Maxine Hong Kingston, a Chinese American literary pioneer and author of 'The Woman Warrior', discusses her groundbreaking approach to storytelling that intertwines reality and myth. She reflects on her childhood in California and the profound impact of her work on immigrant narratives and contemporary writers. Guests Vanessa Hua, Aimee Phan, and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni share insights on Kingston's legacy and its resonance in modern literature. The conversation also highlights the emotional ties to cultural identity and the transformative nature of storytelling.
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Kingston's Genre-Defying Storytelling
Maxine Hong Kingston's work blends myth, memoir, and immigrant life to shape a new genre of American storytelling.
Her writing invites reclaiming erased histories with empathy and empowers marginalized voices.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Ghost Attack Scene
A ghost attacks Maxine's mother at a Chinese medical school, blending Western science with myth.
This scene captures complex mother-daughter bonds amid cultural and historical tensions.
insights INSIGHT
East Bay's Influence on Style
Berkeley's 1960s counterculture shaped Kingston's style with new language of spirituality and freedom.
She evolved her writing to break into the new American language of that era.
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The Woman Warrior is a memoir by Maxine Hong Kingston that combines elements of autobiography and traditional Chinese folklore to explore her experiences growing up as a Chinese American woman. The book delves into themes of cultural identity, family stories, and personal growth, weaving together real and imagined narratives. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named one of TIME magazine's top nonfiction books of the 1970s.
Forbidden City
Vanessa Hua
The Re-Education of Cherry Trong
The Re-Education of Cherry Trong
Amy Phan
Independence Day
Bristy Press House
The Stories of Edge
The Stories of Edge
Edge
Stay True
Hua Hsu
Stay True is a poignant memoir by Hua Hsu that delves into his unlikely friendship with Ken, a Japanese-American college friend whose life was tragically cut short. The book explores themes of identity, belonging, and the power of friendship in shaping one's life. It is a coming-of-age story that navigates the complexities of growing up and finding meaning in a world that often seems indifferent.
Chinese American literary pioneer Maxine Hong Kingston revolutionized storytelling with her groundbreaking 1976 book ‘The Woman Warrior,’ which blended reality and myth to capture the immigrant experience. As part of our Bay Area Legends series, we talk with Kingston – who grew up working in her parent’s Stockton laundry business and was an integral part of Berkeley’s counterculture movement – about her genre-defying work. And we check in with contemporary authors about Kingston’s lasting influence on their craft and the evolution of immigrant narratives in American literature.
Guests:
Vanessa Hua, author, Forbidden City; Hua's previous books include “A River of Stars”; former columnist, San Francisco Chronicle
Aimee Phan, author, "The Reeducation of Cherry Truong"; associate professor of writing and literature, California College of the Arts in San Francisco.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, novelist, short story writer and poet; Her most recent novel "Independence" won the American Book Award in 2024.
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