Like most immigrant stories, these tales are at once universal and particularmarked by the familiar adjustments needed to survive in a new place, which in this. In an introductory letter, jin announced his intent to reclaim american missionary minnie vautrins heroism during the 1937 nanjing massacre. He is the author of eight novels, four story collections, a book of essays, and six books of poetry. Nov 25, 2009 jin, who has set seven of his nine works of fiction in asia, chose to meet in flushing because that is the setting for the stories in his new collection, a good fallfresh territory for the.
His notable novels included waiting 2000 and war trash 2004. Ha jins new book, a good fall, explores chinain america wsj. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom was published in 200. Even the children of immigrants, or those who immigrated long ago, still feel the chains tying them to the homeland, whether they parted with it peacefully or feel they escaped a cruel, unfair nation. Ha jins latest shortstory collection continues developing one of his favorite themes. Ha jin was born xuefei jin in liaoning province, china. The stories themselves all about chinese immigrants in flushing, nyc are not bad, some of them are even very intriguing but the endings. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Ha jin was born in liaoning, china, in 1956, and moved to america in 1984. The characters who inhabit the stories in a good fall, a new collection by national book awardwinner ha jin, are chinese immigrants of various stripes. His dissertation was on modernist poets such as pound, eliot, auden, and yeats because, as he told dave weich of powells city. First collection of short fiction in nine years from expatriate novelist ha jin a free life, 2007, etc.
Jan 01, 2010 chinese edition of a good fall by ha jin. His books include waiting, winner of the penfaulkner award and the national book award. All of ha jins characters struggle to remain loyal to their homeland and its traditions while also exploring the freedom that life in a new country offers. Apr 07, 2020 his newest books are a free life 2007, the writer as migrant 2008, a good fall 2009 and nanjing requiem pantheon 2011. The immigrants in ha jins latest story collection seem to be in exile not only from the china of their dreams and memories, but from their very. Hardcover, 240 pages, random house inc, list price. Like most immigrant stories, these tales are at once universal and. He formerly taught at emory university in atlanta, georgia. He is the author of five novels, three story collections, and three books of poetry. Stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous, a good fall reminds us once again of the storytelling prowess of this superb writer. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom, national book awardwinning author ha jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of chinese immigrants in america a lonely composer takes comfort in the antics of his girlfriends parakeet. He is the author of eight novels, four story collections, three volumes of poetry, and a book of essays.
Ha jin is the pen name of jin xuefei, a novelist, poet, short story writer, and professor of english at boston university. Jin, who has set seven of his nine works of fiction in asia, chose to meet in flushing because that is the setting for the stories in his new collection, a good fallfresh territory for the. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Just like the old chinatown, the new chinatown is also a microcosm and the subjects range from the indigent to professional. Jin currently teaches at boston university in boston, massachusetts. Ha jins fourth story collection, a good fall, consists of twelve short stories, each focusing on the experiences of chinese american immigrants working hard to improve their lives in a country. Ha jins new book, a good fall, explores chinain america. Bridget allison, phoenix books, essex, vt view the list. A dozen books into his career, ha jin remains a limited stylist with a faulty. Ha jin writes in english about china, a political decision posttiananmen square. He grew up during the cultural revolution, served in the army, and earned both his ba and ma at chinese institutions before arriving in the us on a student visa to pursue a phd in english at brandeis university.
He has received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the pen. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom, national book awardwinning author ha jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of chinese. Under the red flag, which won the flannery oconnor award for short fiction. Ha jin earned his masters degree at shandong university in china, and in 1986 came to the united states to begin his doctoral work at brandeis. To date, he has published four volumes of poetry, between silences 1990 and facing shadows 1996, wreckage 2001, a distant center 2018. Jins quiet but absorbing second novel after in the pond captures the poignant dilemma of an ordinary man who misses the best opportunities in his life simply by trying to do his dutyas defined fi. In 1969, at only 14 years of age, ha jin joined the peoples liberation army based at the northeastern border between china and the former soviet union. His newest work, a collection of short stories, focuses on individuals who struggle to reconcile their cultural identities with their new and disparate surroundings. His latest collection, a good fall 2009, continues his american observances. Stories by ha jin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Ha jins new shortstory collection, a good fall, takes. Dec 01, 2009 first collection of short fiction in nine years from expatriate novelist ha jin a free life, 2007, etc. Ha jin left his native china in 1985 to attend brandeis university. A good fall consists of short stories written by a chineseamerican author, hajin.
All of ha jin s characters struggle to remain loyal to their homeland and its traditions while also exploring the freedom that life in a new country offers. The characters who inhabit the stories in a good fall, a new collection by national book awardwinner ha jin, are chinese immigrants of various stripes, all living or working in the queens, new york, neighborhood of flushing. Chinese immigrants living in flushing new york new york citys new chinatown are caricatured in these short stories. Ha jin has 37 books on goodreads with 80768 ratings. Xuefei jin, who writes under the pseudonym ha jin, was born in 1956 in liaoning province in northern china. Jan 03, 2010 the immigrants in ha jins latest story collection seem to be in exile not only from the china of their dreams and memories, but from their very sense of who they are. He has received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the penhemingway foundation award, the asian american literary award, and the flannery oconnor award for. Read an excerpt of the first story from a good fall by ha jin. A good fall by ha jin is a collection of short stories dealing with the lives of chinese immigrants to the u. He was inducted to the american academy of arts and letters in 2014. Chronicles of the cursed sword volume 6 chronicles of the cursed sword tokyopop by beopryong yeo, huijin park and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Starredcrossed lovers are the meat of tragedy the world over, and when political upheaval is thrown into the same pot, youre almost guaranteed a pretty substantial stew. Chronicles of the cursed sword volume 6 chronicles of the cursed sword tokyopop by beopryong yeo, huijin park and a great selection of related books.
Stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous, a good fall reminds us once. For all their meticulous attention to the immigrant experience, ha jins books leave little to the imagination. National book award winner ha jin writes about the tribulations of life in chinese society with dark humor and an economical but effective prose style. A good fall short stories by hajin speaking out loud. A novel by ha jin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. His newest books are a free life 2007, the writer as migrant 2008, a good fall 2009 and nanjing requiem pantheon 2011. With the same profound attention to detail that is a hallmark of his previous acclaimed works of fiction, ha jin depicts here the full spectrum of. The immigrants in ha jins latest story collection seem to be in exile not only from the china of their dreams and memories, but from their very sense of who they are. He has received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the penhemingway foundation award, the asian american. Chicago suntimes, national book awardwinning ha jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of chinese immigrants in america.
In contrast to the dark tenor of discontent that distinguishes his fiction, he is a genial man, at home in his own skin. Ha jin, author of waiting, returns to short stories with a good fall, which is set among chinese immigrants in flushing, queens. Ha jin, pseudonym of xuefei jin, born february 21, 1956, jinzhou, liaoning province, china, chinese american writer who used plain, unadorned english prose to explore the tension between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty jin had only a brief, incomplete education before the schools in china closed in 1966 at the beginning of the. He is the author of eight novels, four story collections, four volumes of poetry, and a book of essays.
He is almost ebullient as he gives a tour of his suburban house in foxboro, massachusetts, explaining that his wife urged him to buy the place because it. The stories are about chinese immigrants lifestyles in america and how they struggle to make a living in some stories. A good fall is at times tragic, at others humorous, yet persistently enchanting. He received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the penhemingwa. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom was published in 2000 finely wrought. He has turned out remarkable novels, short stories, and poetry all the more remarkable considering he only began writing in english in the late 1980s. Ha jin, chinese american writer who used plain, unadorned english prose to explore the tension between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty.
Mar 17, 2020 his newest books are a free life 2007, the writer as migrant 2008, a good fall 2009 and nanjing requiem pantheon 2011. Ha jin is known by his legal name, xuefei, to friends and colleagues. Zhivago about a married army doctor who falls in love with a nurse during the cultural revolution, by chinese exile ha jin in the pond, 1998, etc. I know ha jin writes them in this ok i just cannot get along too well with ha jin. Ha jin grew up in mainland china and came to the united states in 1985 to do graduate work at brandeis university, from which he earned his phd in 1993. Out of all the stories, i cant remember the exact number since ive returned the book, i like the following the. Now with his newest, nanjing requiem, jin returns to a china before his birth.
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