Welcome to another Tuesday with TED. Today we have author Amy Tan. Tan is the author of such beloved books as The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, and The Hundred Secret Senses.
Born in the United States to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan rejected her mother’s expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist. She chose to write fiction instead. Her much-loved, best-selling novels have been translated into 35 languages. In 2008, she wrote a libretto for The Bonesetter’s Daughter, which premiered that September with the San Francisco Opera.
Tan was the creative consultant for Sagwa, the Emmy-nominated PBS series for children, and she has appeared as herself on The Simpsons. She’s the lead rhythm dominatrix, backup singer, and second tambourine with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a literary garage band that has raised more than a million dollars for literacy programs.
In this TED Talk, Tan digs deep into the creative process, looking for hints of how hers evolved. It’s surprisingly funny as well as interesting. Enjoy!
Did this talk change how you looked at story, fate, and creativity? Leave a comment below.
Until next time,
Cynthia Patton
