Bite Hard [Paperback]

Justin Chin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

poems/prose/performances, SF author's premier book

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Bite Hard, a collection of poetry, fiction, and performance pieces by Justin Chin, weaves together a vision of otherness that is unique in gay writing. Chin, who was born in Malaysia, raised in Singapore, and is now living in San Francisco, writes from queer pan-Asian experience: outsiderness times two. Whether describing a series of bad ex-boyfriends (he has had seven named Michael, each worse than the one before) or being pursued by "rice queens" (white men interested only in Asian lovers), Chin's authorial power resides in his ability to articulate humor as well as rage in the reality of what it means to be an Asian American homosexual in a country that valorizes Caucasian heterosexuality. Witty, smart, and sexy, Bite Hard is the work of a young artist finding his voice with passion and intelligence.

About the Author

Justin Chin is the author of two collections of poetry, Harmless Medicine and Bite Hard (Manic D Press), and two collections of essays, Burden of Ashes (Alyson Press) and Mongrel: Essays, Diatribes and Pranks (St. Martin's Press). In the 1990's, as a performance artist, he created several performance works that were presented nationally and abroad. He lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Manic D Press, Inc. (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916397475
• ISBN-13: 978-0916397470
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Gay

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raw, funny, and always sincere, January 29, 2000

By 

Michael Y. Lau - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bite Hard (Paperback)

Reading this collection as a first generation immigrant from Malaysia (as is Chin), I was pleasantly surprised by the synergy of our experiences as I paged through the pieces.

Chin's style is raw yet sincere; a titillation of all the senses. From the sterile scent of Dettol, the taste of spicy and MCG-saturated Chinese restaurant food, to familiar alliterations of "Manglish/Singlish", Chin at times teases us with love/hate sentimentalities, and at others, unapologetically shoves the practices and nuances of his desires down our throats. The book's cover and binding fail to stem issues of sexuality, home, memory, colonialism, betrayal, obsession, race, nationality, envy, and beauty from flooding out from the pages. All this is rolled compactly like a layered piece of candy, demanding that you not suck on it, but to BITE HARD! Take it all or spit him out. He demands no compromise.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outrageous and daringly funny - a real slice of life!, November 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Bite Hard (Paperback)

Wow - I loved it...

I'd first seen Chin perform in San Francisco and this book is just as dangerous - it challenged my own comfort levels and at the same time left me in hysterics. These are real experiences I could relate to. Thanks!

4.0 out of 5 stars This collection of poems is enlightening and wonderful., June 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Bite Hard (Paperback)

I just wanted to comment on the book. I thought it was very good. Justin Chin writes very well and his images are so brilliant. "Bitterness comes as revolution, cyclic, a snake biting its tail scales, a dog nipping its tatil hairs, bitter, continuity avhieved by subtlety, perceptions played out, questions followed by answers, ask, answer, some days you will know..."