China poet gains attention for ‘happy’ response to menopause, even writes poem on topic
Celebrated writer who was born with cerebral palsy cuts a controversial figure with her openness about the sexual desires of women
Renowned Chinese poet Yu Xiuhua has made headlines by saying that the menopause was a happy thing and writing a poem in its praise.
Yu, 49, from a village in central China’s Hubei province, achieved overnight fame in 2014 for her talented writing.
Her poetry brimmed with spiritual vitality despite the physical limitations she suffers from as a result of being born with cerebral palsy.
The upbeat nature of her writing also exists despite the fact that she dropped out of secondary school, married a man arranged by her parents at 19, and has a son with him.
She has been labelled the “poet with cerebral palsy” and the “peasant poet”.