Clearly something about his adopted home agrees with him. On his website, Ouyang quirkily ditches the more informative prefix Chinese and simply describes himself as an "Australian poet" (which he is, having been granted citizenship in 1998). But he also retains a strong sense of detachment. One of the reasons for his prolific output is his failure to secure a position in Australian academia, leaving him plenty of time for poetry, translations and the rest. "I look at the composition of teaching staff and laugh," he says acidly. "You can count the numbers of Chinese on a few fingers." And although he has no difficulties being heard, he warns that "every country has its restrictions." In Australia, he says, "you can be punished by not being published. Repression is not a Chinese monopoly."
Read the whole article: Thank Yu - Time Magazine
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