Flèche by Mary Jean Chan
PBS Autumn Recommendation 2019 W S Merwin and austere

and austere

Written with an abiding sense of empathy

Argentine poet Arnaldo Calveyras first book of poetry

The present collection

Anne Macaulay

Flèche by Mary Jean Chan <br><b>PBS Autumn Recommendation 2019</b> W S Merwin and austereFlche (the French word for 'arrow') is an offensive technique commonly used in fencing, a sport of Mary Jean Chan's young adult years, when she competed locally and internationally for her home city, Hong Kong. This cross linguistic pun presents the queer, non white body as both vulnerable ('flesh') and weaponised ('flche'), and evokes the difficulties of reconciling one's need for safety alongside the desire to shed one's protective armour in order