Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little bit and tell us why you decided to write this book? What kinds of questions did you want to ask? How did the project develop?

Sure.

I am a professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University.

My work covers a wide historical span, mainly the medieval period.

And medieval China kind of started sort of earlier than what we really know as the European medieval period.

But I also teach and write about late imperial period, or some people would call early modern period, and also modern contemporary literature and culture.

So this book, well, this book can be traced back to when I was a graduate student, actually.

Who is that meant to be? How are they meant to act? What do they look like?

Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little bit and tell us why you decided to write this book? What kinds of questions did you want to ask? How did the project develop?

Sure.

I am a professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University.

My work covers a wide historical span, mainly the medieval period.

And medieval China kind of started sort of earlier than what we really know as the European medieval period.

But I also teach and write about late imperial period, or some people would call early modern period, and also modern contemporary literature and culture.

So this book, well, this book can be traced back to when I was a graduate student, actually.

Who is that meant to be? How are they meant to act? What do they look like?

Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little bit and tell us why you decided to write this book? What kinds of questions did you want to ask? How did the project develop?

Sure.

I am a professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University.

My work covers a wide historical span, mainly the medieval period.

And medieval China kind of started sort of earlier than what we really know as the European medieval period.

But I also teach and write about late imperial period, or some people would call early modern period, and also modern and contemporary literature and culture.

So this book, well, this book can be traced back to when I was a graduate student, actually.

Who is that meant to be? How are they meant to act? What do they look

Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little bit and tell us why you decided to write this book? What kinds of questions did you want to ask? How did the project develop?

Sure.

I am a professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University.

My work covers a wide historical span, mainly the medieval period.

And medieval China kind of started sort of earlier than what we really know as the European medieval period.

But I also teach and write about late imperial period, or some people would call early modern period, and also modern and contemporary literature and culture.

So this book, well, this book can be traced back to when I was a graduate student, actually.

Who is that meant to be? How are they meant to act? What do they look like?

Could you start us off by introducing yourself a little bit and tell us why you decided to write this book? What kinds of questions did you want to ask? How did the project develop?

Sure.

I am a professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University.

My work covers a wide historical span, mainly the medieval period and medieval China kind of started sort of earlier than what we really know as the European medieval period.

But I also teach and write about late imperial period, or some people would call early modern period, and also modern contemporary literature and culture.

So this book, well, this book can be traced back to when I was a graduate student, actually.

That is, you know, that was when my interest in the period covered by this book began to develop.

Who is that meant to be? How are they meant to act? What do they look like?