Review Essay

The Race to Type in Chinese

The Chinese typewriter was thought to be an impossible invention. Then they made one. In the computer age, creating a digital input system for Chinese characters proved even more challenging — and changed the way we use language.

The Nanny’s Tale

A migrant worker leaves her own child behind to survive, becoming a nanny in Beijing. When she hears of a literary community for migrants, she finds her own voice for the first time.

From the Archive

The Thief Who Became a Celebrity

When Zhou Liqi went viral for stealing scooters to protest lack of opportunity, he sparked a debate between the popular movement of “lying flat” and the state’s desire for “positive energy.” The state won.

Found in Translation

An award-winning novel set in Japanese-occupied Taiwan explores the relationship between colonizer and subaltern, translator and translated — and how some distances can’t be closed.