Seeing and Being Seen in Sally Wen Mao's 'Oculus'

Sally Wen Mao is the author of "Oculus," a collection of poems that explores sight and being seen, futuristic worlds and historical figures. She completed this collection during her Cullman Center Fellowship at NYPL in 2016-2017.​ In conversation with fellow poet, Jenny Xie, Mao shared some of the archival materials she used in her research, including those of the first Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. They discussed Asian American futurism, representation in Hollywood, and how a Solange concert at the Guggenheim inspired one of her poems.