Gish Jen

I first read Gish Jen when I was interning at Holt, Rinehart and Winston. I got to read various short stories that might be used as "Connections" for well-known novels. The first story of hers I read was "The White Umbrella". I don't know how I can remember the title and not remember the plot, but oh well. Her stories deal with the immigrant experience, culture clashes, and other such topics, but she manages to infuse humor into them very successfully. A few years ago I read Mona in the Promised Land and enjoyed it a lot.

She says that Jewish-American authors have been a large influence on her: "It's partly Scarsdale, and partly the sympathy I see between the Jewish and Chinese cultures. If there is one thing I hope readers come away with, it's to see Asian Americans as 'us' rather than 'other.'" link

- Powell's interview with Gish Jen