Da Chen shares his life with Kennesaw State

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(U-WIRE) KENNESAW, Ga. -- New York Times bestselling author Da Chen spoke to a group of several hundred students and other guests Nov. 7, bringing his written stories to life.

Chen's second memoir, "Sounds of the River," was selected as Kennesaw State University's common reader for 2006-07, and is required reading for all First Year Experience classes. It is because of this connection with the school's curriculum that Chen stopped by to speak, personifying the voice of the young man that many have come to know from his stories of college life in China.

Chen spoke of his wife and children, his early days going to school in America and his first "real" job making copies in an office on Wall Street. He came to the United States after completing a degree at the Beijing Language Institute, where he won a scholarship and an elusive visa approval from his home nation. He later received a full scholarship to Colombia University Law School where he met his wife, an American-born Chinese woman. They have two young children, a daughter and a son.

Chen also spoke of his childhood, which was not as familiar to the audience because it is narrated in his first memoir, "Colors of the Mountain." His poignant tales of life in southern Yellow Stone and becoming a man as he dealt with the harsh realities in his homeland held the room in silence.

He also told of his early writing career, beginning with the day his young daughter remarked that he "talked funny." In an effort to collect his past so that she could, in turn, know her own heritage, Chen recorded his childhood and then tucked it away for when she was older. Several years later, at least half a dozen publishers wanted rights to the story. The president and editor-in-chief of Random House met Chen with tears in her eyes, and requested to personally edit his memoir. The rest is history.

Midway through the evening, Chen pulled out his bamboo flute and transported the group to the hills of China. While listening to the whistling melody of the distinct Asian instrument, merely closing one's eyes brought visions of Chen's China, childhood, college days and the hardships he overcame to stand in America and play a song. He dedicated his performance to his father, the man who had taught him much, including how to play China's native flute.

Ending the address, Chen read an excerpt from his new novel, "Brothers," his first work of adult fiction. The author reading his own words left a grand sense of splendor on the night. A reception featuring traditional Chinese food was held immediately afterward, sponsored by the Chinese Student Association, while Chen expertly drew calligraphy and signed autographs in his books.