American Knees

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American Knees
Author Shawn Wong
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Novel
Publisher University of Washington Press
Publication date 2005
Originally released 1995
Media type Print (Hardback and Paperback)
Pages 240 pp
ISBN PAPER: 0-295-98496-1 9780295984964

"American Knees" is a novel written by Shawn Wong, first published in 1995 by Simon & Schuster. It is currently published by the University of Washington Press (2005). Conceived as a cultural response to Amy Tan's novel, "The Joy Luck Club," Wong's book shocked and excited readers with its groudbreaking depiction of an unapologetically sexy Asian American man and three complex women.

The book humorously chronicles the romantic chapters in the life of Raymond Ding, a Chinese American university administrator who first marries and divorces the perfect Chinese American wife, dates and breaks up with a Hapa (bi-racial) younger woman, and gets involved with a Vietnamese American co-worker haunted by memories of the war.

Contents

[edit] Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction by Jeffrey F.L. Partridge

  1. Loyalty, Betrayal, and Revenge
  2. Gold Spike
  3. Eye Contact
  4. Open Curtains
  5. Sleepwalking
  6. Fear of Flying
  7. Moment of Resistance
  8. Chinese Girls
  9. Pathology
  10. Betty Loves Raymond
  11. Medical History
  12. Extravagance and Equilibrium

[edit] About the author

Shawn Wong is the author of the award-winning novel "Homebase" and an editor of several anthologies of Asian American literature, including "Aiiieeeee!" and "The Big Aiiieeeee!" He is an English Professor and the director of the University Honors Program at the University of Washington.

[edit] Movie version

A film adaptation, entitled Americanese, will be released in 2008, from IFC Films. The film was written and directed by Eric Byler, produced by Lisa Onodera, and stars Chris Tashima as central figure Raymond Ding.

[edit] External links