In this Book
- Words Matter
- Book
- 2000
- Published by: University of Hawai'i Press
- Series: Intersections: Asian and Pacific American Transcultural studies
summary
In this age of rapid transition, Asian American studies and American studies in general are being reconfigured to reflect global migrations and the diverse populations of the United States. Asian American literature, in particular, has embodied the crisis of identity that is at the heart of larger academic and political debates surrounding diversity and the inclusion and exclusion of immigrant and refugee groups. These issues underlie the very principles on which literature, culture, and art are produced, preserved, taught, and critiqued.
Words Matter is the first collection of interviews with 20th-century Asian American writers. The conversations that have been gathered here—interviews with twenty writers possessing unique backgrounds, perspectives, thematic concerns, and artistic priorities—effectively dispel any easy categorizations of people of Asian descent. These writers comment on their own work and speak frankly about aesthetics, politics, and the challenges they have encountered in pursuing a writing career. They address, among other issues, the expectations attached to the label "Asian American," the burden of representation shouldered by ethnic artists, and the different demands of "mainstream" and ethnic audiences.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Introduction
- pp. 1-18
- Le Ly Hayslip: Interview by Khanh Ho
- pp. 105-119
- Al Robles: Interview by Darlene Rodrigues
- pp. 154-172
- Gish Jen: Interview by Rachel Lee
- pp. 215-232
- Russell Leong: Interview by Robert B. Ito
- pp. 233-251
- Amy Uyematsu: Interview by Scott Kurashige
- pp. 253-269
- Gary Pak: Interview by Brenda Kwon
- pp. 303-319
- Contributors
- pp. 383-386
Additional Information
ISBN
9780824865641
Related ISBN(s)
9780824821340
MARC Record
OCLC
52974184
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No