Older and wiser, prolific author Andy Quan bares his soul in a poignant new poetry collection, writes Reg Domingo.

Bowling Pin Fire, the fifth book by Sydney author Andy Quan, is a poetry collection that has been a lifetime in the making.

“Many of the poems reach back to memories and experiences from childhood and university,” Andy tells SX. “So, you could say it’s taken my whole life to create this one, really.”

In Bowling Pin Fire, Andy Quan, who was born in Vancouver, Canada, builds on earlier explorations of memory, sexuality and culture that are signatures of his works. It is the acclaimed author’s second book of poetry, following the 2001 publication of Slant. He has also published Calendar Boy and Six Positions, a book of gay erotica.

“[Bowling Pin Fire] is a continued journey from [Slant],” Andy says. “There are certainly similar themes but they’ve developed. From early sexual experiences and family memories to actually experiencing relationships and watching my family grow older. The memory poems are wiser. The longer we have away from experiences, the more we understand them, and can put them into perspective.”

In this new collection, Andy recounts a series of ‘firsts’ and puts them into perspective, detailing the emotion and sensations of each new experience in poignant and vivid language. Whether it be anxiety, fear and trepidation, or excitement, exhilaration and glee, Andy captures the essence and heart of each moment.

“My favourite poems condense experience into something bright and powerful and focused. My poems are often about some key event or memory that is important to me, and that I hope will jog readers into recalling their own incidences of what made them. The first time for everything can be memorable – hearing a song, realising some new knowledge – there are a lot of ‘firsts’ in the book.”

Bowling Pin Fire takes its title from a poem that explores Andy’s relationship with his family, a thematic element that threads the entire collection. Many of the author’s close relatives make appearances throughout the poems, as do various idiosyncrasies of his Chinese-Canadian heritage.

“My last poetry book title Slant was a metaphor for a number of things – slant in the eyes, a different perspective – but Bowling Pin Fire is a literal image. Dad used to get old bowling pins from an alley as firewood. The wood burned really well, but I’m sure it was pretty toxic as the plastic melted off.

Looked amazing though. I used the incident to tell a bigger story about the way my life is different from my father’s and also to draw a picture of some of the quirks of a Chinese-Canadian family.”

Andy concedes that poetry may not appeal to everyone, but he hopes that his work will help some readers to bridge that gap.

“Poetry is a particular art form. I know it scares away a lot of people and I get that impression from my friends that people have had bad experiences with poetry in school! So they imagine poetry to be inaccessible and difficult but mine are pretty easy, I think. If they’re a challenge, I hope it’s a good challenge.”

For there’s no better return, Andy says, than connecting with a reader.

“The books I’ve published aren’t the kind that sell a lot of copies, so I’ve really enjoyed hearing from readers who’ve liked or been touched or helped by my writing. It’s my reward.”

Bowling Pin Fire is available now from the Bookshop Darlinghurst, Better Read then Dead and Gleebooks. For more information, visit andyquan.com.

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