An American writes: Amy Tan

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Amy Tan, 57, was born in Oakland to the daughter of Chinese immigrants. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Jose State. Although she is the author of five novels, she is best known for her first -- the bestseller ‘The Joy Luck Club.’ In 2005, she talked to the Guardian about the legacy of that first book.

I accept that probably for the rest of my life I will be identified with The Joy Luck Club -- I will always be introduced as the author of the Joy Luck Club. On my tombstone -- if I wanted a tombstone, which I don’t -- it would say Author of The Joy Luck Club. That’s fine. I hope that I continue to write my best book with each book that I write. I am very lucky that that happened to me.

In addition to continuing to write novels, Tan has performed in the literary group the Rock Bottom Remainders and appeared as a character on ‘The Simpsons.’

-- Carolyn Kellogg