Maxine Hong Kingston is one of the most widely-taught American writers and arguably the most canonical Asian American author. She has achieved this influential position despite a relatively small output. In over 30 years, she has produced six texts: two works of fictionalised life-writing,
The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood among Ghosts(1976) and
China Men(1980); a collection of essays,
Hawai’i One Summer(1987);
Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book(1989), a novel;
To Be the Poet(2002), a short disquisition on poetry; and
The Fifth Book of Peace(2003), a blend of fictional and autobiographical forms. Kingston has also edited a volume entitled
Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace(2006): the result of writing workshops she has run for those affected by war. Her work is often dense…
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Citation: Maxey, Ruth. "Maxine Hong Kingston". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 December 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2519, accessed 19 April 2024.]
