blur by the

by Cham Zhi Yi

'blur by the' collects fractures that make not quite a whole. It is a giving of permission to the self, to exist as messily as ( i s ). These poems are a record of navigation through longing and dis [ place ] ment of the body and of place, a shattering of expectation(s) of the self and of family, often through dreams, food and eroticism. This is an attempt at freedom. 'blur by the' is a yearning for freedom from grief, memory, and-ultimately-from definition. The form through which the poems take in 'blur by the' is dancing-in-your-bedroom free, un-velcro-ed false bravado free. The poems eat a lot and hope to feed you too.





Winner of the 2020 Anne Elder Award
Shortlisted for the 2020 Small Press Network Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted for the 2020 Mary Gilmore Award
Shortlisted for the 2020 ACT Writing & Publishing Award

Genres: Poetry

90 pages, Paperback

Published July 20, 2019

Reviews

[EC]

(confessional) The only book of poetry I've ever read cover to cover - I devoured it and felt ambivalent about doing so because I knew I was just bringing myself closer to the end. Poems dissecting life/love/blood/whiteness with surgical precision - I will carry them in my head & heart always.

[Kim]

Poetry that is a mix of pop culture, Indigenous dreaming, colonisation and Malaysian influences.
Those influences and the way the poems are structured on the page make this slim collection completely original and intriguing.
So many highlights but I do love the mix in "all the waters of Weereewa passes through" empty and filling in all manner of ways languages, foods, fluids.
Borrowed from the library but will be looking out for a copy for my own collection.
This is a poet to watch out for.
Also love that this collection has introduced me to this brilliant innovative publisher "Subbed in". Will be closely watching what they release in future. Very exciting.

[Carolyn DeCarlo]

I read this for the April choice for Food Court Books's book club, and because it was published by Subbed In, a badass small press run by my friend Dan in Sydney. Blur By The is pretty flawless. Cham Zhi Yi knows what she's doing, and executes it well in her poems. This collection reminds me of Tiny Moons by Nina Mingya Powles and Rose Lu's All Who Live on Islands because of their connections to food, place, and the personal. Zhi expresses with short, clipped verse the same feelings of displacement from and connection to community that Powles and Lu write about in essay format. While there is not much I have to say in detail about any of the specific poems in the collection, I feel positive about its existence as a whole, and would recommend it to anyone. The discussion during book club surrounding this book was not as dynamic as some of the others have been, but I think that is because no one could argue their validity or their value. She is a strong writer clearly communicating her point of view in a worthwhile way. We need more publishers and presses to open up spaces for books like Blur By The.

[Emma]

I’d read Cham Zhi Yi’s poetry online via Subbed In before so I knew I’d enjoy this little book, and it beautifully exceeded expectations. The poems are playful yet mellow yet personal yet political and sometimes all these things at once. I can’t say why but I think it was the formatting of the poems that made it for me. I’m normally not too fussed about it but I loved the choices Zhi made when spreading the words across the pages. I read this book alarmingly fast - it was just so damn good,I wanted to take it in all at once! - so this is definitely worth a second read. I’m sure I’ll get even more out of it the next time round.

[Declan Fry]

For writers who have not traditionally been included in the Western canon, the problem is one of narrativisation and self-recognition; of always having to wonder whether you are the protagonist of your story, or simply writing against a colonial frame. [...] Cham’s poetry is founded in the interstices of her birthplace (and its Malay-Chinese inheritance) alongside the cultures of her adopted home (Ngunnawal, Ngambri, Ngarigu, and Canberra-based settler).

Read full review: http://cordite.org.au/reviews/fry-zhi...

[Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga]

Each line is striking, undeniable. I read breathlessly.

[Pepe]

The book got me breathless. Each line is crafted for a precision

[Amanda B]

Wonderful poetry to make you think and FEEL.