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Da Chen

ダ・チェン

Da Chen

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1962-01-01 （Huangshi, Putian, Fujian, China）
Died
2019-12-17 （Temecula, California, United States） age 57
Nationality
China, United States
Languages
Chinese, English
Residence History
Southern California, United States → Temecula, California, United States

Career

Occupations
Author, Teacher, Investment banker
Active Years
1999-2019
Affiliations
Fairfield University (teaching faculty), New York University (teaching faculty), Beijing Language and Culture University (former faculty)

Education

Beijing Language and Culture University
Country: China
Taught at the university after graduating
Union College (Nebraska)
Country: United States
Attended on a scholarship
Columbia Law School
Degree: J.D.
Year of Graduation: 1990
Country: United States
Earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Colors of the Mountain

1999 Memoir

A memoir recounting the author's childhood during the Cultural Revolution: family persecution, forced rural labor, and a yearning for education.

Cultural Revolutionfamilypovertyeducation
Adaptations
  • [Children's / Young readers' book] China's Son (2001)
Translations
  • Portuguese: A Montanha e o Rio

China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution

2001 Young readers' memoir (adaptation)

A young readers' adaptation of Colors of the Mountain, presenting the author's childhood experiences in an accessible form.

coming of ageCultural Revolutionfamily

Sounds of the River

2002 Memoir (sequel)

A sequel to Colors of the Mountain, continuing to follow the author's maturation and his family's fate.

familymemoryresilience

Wandering Warrior

2003 Novel

A fiction work with historical elements. Specific details are limited.

historypowerloyalty

Brothers

2006 Novel

A family epic novel set in modern China. Received strong critical acclaim and was cited by several outlets as one of the best books of 2006.

family historymodern Chinese historylove and loss

My Last Empress

2012 Historical novel

A fictional work drawing on historical figures and court life. Specific details are limited.

historypowerromance

Girl Under a Red Moon

2019 Novel

A novel published late in his career. Detailed information about the content is limited.

memoryhistoryindividual and society

Bibliography

  • Colors of the Mountain
  • China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution
  • Sounds of the River
  • Wandering Warrior
  • Brothers
  • My Last Empress
  • Girl Under a Red Moon

Adaptations

  • Children's/young readers' adaptation of Colors of the Mountain: China's Son

Translations of Works

  • Portuguese translation of Colors of the Mountain: A Montanha e o Rio

Style & Themes

Literary Style
memoir-like, lyricalrealistic and richly descriptive
Recurring Motifs
Cultural Revolutionfamily bondspoverty and recoveryeducation and learning

Health

  • lung cancer
    2019
    Died of lung cancer in 2019. This ended his literary activity.

Legacy

Da Chen became widely known for memoirs based on his experiences during the Cultural Revolution and emerged as an important voice conveying modern Chinese history and immigrant experience in the U.S. His novels such as Brothers received critical praise, and he left an impact as an educator and writer.

Trivia

  • Experienced 'sent-down' youth life during the Cultural Revolution.
  • Earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School and worked in investment banking.
  • Brothers was praised by several outlets as one of the best books of 2006.
  • Taught creative writing at Fairfield University and New York University.