Flash Cards is a primer of modern Chinese life, constructing a complex philosophical vision from swatches of daily events and observations. As Yu Jian has written about his own work: "It is possible to see eternity--to see everything--in a teacup or a sweet wrapper. Everything in the world is poetry." An eighteen-year-old college girl
walks to class on a spring morning
rosy cheeks long legs
inside a wool skirt
only a...