The Poetry of Zheng Xiaoqiong: A Conversation with Translator Eleanor Goodman

In this richly layered conversation from the Sinica Podcast, host Kaiser Guo engages translator Eleanor Goodman in a profound exploration of the life and work of Zheng Xiaoqiong, one of China’s most vital contemporary poet-activists. Goodman, who has translated Zheng’s landmark collection *In the Roar of the Machine*, traces their professional bond from a 2013 meeting in Guangdong, emphasizing Zheng’s unique position as both an insider and a literary force. The discussion unpacks Zheng’s journey from rural Sichuan to factory labor in Dongguan, her transformation through injury and writing, and her rise to national and international acclaim. The episode delves into the genre of migrant worker poetry—its conventions, its political weight, and its limitations—while highlighting Zheng’s fierce resistance to being pigeonholed. Goodman reflects on the ethics of translation, especially when rendering the bodily, material, and emotional realities of factory life without direct experience. Through readings of Zheng’s poetry—particularly the haunting “Woman Worker, Youth Pinned to a Station”—the conversation reveals a deeply feminist, unflinching voice that centers the body, time, and labor. The episode also examines Zheng’s evolving literary ambitions, including her classical allusions in the *Rose Courtyard* poems, signaling a break from genre constraints. Finally, the discussion touches on the global resonance of worker poetry, the importance of community among migrant writers, and the quiet but powerful act of censorship when Zheng chooses not to appear live, underscoring the precariousness of artistic freedom in China.