Jing Tsu (Chinese: 石靜遠; pinyin: Shí Jìngyuǎn;[1] born February 23, 1973) is a Taiwanese-American author and professor of East Asian studies. Born in Taiwan, she immigrated to the United States at the age of nine; there, her mother taught her and her siblings Chinese calligraphy and writing. After receiving a PhD from Harvard University in East Asian languages and civilizations in 2001, she became a professor at Yale University.
Jing Tsu was born in Taiwan on February 23, 1973.[1][2] In primary school, Tsu was a troublesome student; in a 2023 interview, she recalled her teachers referring to her as "female tiger" due to the lack of effect punishment had on her.[2] At the age of nine, she moved with her mother Sue and her siblings to a small New Mexico town. Her father did not accompany them to the United States. Tsu's mother, who had previously been a teacher, taught her and her siblings Chinese calligraphy and writing, and drove them to Albuquerque for weekly piano lessons.[2]
Tsu published her first book, Failure, Nationalism, and Literature: The Making of Modern Chinese Identity, 1895–1937, in 2005.[9] The book, published by Stanford University Press, received praise;[9] in a 2008 review, James Leibold called it "innovative and provocative".[10] She followed it with Sound and Script in Chinese Diaspora, released in 2010 by Harvard University Press, which was described as "groundbreaking" and "captivating".[9]
In 2022, Tsu released her third book, Kingdom of Characters, with Penguin Press.[11] The book begins focused upon the period of decline that China suffered at the beginning of the 20th century, and covers the subsequent innovations and developments of the Chinese language made in order to standardize and modernize it. It additionally follows the lives of the individuals who spearheaded said innovations.[12][13] The book was very positively received; it was a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize[9][4] and a nominee for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction.[9][11] It was also named a New York Times Notable Book in 2022.[9] In a review for The New York Times, Deirdre Mask praised Tsu's ability to weave linguistic and historical fact in a colorful manner.[13] Tsu has also published articles in multiple newspapers, including The New York Times and the Financial Times. Her writings usually comprise discussions of modern Chinese geopolitics[14][15] as well as book reviews.[16]
Bibliography
Failure, Nationalism, and Literature: The Making of Modern Chinese Identity, 1895–1937 (2005)
