January 10, 2019

A book of poems and illustrations by Dr Lee Tzu Pheng, NUS alumna and former Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature, and Senior Lecturer Dr Ho Chee Lick from the Department of Chinese Studies, was recently featured in the Straits Times as one of this year’s top 10 must-read books.

Simple but meaningful, Common Life: Drawings and Poems presents an array of paintings and sketches by Dr Ho accompanied by Dr Lee’s poems. Together, they bring to fore the quiet beauty of the everyday, such as void decks, junk furniture, and hawker centres. In doing so, the collection draws us deeper into the heart and soul of Singapore. Its plain style also reveals a break from the bombastic approach that poets conventionally adopt; here, the simple and mundane is enough to prompt our imaginations. It is through these that Dr Lee questions the purpose of poetry, especially in light of socio-economic inequality in Singapore: “Do people pursue it to its highest forms or do they break it down so everyone can have some?”

The book is also a tribute to the distinguished poet, artist, and former NUS Professor Dr Arthur Yap Chioh Hiong from the Department of English Language and Literature, who also often used both words and paint to give the ordinary new meaning.

For the full review of Common Life in The Straits Times, click here.

Check out the article here.