Flèche by Mary Jean Chan
PBS Autumn Recommendation 2019 W S Merwin James Leo McAskill

James Leo McAskill

Written with an abiding sense of empathy

The present collection

and austere

Flèche by Mary Jean Chan <br><b>PBS Autumn Recommendation 2019</b> W S Merwin James Leo McAskillFlche (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