Understanding David Henry Hwang /

This brief but thorough and well-written study of Asian American playwright David Henry Hwang is a most welcome contribution to the "Understanding Contemporary American Literature" series, especially because of Boles's incisive, illuminating analysis. Hwang is something of a singular figure as the most honored Asian American dramatist working in American theater--and he is particularly well-known since his M. Butterfly won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. In exploring Asian American life, the truths and stereotypes one faces with membership in two cultures simultaneously, Hwang has produced a unique body of work and opened the door for other Asian American authors to tell their stories. Boles (Rollins College) emphasizes a few key works from the prolific Hwang's output, which includes not only original plays, but adaptations, television scripts, and screenplays, and a long list of as yet unpublished works. Providing ample insights into a dramatist whose subversion and celebration of racial stereotypes offer a singular vision of the melting pot that is the US, this study will stand for some time as the go-to volume for appreciating Hwang and his contribution to understanding racial identity. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. J. Fisher University of North Carolina at Greensboro