In just over two decades in the United States, Chinese-born writer Ha Jin has penned three books of poetry, three short-story collections and five novels, all of which are in English. Jin's decision not to write in his native Chinese, he said, has had a significant influence on his choice of subject matter and themes.
An English professor at Boston University, Jin came to the College on Thursday as part of the creative writing program's "Poetry and Prose" series, which sponsors readings by accomplished writers each term.
Jin recited two of his own poems and spoke about his writing process at the reading, held at Sanborn Library.
Although he said it is important that a work be easily translatable, Jin recognized that translating can introduce flaws.
"The human experience is still transparent in the translation," he said.
Jin, in an interview with AsiaSource.org, a web site of the Asia Society, explained that he believes it is important that he write in English, even though it does not come easily. He reiterated this on Thursday, saying that writing in English allows him to play with the dialogue that exists between Chinese characters. His English writing also reaches a wider audience, he said, as much of his work has been banned in China. Jin explained that he has more linguistic freedom in English than in Chinese.
Jin learned English after he left the People's Liberation Army in China. In his talk, he discussed the challenges immigrants face in conveying their intentions in a non-native tongue, referencing the works of other non-native English writers, such as the Russian-born Vladimir Nabokov.
"I try to show the linguistic struggle," Jin said, acknowledging that he has overcome a hurdle that many immigrants have not.
His diligence in breaking the language barrier has been rewarded with various accolades. He received the 1997 PEN/Hemingway prize for "Oceans of Words," his first book of short stories; the Flannery O'Connor Prize for Short Fiction in 1996 for his short story collection "Under the Red Flag"; and the 1999 National Book Award and 2000 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction for his novel "Waiting." He was also elected as a fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006.
Jin expressed disappointment that many of the people who could benefit the most from his work -- native Chinese -- will never have the occasion to read it.
