Da Chen (1962 – December 17, 2019) was a Chinese-American author whose works included ''Colors of the Mountain'', ''Brothers'', and ''Sword''. ''Colors of the Mountain'' gave rise to a version for young readers, ''China's Son'', and a sequel, ''Sounds of the River''. ''

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'', ''

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'', '' Miami Herald'' and ''

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'' hailed ''Brothers'' as the best book of 2006. Born in Huangshi, Putian,

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...

, China, he grew up in poverty during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...

. His paternal grandfather had owned land, and that wealth attracted the persecution of the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...

. That persecution did not spare the rest of the family, and Chen was expelled from school and sent down to the countryside to do hard labor. Even though the Cultural Revolution denied him much of his formal education, Chen studied for and performed well in the

college entrance exams In education, an entrance examination or admission examination is an examination that educational institutions conduct to select prospective students. It may be held at any stage of education, from primary to tertiary, even though it is typic ...

reinstated after the Cultural Revolution. He was admitted to and graduated from

Beijing Language and Culture University } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. After teaching there, he emigrated to the U.S. on a scholarship for

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1990, he received a J.D. from

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

, and he then worked as an investment banker while writing. After the publications of his

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

s, he also taught writing at Fairfield University and

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

. Chen lived in

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with his wife, Sunny, and two children. Chen died December 17, 2019 at his home in

Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and was Municipal corporation, i ...

from lung cancer.

Bibliography

* ''Colors of the Mountain'' (1999) * ''China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution'' (2001) * ''Sounds of the River: A Memoir'' (2002) * ''Wandering Warrior'' (2003) * ''Brothers'' (2006) * ''My Last Empress'' (2012)Ghosts, grief and great love in China by Da Chen
''My Last Empress''. Ahram.org. Reprint from Reuters. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012. * ''Girl Under a Red Moon'' (2019)

References

1962 births 2019 deaths American male writers Columbia Law School alumni People's Republic of China emigrants to the United States American writers of Chinese descent Writers from Fujian People from Putian Beijing Language and Culture University alumni Sent-down youths Deaths from lung cancer in California {{US-bio-writer-stub

Bibliography

See also

References