Awriterstruckwithwriter’sblockseekstheassistanceofthewilddrunkengod—JiGong.Withhishelp,livesarerevealedandsecretsspilloutfrombehindthe“face”everyoneissoeagertopreserve.ThiscollectionofshortstoriescoversaperiodfromwhentheUnitedStatesceasedtodiplomaticallyrecognizetheRepublicofChinaonTaiwanin1979totheendofmartiallawin1987.Freedomisbothdesiredandfeared,andTaiwanmustcreateanewnationalidentity.Familiestrytoadjusttoshiftsofpowerastraditionalrolesareshed,yetlinger,andnewonesaretentativelybroachedorbravelyadopted.Individualsstrugglebetweenprivatedreamsandcollectiveaspirations.Amongthem,amodel-turned-photographersupportsherfather’sformermasterfromChina;anAmericansinologistlearnseverythingaboutChinesecultureexcepthowtokeephisTaiwanesewife;aTaiwanesebusinessmanstruggleswiththementalillnessofhiseldestson.Interweavingtheirstories,thewriteroverhearsamadneighborshoutinghertormenttothestarsinindecipherablefragments.JiGongoffersnosolaceotherthantolifthisliquor-filledhulugourdandlaugh.
STORIES TAIWAN TRANSITION FACE
