This melodic, visceral collection -juxtaposes the author’s unbridled joy in motherhood with the complex and brutal practice of footbinding in China, the plight of Tibet, and the remarkable endurance of survivors everywhere. The Magic Whip pays particular attention to women and children whose ordeals have been -imprinted on their very bodies and whose memories resonate in these -exceptionally clear poems.

Wang Ping, born in Shanghai, came to New York City in 1985 after graduating from Beijing University. She is the acclaimed author of the novel Foreign Devil, the story collection American Visa, the poetry collection Of Flesh & Spirit, and the academic study Aching for Beauty: Footbinding in China. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and teaches at Macalester College.