John Balaban

Discover the stories behind the poetry of John Balaban, who served as a conscientious objector in Vietnam. He returned to the country later to help war-torn children and to collect folk poems, when he discovered the work of an 18th century Vietnamese concubine who was known for her wit and poetry. He reads from his award-winning book of translations called  Spring Essence, as well as from his own poetry in the book, Locusts at the Edge of Summer.