Parker Huang

These collections contain 114 of my poems. 69 of them were originally written in English; the rest were written in Chinese. The English poems appeared in the following publications: The New York Times; The Now York Herald e; The New Haven Register; The ale Review; The Literary Review; The Yale Literary Review; The Hudson Review; Nimrod; Orange Stred Poetry Journal, and others. All have been self-translated.

In the beginning, this collection was meant to be nothing more than a modest celebration ofmy 50" year ofmarriage to Pao-Cben (Mabel) Chan. I tentatively named the collection Idenfical Twim to suggest thA even though the poems were written in two diflereat languages, they were all the offspring ofthe some mind and heart. Whowould haveeven expected that this little collection would turn itselfinto a book and make its way across the Pacific to my motherland.

Many people have contributed to bringing this project to its final form. I would first like to thank Mabel's niece, Dorothy Chan, and her husband, Winston Ko, for their continual prodding and encouragement. I would aim like to thank Shi Wei-da and Zhang Miz~uen from the Oriental Publishing Center, Shanghai~ who accepted the manuscript immediately while on a business trip to I A)s Angeles. I have in addition been extremely fortunate to have as my editor Liu Li-Ying who has been invaluable for both her professional support and her critical acumen.

There is a Chinese saying: "No book could ever come into existence without some aimazin g coincidence. " That's exactly how I felt when I found out fi-oni Shi Wei-da that Liu Li-Ying is none other than the daughter ofmy old friends Liu Huo-Zi and Jing Duan-Ling! I vividly remember the last time I saw them: it was six decades ago, during the chaotic evacuation of Guilin just before Japanese troops attacked the city. How sa d that my ftiends are no longer here to share with me my joy and excitement at collaborating with their daugider!

There are only a few ofthe individuals who have contributed to the making ofthis book. To all ofthern I extend my sincerest appreciation and gratitude. These poems were written in exile during a period spanning halfa omtury. I am delighted that they have at last found their way home.

Parker Po-fiei Huang
Pasadena, CA- U.S.A-
January 1, 2000