to David Rafael Wang ; Sept. 28 (1957).
"I am fascinated by the prospect of working with you on the Chinese translation – and we will of course do it together and soon but not now."
1958 William Carlos Williams felt that his health was beginning to fluctuate and he returned all of David Raphael Wang's translations of Chinese poems. Wang continued to send him version after version. Williams reviewed most of Wang's offerings, but only occasionally did he make comments or suggest revisions.
After a long silence in 1960 Wang wrote to Williams ; Jan. 27 (1961) : "I would appreciate if I only get a card from you".
Qian Zhaoming : In refashioning China for American literature, the two partners were pulled by conflicting desires – to be modernist, and to be Chinese. Despite its actual assimilation of Chinese images, themes, and styles. Wang had his own motivations for the project. First, the undertaking would provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study creative writing with a leading modernist poet. Second, whatever result came of it was likely to send him on the way to an illustrious career. From Williams's revisionary suggestions, Wang learned a great deal about the handling of the poetic form in an effort to be modernist. Williams also learned from Wang. For Williams it was a chance to use 'China' for poetic restructuring and renewal, a chance to fulfill his dream of competing favorably against Pound and Fenollosa. Wang's versions of Wang Wei and Li Bo rekindled his passion for the minimal, painterly style of classic Chinese poetry and inspired him to take a new direction formally in his last book. Together the two poets created an English line of economy, understatement and power.