Ya Hsien was the first Chinese writer to participate in the IWP residency when it started in 1967. He is one of the leading modernist Chinese-language poets, and has published several books of poems. He is a storyteller in poetry; his poems are witty, musical, and have a sense of the vicissitudes of Chinese life. In 1977, he became the literary editor of the leading newspaper in Taiwan, United Daily News. He has established awards for several literary genres and brought young literary talents to prominence. Now retired, he lives in Canada. (Photo from 1967, Iowa City)