David Richard Knechtges (; born October 23, 1942) is an American sinologist and professor emeritus of Chinese literature at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

. An expert on

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

and Six dynasties period literature, Knechtges' studies of Chinese ''fu'' poetry are largely responsible for the revival of Western academic interest in the subject, a major genre which had become largely neglected until the mid-20th century. Knechtges is best known for his ongoing translation of the early Chinese literary anthology ''Selections of Refined Literature'' (''Wen xuan''), its first ever full translation into English.

Life and career

David Knechtges was born on October 23, 1942, in Great Falls, Montana, and grew up in Kirkland, Washington. Knechtges attended

Lake Washington High School Lake Washington High School is a four-year public high school in Kirkland, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. It is one of four main high schools in the Lake Washington School District, with an enrollment capacity of approximately 1,500 student ...

, and originally intended to study

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

or chemistry. However, while in high school he happened to attend a presentation given at his school by the German Sinologist Hellmut Wilhelm on two well-known China-related novels the students had been assigned to read: ''

The Good Earth ''The Good Earth'' is a historical fiction novel by Pearl S. Buck published in 1931 that dramatizes family life in a Chinese village in the early 20th century. It is the first book in her ''House of Earth'' trilogy, continued in ''Sons'' (1932) ...

'' by

Pearl Buck Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973) was an American writer and novelist. She is best known for ''The Good Earth'' a bestselling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, Buc ...

, and ''

Rickshaw Boy ''Rickshaw Boy'' or ''Camel Xiangzi'' () is a novel by the Chinese author Lao She about the life of a fictional Beijing rickshaw man. It is considered a classic of 20th-century Chinese literature. History Lao She began the novel in spring, 1 ...

'' by

Lao She Shu Qingchun (3 February 189924 August 1966), known by his pen name Lao She, was a Chinese novelist and dramatist. He was one of the most significant figures of 20th-century Chinese literature, and is best known for his novel '' Rickshaw Boy'' ...

. He was fascinated and impressed by Wilhelm's knowledge and presentation, and soon decided to change his academic focus to Chinese history, language, and literature. After graduating from high school in 1960, Knechtges matriculated at the

and

majored An academic major is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes all courses required for the major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word ''major'' (also called ''conce ...

in Chinese, graduating in 1964 with a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

'' magna cum laude''. Having decided to pursue graduate study in Chinese, he first went to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, and received an A.M. in 1965. He then returned to the University of Washington for doctoral studies under Wilhelm, and received a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in 1968 with a dissertation entitled "Yang Shyong, the ''Fuh'', and Hann Rhetoric", a study of the ''fu'' rhapsodies of

writer and scholar Yang Xiong. After receiving his Ph.D., Knechtges taught at Harvard and then

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

for several years before joining Washington's Asian Languages and Literature faculty in 1972. He taught at Washington for 42 years before retiring in 2014. Knechtges has written or edited a number of books on ancient Chinese literature, and is best known for his ongoing translation of the '' Wen xuan (Selections of Refined Literature)'', a major collection of early Chinese literature, which is the work's first ever full translation into English. His wife, Tai-ping Chang Knechtges, is an affiliate assistant professor at Washington, and often serves as Knechtges' co-editor. They have one daughter together. Knechtges was inducted into the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 2006. In 2014, the Chinese government awarded Knechtges the 8th China Book Award for his contributions to Chinese literary scholarship, especially his editing and translation of ''The Cambridge History of Chinese Civilisation''.Interview with Professor Emeritus David Knechtges

Selected works

*Knechtges, David R. (1968). "Yang Shyong, the Fuh, and Hann Rhetoric". Ph.D. dissertation (University of Washington). * * * * * * ———, trans. * * ———; Kroll, Paul, eds. (2003). ''Studies in Early Medieval Chinese Literature and Cultural History: In Honor of Richard B. Mather and Donald Holzman''. Provo, Utah: T'ang Studies Society. * ———; Vance, Eugene, eds. (2005). ''Rhetoric and the Discourses of Power in Court Culture: China, Europe, and Japan''. Seattle: University of Washington Press. * * ———, ed. (2012). ''The History of Chinese Civilisation'', 4 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * ———; Chang, Taiping, eds. (2010–14). ''Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature: A Reference Guide''. 4 vols. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

References

;Works cited *

External links

*Audio of David Knechtges' lectur
"How to View a Mountain in Medieval China"
delivered at the

Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities The Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities, located in Seattle, Washington, is one of the largest and most comprehensive humanities centers in the United States. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington ( ...

on April 28, 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Knechtges, David 1942 births American sinologists Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Harvard University alumni Living people University of Washington faculty University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni