Tiger Writing: Art, Culture, and the Interdependent Self (The William E. Massey Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization)
Tiger Writingis a remarkable achievement on account of its sobriety and unique perception of difference between whatGish Jenconsiders as the West and Asian narratives...Her sensitivity to her own roots and the transparency with which she focuses on these textures is what makesTiger Writingremarkably interesting...Gish Jen's translucency as a novelist with an astute critical sense is that which leads us through the pages of this extremely interesting narrative.Tiger Writingis thus at once a text of critical exploration and a manifesto. (Murali SivaramakrishnanThe Hindu2013-03-11)These pieces are as entertaining as they are insightful.Jen's readers will undoubtedly love them, and those new to her work should consider them as well. (Mark ManivongLibrary Journal2013-02-15)[A] thoughtful--and often witty--volume...Jenraises important questions about how we fashion our own stories and how cultural differences influence that process. (Publishers Weekly2012-12-24)Gish Jenis the Great American Novelist we're always hearing about, and inTiger Writingshe delivers a profound meditation on the divergent roles that storytelling, artmaking, and selfhood take on across the East-West divide. Penetrating, inspired, and, yes, indispensable. (Junot Díaz, author ofThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)In a magnificent feat of integration,Tiger Writinghonors the becoming of the Chinese American writer. I am proud, proud, proud to share ancestors-and the novel and the world-withGish Jen. Oh, and the wonderful faith-that the novel can be learned! (Maxine Hong Kingston, author ofTo Be the Poet)Blending family memoir, cultural criticism, and reflections on her own life as a writer,Gish Jenmakes a compelling case for the novel as a meeting-ground of typically American themes of independence with classically Asian ideals of interdependence.Tiger Writingis a rare case of a book on writing that itself is a joy to read. (David Damrosch, author ofWhat Is World Literature?)How to balance the competing claims of social order and self-determination? It's a question that all novelists must grapple with, andJen, drawing on extensive research in the social sciences as well as her own vividly-rendered biography, gives us an entirely new answer. The result is a strikingly original--and compellingly personal--account of the novel as a genre. (Amanda Claybaugh, Harvard University)Tiger Writingis both precise and intimate, a terrific contribution to our understanding of the artist's lot in the East and in the West. (Gary Shteyngart, author ofSuper Sad True Love Story)Probing, precise, and extremely thought-provoking, this is a small volume about big ideas. (Kate TuttleBoston Globe2013-03-28)Gish Jen's elegant and wide-rangingTiger Writing...explores the differences between Eastern and Western ideas of the self in fiction and culture, and why they matter...Tiger Writingis physically beautiful--printed on ivory paper with photos throughout, intimate in the hand and a pleasure to touch and hold. It seems fitting that a book about writing, connection and culture provides such a full sensory experience. It is a perfect metaphor for its contents. (Jeanette ZwartShelf Awareness (starred review)2013-04-30)Jenweaves together examples of the interdependent views that influenced her and how she came to be a novelist--an independent thing. She addresses the notion of culture with a small c and a capital C. In addition, she discusses the blurring of inter/independence in negotiating narrative and life. The notes following the lectures are well worth reading for their nuggets of information.(M. L. JacksonChoice2013-08-01)