Anchee Min



Anchee Min (January 14, 1957) is a Chinese-American author.

Quotes

 * In all of my historical novels (from Becoming Madame Mao to Empress Orchid and The Last Empress to Pearl of China) I have tried to be as accurate as possible because accuracy gives my historical themes weight. But some have been more literally true than others. The advantage of being a novelist is having the freedom to go directly after the truth of the human heart…
 * On including historical accuracy in her writings in “An interview with Anchee Min” (BookBrowse)


 * I didn't have to do the research I did for my historical novels, especially Empress Orchid, on which I labored to line up every account/record — investigative journalism, so to speak. The challenge about writing The Cooked Seed as a memoir was the issue of honesty, as how far and how deep was I willing to go to expose, examine, and dissect my life — that included doing autopsies on my flaws and personal failures.
 * On how writing historical fiction differed from writing her memoir in “Interview: Author Anchee Min Revisits Immigrant's Struggle in New Memoir” in Asia Society (2013 Jun 19)


 * I had no expectations. I thought, “If I don’t make it, it’s my own fault.” In China I had to suffer and labour for the Communist Party – here I was given the opportunity to suffer and labour for myself and to build my own life. I chose to look at the glass half full – I think that’s a very immigrant attitude.
 * On choosing to immigrate to the United States in “Anchee Min: 'If I had stayed in China, I would be dead'” in The Telegraph (2013 Jul 4)


 * I cultivate my Chinese garden in the middle of an American town…I love China with all my heart and soul, although I feel fortunate to have escaped it.
 * On the way she pays homage to China in “Anchee Min: 'If I had stayed in China, I would be dead'” in The Telegraph (2013 Jul 4)