Greenhouses, Lighthouses

"Perplexity and wonder are integral parts of Tung-Hui Hu's poetry, which is as elegant as it is surprising."--Rain Taxi

"This fresh and unexpected poet extends the lyric into the social space without losing any of song's intensity or mystery."--Mark Doty

"Tung-Hui Hu works magic on the page."--Linda Gregerson

Weaving between the personal and cosmic I, Tung-Hui Hu's lyrics seek the "greenhouse"--a place of saturation, growth--as a poetic space to cultivate new modes through which our common language can once again illuminate and guide--"lighthouse." With minimalism and control, Greenhouses, Lighthouses draws subtly from photography, cinematography, and history to create haunting and memorable connections.

from "Cosmos Revealed behind a Dense Curtain of Poppies":

Greenhouses, Lighthouses. The first

astronomers tended on hands and knees

the soil of the universe, smoothing

away moss, seeding by night.

Now our galaxy has the sixfold

symmetry of ornament on the tower of Alhambra,

shoots curled from stem looping

heaven and earth together. Trace

curlicues and rosettes with your finger.

The chamber sealed off to mortals but

open above, like a poppy.

Tung-Hui Hu, author of three books of poetry, earned his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan and a PhD in film from University of California Berkeley. He teaches at the University of Michigan and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.