Mystical Forest : Collected Poems and Short Stories of Dungan Ethnographer Ali Dzhon

Born in Shor-Tyube, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, in 1951, Dungan ethnographer and creative writer Ali Dzhon is widely regarded as the preeminent writer on the material and spiritual culture and history of the Dungan people, the Sinophone Muslims of Central Asia. Mystical Forest makes available for the first time in English a significant collection of Dzhon’s poems and short stories, which he penned in Russian over a span of more than half a century, from 1969 to 2021, bridging the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. In these rich literary works, Dzhon expresses his thoughts about the world around him, ponders the fate of his people and the meaning of life, and provides finely nuanced descriptions of his feelings about love, nature, and those around him.

Organized into nine chapters by theme, the 103 poems of varying length in the collection are witty, colorful, and profound pieces that provide rare glimpses into Dungan cultural life, including Dzhon’s searing remembrances of the nineteenth-century Dungan Revolt that led to the first migration of the Hui Muslims from northwestern China to the Russian Empire during the harsh winter of 1877–1878, his moving personal reminiscences of childhood and youth spent in the Soviet Dungan villages of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and his unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of life faced by the Dungan people in post-Soviet Central Asia. Set largely against the backdrop of daily life in the Dungan settlements, the four riveting pieces of short fiction comprising the final chapter of the collection showcase Dzhon’s consummate skill as a storyteller as they probe the human condition. The present volume includes a foreword by prominent Dungan poet Iskhar Shisyr, an introductory chapter, footnotes, an index, a map, and photographs. This book will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers interested in Dungan literature, history, and culture.

“Mystical Forest is an exemplary volume of poetry and short stories by a foremost ethnographer of the Dungans, a people who dwell at the crossroads of Central Asia. The translations catch the spirit of these texts that reflect local landscapes, cultural change, and the soul of author Ali Dzhon. Conversant in Dungan culture, Kenneth Yin deftly opens new vistas of local and indigenous writing.”―Mark Bender, Professor of Chinese Literature and Folklore, The Ohio State University

“Kenneth Yin’s Mystical Forest: Collected Poems and Short Stories of Dungan Ethnographer Ali Dzhon is a much welcome addition to Dungan Sinophone studies. The stories and poems collected in this volume are of interest because they provide unparalleled access to the thought, society, and culture of the Dungan people. Their intrinsic literary quality and wide variety of subject matter covered make this volume an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the Dungan people and their history.”―Victor H. Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania

“The complicated historical fate of the Dungan people finds its reflection in Mystical Forest, the book of collected poems and short stories written by eminent Dungan ethnographer Ali Dzhon. Combining memories of the personal and collective past with perception of the present, Mystical Forest offers insight into different dimensions of the contemporary Dungan identity. Yin’s masterful translation of the collection contributes to the understanding and appreciation of the Dungan culture by the English-reading audience.”―Aglaia Starostina, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

“Mystical Forest introduces readers to a unique literary voice from a part of the world that is often overlooked―but which, once encountered, proves to be unforgettable. Ali Dzhon is a poet and ethnographer of Dungan heritage who has spent the past fifty years writing at the intersection of Central Asia’s diverse cultures, languages, political regimes, and religious traditions. This comprehensive collection of poetry and prose includes meditations on nature, family, and community, as well as reflections on experiences of trauma and hardships both past and present. The stoic beauty of Ali Dzhon’s writing style, vividly rendered into English by Kenneth Yin, not only provides valuable insights for students and scholars of the region but will also captivate poetry and story lovers of any age.”―Naomi Caffee, Assistant Professor of Russian and Humanities, Reed College

“Kenneth Yin delights us with a wonderful translation of the works of the prestigious ethnographer Ali Dzhon, whose literary production enables the reader to experience everyday Dungan life and the landscapes on which it happens. Mystical Forest is undoubtedly a must for those interested in new tendencies in current Dungan literature. With meticulous precision, Yin offers an English version of the emotional sea that carries the Dungan multilingual experience on the Central Asian steppe. Close attention should be given to future works by Yin, who is opening a new branch of literary studies carried out in the English language on Sinophone literatures.”―Soledad Jimenez-Tovar, Professor of History, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas

“The Dungan people now living in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan constitute a unique community of Sinophone Muslims bringing together the cultures of China and the Middle East. Mystical Forest is composed of Yin’s English translations of poetry and prose by the prominent modern Dungan ethnographer and writer Ali Dzhon, thus presenting to English- language readers the genuine voice of a representative of this people. His works contain both historical memories and facts of the modern life and culture of the Dungans, now making these known internationally.”―Rostislav Berezkin, Research Fellow, National Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies, Fudan University

Kenneth J. Yin teaches modern languages, literatures, and linguistics at the City University of New York. His research has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. He is the author of Dungan Folktales and Legends (Peter Lang, 2021). He was educated at Cornell University and Georgetown University.