Mu Cao (墓草) was born into a farming family in Xihua County, Henan province, China in 1974. He has no diplomas, is not a member of the Chinese Writers Association, and publishes almost entirely outside of official channels. In the past he has worked as a farmer, a cleaner, a hotel clerk, a restaurant worker, a street vendor, and a web editor. Read More Mu Cao has been described as a “folk poet” and a “voice from the bottom of society.” His avant-garde novels, poetry collections, and short story collections include Outcast, The Transsexual Age, A Treasured Book of Sunflowers, Selected Poems of Mu Cao, and Scream of a Hundred Lan Yus. He lives in Beijing and in the Jiangsu province.