By — Molly Finnegan Molly Finnegan Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/conversation-yiyun-li-fiction-writer-and-winner-of-the-2010-macarthur-fellowship Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Conversation: Yiyun Li, Fiction Writer and Winner of the 2010 MacArthur Fellowship Arts Sep 28, 2010 2:47 PM EDT “When you write in your second language, you bypass a lot of history with the language,” says Yiyun Li, 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. A full transcript will be posted shortly. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Molly Finnegan Molly Finnegan
“When you write in your second language, you bypass a lot of history with the language,” says Yiyun Li, 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. A full transcript will be posted shortly. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now