Poet, novelist, memoirist, short story author. Professor Emerita at University of California Santa Barbara, research fields include Postcolonial, Ethnic American literary studies, Pedagogy, Creative Writing, Feminist Studies. Address: Santa Barbara, California, United States
Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a di... more Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a disparate region of simultaneous “intermixture between the earlier inhabitants and later comers” coupled with the persistence and maintenance of local differences, resulting in “a chaos of races and languages” rather than a tableau of unified beliefs, languages, and customs (p. 5). Similar observations apply to the societies comprising South and East Asia. It might be argued that “Asia” in its heterogeneity of peoples, languages, religions, and local identities emerged as a tentative continental concept only in the early twentieth century, during the last stages of colonialism, even as approaching independence and post‐independence eras augured competition among multiple new nation‐states such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. In that sense, Asia is thus not a clearly demarcated location but a contested idea that invokes multiple geographies and histories of conquest, struggle, and self‐determination. Postcolonial Anglophone Asian literature might be understood as the multifarious writing emerging from these tumultuous pasts and presents, and it may be impossible to formulate a set of unifying theories that can systematically analyze or comprehensively address such a wide range of Anglophone Asian texts, their diverse authorial and readership positions, and their commingled literary histories and canons. Yet we might diachronically trace several key geopolitical, historical, and intellectual developments that weave rather than fuse these diverse strands into discernible threads.
Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a di... more Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a disparate region of simultaneous “intermixture between the earlier inhabitants and later comers” coupled with the persistence and maintenance of local differences, resulting in “a chaos of races and languages” rather than a tableau of unified beliefs, languages, and customs (p. 5). Similar observations apply to the societies comprising South and East Asia. It might be argued that “Asia” in its heterogeneity of peoples, languages, religions, and local identities emerged as a tentative continental concept only in the early twentieth century, during the last stages of colonialism, even as approaching independence and post‐independence eras augured competition among multiple new nation‐states such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. In that sense, Asia is thus not a clearly demarcated location but a contested idea that invokes multiple geographies and histories of conquest, struggle, and self‐determination. Postcolonial Anglophone Asian literature might be understood as the multifarious writing emerging from these tumultuous pasts and presents, and it may be impossible to formulate a set of unifying theories that can systematically analyze or comprehensively address such a wide range of Anglophone Asian texts, their diverse authorial and readership positions, and their commingled literary histories and canons. Yet we might diachronically trace several key geopolitical, historical, and intellectual developments that weave rather than fuse these diverse strands into discernible threads.
The short stories of Shirley Geok-lin Lim—born in Malacca, Malaysia and now Professor of English ... more The short stories of Shirley Geok-lin Lim—born in Malacca, Malaysia and now Professor of English and Women’s Studies at the University of California—reflect the complex mosaic of her world. From the rich Peranakan tradition of her childhood to the harsh perplexity of American life in adulthood, her writing bristles with violence, dislocation and psychic dismemberment. This collection brings you Lim’s most memorable stories, along with her most recent work—written over four decades—from the tumultuous 1960s all through to our present day. “Lim has too much raw energy and even brutal power to be confined by her craft.” - The Straits Times (Singapore)
When asked what she considered the main obstacle facing Asian-American writers today, Maxine Hong... more When asked what she considered the main obstacle facing Asian-American writers today, Maxine Hong Kingston said, "Seeing through false images so that you can write about what is really there. White people and Asians can overwhelm you telling who you are - stereotypes and ...
Pedagogy: Critical Approaches To Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture, 2003
Page 1. The Strangeness of Creative Writing: An Institutional Query Shirley Geok-lin Lim When I a... more Page 1. The Strangeness of Creative Writing: An Institutional Query Shirley Geok-lin Lim When I arrived at Brandeis University in 1969, the first graduate course I reg-istered for was a creative writing seminar taught by JV Cunningham ...
Co-authored with Shirley Geok-lin Lim. Published in “Mixed Race, Hybrid, Transnational: Writing L... more Co-authored with Shirley Geok-lin Lim. Published in “Mixed Race, Hybrid, Transnational: Writing Lives in National and Global Frames,” special issue of Life Writing 4.1 (2007): 3–9.
Page 1. Finding a Native Voice - Singapore Literature in English Shirley Geok-Lin Lim State Unive... more Page 1. Finding a Native Voice - Singapore Literature in English Shirley Geok-Lin Lim State University of New York, Westchester, USA According to many Singaporean critics, young Singaporeans today form the fifth generation of English-language writers. ...
... the popula-tion count more flexibly to include states with populations a litde more above the... more ... the popula-tion count more flexibly to include states with populations a litde more above the 100,000 mark. ... 10 ELAINE YEE LIN HO AND SHIRLEY GEOK-LIN LIM ... issue, taking its cues from cultural theorists of state formations such as Louis Althusser, Benedict Anderson, Stuart ...
Ariel a Review of International English Literature, Oct 1, 1999
... Justice of a sort, I suppose, generation after generation disappearing at each end. A strange... more ... Justice of a sort, I suppose, generation after generation disappearing at each end. A stranger posed tall, rough as that trunk on which the child rests his cheek, is vanishing. Coming behind, all motherhood stops, all Eve is fallen. SHIRLEY GEOK-LIN LIM
Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a di... more Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a disparate region of simultaneous “intermixture between the earlier inhabitants and later comers” coupled with the persistence and maintenance of local differences, resulting in “a chaos of races and languages” rather than a tableau of unified beliefs, languages, and customs (p. 5). Similar observations apply to the societies comprising South and East Asia. It might be argued that “Asia” in its heterogeneity of peoples, languages, religions, and local identities emerged as a tentative continental concept only in the early twentieth century, during the last stages of colonialism, even as approaching independence and post‐independence eras augured competition among multiple new nation‐states such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. In that sense, Asia is thus not a clearly demarcated location but a contested idea that invokes multiple geographies and histories of conquest, struggle, and self‐determination. Postcolonial Anglophone Asian literature might be understood as the multifarious writing emerging from these tumultuous pasts and presents, and it may be impossible to formulate a set of unifying theories that can systematically analyze or comprehensively address such a wide range of Anglophone Asian texts, their diverse authorial and readership positions, and their commingled literary histories and canons. Yet we might diachronically trace several key geopolitical, historical, and intellectual developments that weave rather than fuse these diverse strands into discernible threads.
Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a di... more Writing in 1955, the historian D. G. E. Hall noted that the term “South East Asia” signified a disparate region of simultaneous “intermixture between the earlier inhabitants and later comers” coupled with the persistence and maintenance of local differences, resulting in “a chaos of races and languages” rather than a tableau of unified beliefs, languages, and customs (p. 5). Similar observations apply to the societies comprising South and East Asia. It might be argued that “Asia” in its heterogeneity of peoples, languages, religions, and local identities emerged as a tentative continental concept only in the early twentieth century, during the last stages of colonialism, even as approaching independence and post‐independence eras augured competition among multiple new nation‐states such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore. In that sense, Asia is thus not a clearly demarcated location but a contested idea that invokes multiple geographies and histories of conquest, struggle, and self‐determination. Postcolonial Anglophone Asian literature might be understood as the multifarious writing emerging from these tumultuous pasts and presents, and it may be impossible to formulate a set of unifying theories that can systematically analyze or comprehensively address such a wide range of Anglophone Asian texts, their diverse authorial and readership positions, and their commingled literary histories and canons. Yet we might diachronically trace several key geopolitical, historical, and intellectual developments that weave rather than fuse these diverse strands into discernible threads.
The short stories of Shirley Geok-lin Lim—born in Malacca, Malaysia and now Professor of English ... more The short stories of Shirley Geok-lin Lim—born in Malacca, Malaysia and now Professor of English and Women’s Studies at the University of California—reflect the complex mosaic of her world. From the rich Peranakan tradition of her childhood to the harsh perplexity of American life in adulthood, her writing bristles with violence, dislocation and psychic dismemberment. This collection brings you Lim’s most memorable stories, along with her most recent work—written over four decades—from the tumultuous 1960s all through to our present day. “Lim has too much raw energy and even brutal power to be confined by her craft.” - The Straits Times (Singapore)
When asked what she considered the main obstacle facing Asian-American writers today, Maxine Hong... more When asked what she considered the main obstacle facing Asian-American writers today, Maxine Hong Kingston said, "Seeing through false images so that you can write about what is really there. White people and Asians can overwhelm you telling who you are - stereotypes and ...
Pedagogy: Critical Approaches To Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture, 2003
Page 1. The Strangeness of Creative Writing: An Institutional Query Shirley Geok-lin Lim When I a... more Page 1. The Strangeness of Creative Writing: An Institutional Query Shirley Geok-lin Lim When I arrived at Brandeis University in 1969, the first graduate course I reg-istered for was a creative writing seminar taught by JV Cunningham ...
Co-authored with Shirley Geok-lin Lim. Published in “Mixed Race, Hybrid, Transnational: Writing L... more Co-authored with Shirley Geok-lin Lim. Published in “Mixed Race, Hybrid, Transnational: Writing Lives in National and Global Frames,” special issue of Life Writing 4.1 (2007): 3–9.
Page 1. Finding a Native Voice - Singapore Literature in English Shirley Geok-Lin Lim State Unive... more Page 1. Finding a Native Voice - Singapore Literature in English Shirley Geok-Lin Lim State University of New York, Westchester, USA According to many Singaporean critics, young Singaporeans today form the fifth generation of English-language writers. ...
... the popula-tion count more flexibly to include states with populations a litde more above the... more ... the popula-tion count more flexibly to include states with populations a litde more above the 100,000 mark. ... 10 ELAINE YEE LIN HO AND SHIRLEY GEOK-LIN LIM ... issue, taking its cues from cultural theorists of state formations such as Louis Althusser, Benedict Anderson, Stuart ...
Ariel a Review of International English Literature, Oct 1, 1999
... Justice of a sort, I suppose, generation after generation disappearing at each end. A strange... more ... Justice of a sort, I suppose, generation after generation disappearing at each end. A stranger posed tall, rough as that trunk on which the child rests his cheek, is vanishing. Coming behind, all motherhood stops, all Eve is fallen. SHIRLEY GEOK-LIN LIM
Uploads
Papers by Shirley Lim