Author Amy Tan
Kim Newmoney
Note: This episode of the Archive Project was broadcast only. There is no podcast this week.
The 2024-25 Season of Portland Arts and Lectures is our 40th, and as part of the season we wanted to bring back one writer from the very early days of the series to celebrate the long arc of the program and a writer’s career. Amy Tan had last been at our podium in 1990, when she was a debut novelist with the “Joy Luck Club,” and has since had a rich and varied career, so she was the ideal writer to bring back to the Schnitz.
Since the “Joy Luck Club,” Tan has gone on to write five more novels, all best sellers, as well as two children’s books and two memoirs. Her work has been translated into 35 languages. She’s been nominated for the National Book Award, a National Book Critics Circle award, and the Orange Prize. In 2021, Tan received the National Humanities Medal for her contribution to expanding the American literary canon.
In 2016, disheartened by the state of the country, Tan turned her keen gaze towards the natural world just beyond her window. The result is “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” another national bestseller, which is a series of journal entries that span five years and 76 species. As readers, we witness the intimate lives of the birds inhabiting Tan’s yard, and also her ability to illustrate them. Whether she’s describing the fraught bond between a mother and a daughter, or the bathing habits of a Golden-crowned Sparrow, Tan renders the world in all its glorious complexity, and by modeling curiosity, empathy and awe, teaches us all to pay attention.
A quick note to listeners: Portions of this episode contain mature themes, including mentions of suicide, that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Bio:
Amy Tan is the author of several novels, including “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter.” She attended five colleges: Linfield College, San Jose City College, San Jose State University, University of California at Santa Cruz, and University of California at Berkeley. She received her B.A. with a double major in English and Linguistics, followed by her M.A. in Linguistics. She is a co-producer and co-screenwriter of the film version of “The Joy Luck Club” and is on the board of American Bird Conservancy. Tan serves on the board of American Bird Conservancy, the National Poetry Series, and The Community of Writers. She lives with her husband and their dog in California and New York.