In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Writing this book was like embarking on a long journey, which has taken me to various places and introduced me to numerous friends, both old and new. Though it is a most rewarding personal and academic experience, I find myself deep in debt, owing so much to so many. I am most grateful to the Chiang Yee family. Chien-fei and Chiao-wen of Connecticut were the first that I met for this project. Over the years, they and their family have been consistently patient, encouraging, and understanding. Words are not adequate to express my heartfelt gratitude to their sincere and warm support, without which this book would not have been possible. Chien-kuo and Barbara of Jersey Island kindly invited me for a short stay, during which I conducted interviews and met with their children. Xiaoyan and Tan Jusheng welcomed me like an old friend, answering questions and providing the related information. It was a pleasure to meet with their children and listen to their memories. My several visits to Jianlan and Liu Naichong in Beijing were memorable. Both of them were published writers, yet they were very modest and kind. I feel terribly sorry that Chien-kuo, Jianlan, and Tan Jusheng did not live to see this book. I was very fortunate to have acquainted Innes Herdan through this writing project. An accomplished writer and translator, she was humble, unpretentious, and understanding. Our meetings were few but extremely inspiring. She urged me to complete the manuscript and promised to give me her feedback. Regrettably , she passed away right before its completion. I want to thank her children, Catherine, Andrew, and Bernard, who offered assistance at various stages of this project. Many of Chiang Yee’s friends and colleagues, both in the United States and abroad, shared with me their stories and collections. Their enthusiasm, advice, and assistance were deeply appreciated. I owe special thanks to Deh-I Hsiung. Through her, I was introduced to Deh-ni and Deh-ta, and acquainted with Grace Lau and Rita Keene Lester. I want to express my gratitude to the following A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S xxiii acknowledgments xxiv individuals: David Hawkes of Oxford; Tsun-jen Liu of Canberra; Professor and Mrs. Hong-lit Lo of Hong Kong; Pat Bois; James Cahill; K. York and Noelle Chynn; David and Margaret Hsieh; Yiau-min Huang; Daniel Kwok; Paul Szto; Wan-go and Virginia Weng; Jean Miao-chen Yang and Thomas Yang; Bernard Yen; Mr. and Mrs. Chih-peng Yin; and Yee’s Columbia colleagues William Theodore de Bary, Arthur Danto, Chih-Tsing Hsia, Miwa Kai, and Richard Kuhns. I am immensely grateful to Paul Andrews. He devoted ten years to the research and writing of a Chiang Yee biography, and he generously shared the unpublished manuscript and findings with me as soon as he learned of my project. Ling Fengzhang, a local historian in Jiujiang, welcomed me and gave me genuine support with information and material. Richard and Pauline Jones, current owner of Chiang Yee’s former habitat at 28 Southmoor Road in Oxford, gave me a tour of the house and told me histories of the neighborhood. The following friends expressed their interest and offered invaluable assistance in various ways during my research: Qianshen Bai, Gordon Chang, Phoebe Chang, Greg Drake, Ruth Hsiao, Bernadette Li, and Frances Wood. I also owe thanks to Peter Kiang, Shirley Lim, and Donald E. Pease, whose affirmation of my work was very meaningful to me. Participation at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2004 was an honor. I want to thank the organizer, Catherine Lockerbie, and Sean Costello of Mercat Press for the invitation. Thanks also to Yong He, who organized a symposium in memory of Chiang Yee at the China Institute in New York in 2007; and Shyling Lee and Phil Ma of Chinese Language School of Greater Hartford, Connecticut. I express deep gratitude to my friends in the field of Asian American Studies: Wei Li, Zong Li, Huping Ling, Jinqi Ling, Haiming Liu, Zuoyue Wang, Fenggang Yang, Philip Yang, Xiaohuang Yin, Xiaojian Zhao, and Min Zhou. These accomplished and energetic scholars opened my eyes to issues and questions in transnational and global contexts. Thanks especially to Jinqi Ling, a literary scholar whose shrewd and acute critical sensitivity I admire. During my research at libraries and archive centers, many librarians offered invaluable assistance. My gratitude goes to the following: Hugh Baker, Rose Ford, and...

Share