#74 Bill Porter on the Dance of Translation, Finding Hermits in China, and Impacting Millions

Pacific Rim College Radio

I waited a very long time to have this discussion with Bill Porter, and it was well worth the wait. Bill is a prolific writer and adventurer, and also, under the pen name of Red Pine, a renowned translator of ancient Chinese works from Cold Mountain to Lao Tze.

Bill has written and translated dozens of books over many decades, and his radio shows in China were tuned into by millions a day. Those shows featured the accounts of his ambitious adventures, including travelling the length of the Yellow River from its mouth to its source. Bill also sought out and found hermits living in the mountains of China, and his book, Road to Heaven, has sold over 2 million copies in China and is credited with helping to revive the Taoist hermit tradition there. We spend some time talking about not only Bill’s adventure in finding hermits, but also hermit life, then and now.

Bill continues to translate today, still as Red Pine and is nearing completion of a new book of poetry. We talk about how he acquired his name Red Pine and his inspiration for translating in the first place.

Bill is a fascinating interviewee, having interviewed hundreds of guests himself on a radio show in China, and has lived a life of incredible cultural explorations and the subsequent sharing of their details. His storytelling is superb, and his material endless.

I have no doubt that you will enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Bill Porter.
Episode Links:

Red Pine Facebook page

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC