Yang Tu engages with many forms of popular expression. He is a poet, essayist, and fiction author who has published collections of poetry (In the South), essays (A Handful of Friends), and reportage (The Force of the People, The Upheaval of 1945). He has edited literary magazines and served as assistant editor-in-chief of the newspaper China Times. He is also active politically, making his voice heard for democratic as well as literary causes.