Conversation: Yiyun Li, Fiction Writer and Winner of the 2010 MacArthur Fellowship

"When you write in your second language, you bypass a lot of history with the language," says "Yiyun Li":http://www.yiyunli.com/, a writer and professor who was named one of 23 new MacArthur Fellows on Tuesday. "And I feel more liberated writing in English than in Chinese." Born in Beijing, Li came to the United States in 1996 to complete a doctoral program in immunology, but decided then to change her career path and instead do something that was more important to her. "I knew...that I could be a good scientist, but I loved writing more than science. So somehow I thought I would just pursue my dream." The author of "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers" and "The Vagrants," her latest work is a short story collection called "Gold Boy, Emerald Girl."   **I talked with Yiyun Li today by phone:**   **Editor's Note:** You can read more about this year's MacArthur Fellows "here":http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/09/macarthur-foundation-announces-next-class-of-genius-grant-winners.html. A full transcript will be posted shortly.