Red Peonies: Two Novellas of China is the first translation in English of two of the books written by Zhang Yihe about women she met and befriended in prison. The subjects of her stories have been described as "beautiful women who wielded magic power over men. They were like jealous evil spirits, vengeful treacherous persons--countless snakes coiled around other people."

Zhang Yihe was fifteen in 1957, the year her father was declared an enemy of the People's Republic of China. Denounced as the nation's Number One Rightist, he was persecuted by Chairman Mao. Zhang herself was...

Each of the stories, poems, and essays in Almost Heaven is about the appearance of a divine moment or presence--which may take many forms and names. One such presence is depicted here in the play Damien, by Aldyth Morris, based on the Belgian priest who cared for victims of leprosy on the island of Moloka'i. Some moments of goodness are large and celebrated, as in the lives of saints such as Father Damien. Some occur in the seemingly modest works of people who choose to regard those around them with extraordinary compassion. Sometimes goodness can seem inexpicably courageous and even...

In 2015, Singapore celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its independence. From its founding as a British colony with no natural resources, the country has been transformed into one of the most urbanized and prosperous nations in the world. Just as remarkable is the harmonious diversity of the people who identify themselves as Singaporeans--a fusion of ethnicities, languages, religions, and places of origin.

Starry Island presents essays, fiction, and poetry by two dozen contemporary writers whose stories of Singapore express the complex tensions and interconnections of this...