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Li-Young Lee was born in Indonesia of Chinese parents, who fled in 1959 to escape anti-Chinese persecution and settled in the United States in 1964. In his memoir, The Winged Seed: A Remembrance (1995), Lee not only recounts his own life story, perceptions, and dreams, but also weaves in the stories of his father, physician to Mao Zedong, and his grandfather in pre-revolutionary China. Lee has published four volumes of poetry, Rose, The City in Which I Love You, Book of My Nights, and, most recently, Behind My Eyes. Breaking the Alabaster Jar: Conversations with Li-Young Lee (2006, ed. Earl G. Ingersoll) is a collection of the best dozen interviews Lee has given, including his 1988 interview with Bill Moyers in the Power of the Word series. Eloquent and intently focused on the subjects of Asian-American identity, writing and poetry, this book, along with his poetry, is a landmark in contemporary American literature. Lee has received many honors and awards, including a Whiting Award and Academy of American Poets, Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. |
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