Troublemaker and Other Saints - Hardcover

Chiu, Christina

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399147152 ISBN 13: 9780399147159

Publisher: Putnam Pub Group, 2001

Synopsis

A series of interlocking short stories chronicles the lives and fortunes of the various members of three Chinese families, in such works as "Troublemaker," "Doctor," "Mama," and "Gentleman," which explore such themes as the collision of Eastern and Western cultures, the clash of generations, family, disillusionment, and love. A first collection. 15,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

"Impressive...vivid glimpses of cultural and generational displacement and conflict. Chiu weaves gracefully among her characters' several stories. Wonderfully involving and intelligent...a strikingly gifted new writer."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"A truly auspicious fiction debut."--Vanity Fair

"I loved every page."--Alice Elliott Dark, author of In the Gloaming

"These compelling tales of loneliness and loss, hunger and need, the pain and crazy love for family will break your heart and, strangely, leave you feeling uplifted."--Mei Ng, author of Eating Chinese Food Naked

"Accomplished...brings the reader a wide range of perspectives and believable points of view."--Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle

"[Christina Chiu is] a find."--Detroit Free Press

"Troublemaker and Other Saints is full of intriguing situations and great conversations. In describing how Chinese immigrants deal with their American kids, Christina Chiu reveals all our misunderstandings and hopes. I loved every page and would read anything this woman writes!"--Alice Elliott Dark, author of In the Gloaming: Stories

"Honest, complex...unflinching and raw, this isn't your typical immigrant story collection--it's deeply satisfying."--Entertainment Weekly

"A well-crafted collection of bright stories about straddling the old world and new...[Chiu] is a find."--Detroit Free Press

"Fresh, daring, bold, Troublemaker and Other Saints eagerly explores the neither-here-nor-thereness of young Chinese-Americans as they bridge the gap between two complex and troubling social orders with humor, pathos, and heart. How often have you heard the phrase 'a writer to watch'? Christina Chiu is a writer to read."--Helen Schulman, author of The Revisionist

"These are accomplished stories, with the mark of a true storyteller who brings the reader a wide range of perspectives and believable points of view."--Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle

"With her explosive Troublemaker and Other Saints, Christina Chiu has accomplished what only Lucinda Williams is able to do in songs--turn serious topics, such as suicide and unhappy romance, into celebrations of life...Her vibrant prose and unflinching voice restore our belief that no matter how up-and-down our lives can become, everything is bearable if it's well told."--Hal Sirowitz, author of Mother Said

Impressive vivid glimpses of cultural and generational displacement and conflict. Chiu weaves gracefully among her characters several stories. Wonderfully involving and intelligent a strikingly gifted new writer. Kirkus Reviews (starred)

A truly auspicious fiction debut. Vanity Fair

I loved every page. Alice Elliott Dark, author of In the Gloaming

These compelling tales of loneliness and loss, hunger and need, the pain and crazy love for family will break your heart and, strangely, leave you feeling uplifted. Mei Ng, author of Eating Chinese Food Naked

Accomplished brings the reader a wide range of perspectives and believable points of view. Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle

[Christina Chiu is] a find. Detroit Free Press

Troublemaker and Other Saints is full of intriguing situations and great conversations. In describing how Chinese immigrants deal with their American kids, Christina Chiu reveals all our misunderstandings and hopes. I loved every page and would read anything this woman writes! Alice Elliott Dark, author of In the Gloaming: Stories

Honest, complex unflinching and raw, this isn t your typical immigrant story collectionit s deeply satisfying. Entertainment Weekly

A well-crafted collection of bright stories about straddling the old world and new [Chiu] is a find. Detroit Free Press

Fresh, daring, bold, Troublemaker and Other Saints eagerly explores the neither-here-nor-thereness of young Chinese-Americans as they bridge the gap between two complex and troubling social orders with humor, pathos, and heart. How often have you heard the phrase a writer to watch ? Christina Chiu is a writer to read. Helen Schulman, author of The Revisionist

These are accomplished stories, with the mark of a true storyteller who brings the reader a wide range of perspectives and believable points of view. Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle

With her explosive Troublemaker and Other Saints, Christina Chiu has accomplished what only Lucinda Williams is able to do in songsturn serious topics, such as suicide and unhappy romance, into celebrations of life Her vibrant prose and unflinching voice restore our belief that no matter how up-and-down our lives can become, everything is bearable if it s well told. Hal Sirowitz, author of Mother Said"

About the Author:

Christina Chiu has been the recipient of the Van Lier Fellowship, the Lannon Foundation Fellowship and the Claire Woolrich Scholarship. Her stories have appeared in Tin House, The MacGuffin, and other magazines. She obtained a Bachelor degree in East Asian Studies at Bates College and a master's degree in fine arts at Columbia University. This collection, Troublemaker and Other Saints, was her master's thesis. "Troublemaker" won third place in the Playboy Fiction Contest, "Matriarch" won second place in the El Dorado Writers' Guild Writing Contest, and "Gentleman" won a prize in England's World Wide Writers Contest. Chiu is a cofounder of the Asian American Writers Workshop. AUTHCOMMENTS: Interview with the Author

Q> Where do you get your ideas?

For me, writing is an expression of something I feel passionately about. Often, I see or hear something that will move me enough to write about it. One day, for example, while waiting for my appointment at a doctor's office, I came across the Personals section at the back of a magazine. I noticed that several ads, usually by white men, targeted Asian Women. This seemed a little strange to me, and it spurred all kinds of questions. I could understand saying that you're interested in someone who likes sports or dining out is one thing. But Asian? Why? Who would write a thing like that? And, more importantly, who would answer an ad like that? These questions lead me to explore the particular characters and situations in the story "Beauty."

Q> Is Troublemaker and Other Saints autobiographical? Are you Laurel in "Nobody" or Georgianna in "Doctor"?

The characters in Troublemaker are all fictional. I thought of this question ahead of time, and this was one of the reasons why I created such a diverse cast of characters-some are old, some young; some are female, others male. This doesn't mean that certain aspects can't be true to me. For one, Laurel and I both love to read Shakespeare, and so I relate to her passion for it, but really, when I was Laurel's age, I never read anything unless I had to for school.

Q> Which "Saint" do you relate to most?

It's the troublemaker that I relate to most. No, I didn't grow up in Chinatown, and I never assaulted anyone with a beer can. Yet, there's a lot about Eric that I can relate to, like being labeled a troublemaker. Also, I can relate to his frustration and rage at feeling all the invisible boundaries that determine what I can or cannot do because of my race.

Q> In Troublemaker and Other Saints, characters that appear in one story tend to reappear in later stories. Did you intend this when you started writing?

Initially, no. I had the idea to write about these different characters and they'd be tied together thematically. But as I continued writing, characters I wrote about in earlier stories started reappearing in later ones. Characters like Laurel and Seymour came from two separate worlds, and yet, there they were together in "Thief.'

Q>Where are you from? Were you born in China?

I was born in Manhattan and raised in Westchester, a suburb of New York. I've been to China, but only for short trips. My parents, however, were both born in Shanghai. They met in Hong Kong where they married and came to the United States before I was born.

Q> What are you working on now?

I'm writing a novel based on one of the stories from Troublemaker and Other Saints.

About this edition

• Publisher: Putnam Pub Group
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0399147152
• ISBN 13: 9780399147159
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 278