Baptism by Yang Jiang – An English Translation of Xizao

Playwright, essayist, translator and novelist, Yang Jiang is a legend of modern Chinese literature. With a career spanning more than six decades, Yang has been known for her portraits of Chinese manners in a subtle, sophisticated style. Baptism deals with the mixture of hope and fear that Chinese intellectuals suffered during the first political campaign of the New China. Using her patent style of irony and wit, Yang describes a time that baffled many men and women trying to find a place in a new social order. Even when political fervor and human cruelty is being observed, Yang Jiang never loses her sense of humor and compassion. Baptism is a Chinese masterpiece. -- David Der-wei Wang, Edward C. Henderson Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University