Mark Salzman

Mark Salzman was born December 3, 1959 in Greenwich, Connecticut. The son of an artist and a musician, he grew up in an artistically gifted household. Early on he developed an interest in martial arts, and as a teenager wanted to drop out of school to become a Buddhist monk. His parents discouraged this but did allow him to study martial arts and Chinese culture. Salzman was admitted to Yale University to study music as he was an accomplished cellist. However, he changed his major to Chinese Language and Literature. After graduation in 1982, he traveled to Changsha, China, to teach English at Hunan Medical College for two years. He wrote of his experiences in Iron and Silk and went on to act in a film version of the book. At one point, he also spent some time as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant.

He won several awards for Iron and Silk in 1987, including the Literary Lions Award of the New York Public Library, the Christopher Award and a nomination for the nonfiction Pulitzer Prize. His writings have been described as "spare" and "symmetrical," with themes "infinitely ponderable."

The following is a list of his works:

Iron and Silk (1986) 951.058 SAL
This memoir was born out of entertaining friends with stories of his experiences in China, where Salzman spent two years teaching English and studying martial arts and calligraphy. It is a series of short vignettes which give great insight into the Chinese culture.

The Laughing Sutra (1991) FIC SAL
A young man escapes from China during the Cultural Revolution on a quest to find an ancient Chinese scroll in America. He then must decide whether to stay loyal to his quest and return, or stay in America to create a better life for himself.

Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia (1995) 813.54 SAL
A second memoir, this one recounts his growing up in Connecticut during the 1960s and 1970s.

Lying Awake (2000) * FIC SAL
A Carmelite nun finds herself experiencing intense spiritual visions, which she treasures as a special grace from God. She then develops a health problem and must choose between the visions and a life-saving operation, which would likely interfere with the visions.

The Soloist (1994) FIC SAL or YA FIC SAL
A former musical prodigy feels his life is a major
disappointment. He finds himself a jurist in a murder case, and at the same time he begins teaching a young genius that plays the cello. His involvement with the murder trial and young man gradually helps him to find peace with life.

*Also available as a cassette recording

Prepared by the St. Charles Public Library, January 2003