Every year, Brandeis designates a book for the first-years to read over the summer prior to matriculation so that the students can engage themselves in a book forum during orientation. For the Class of 2014, the summer book was A Good Fall by Ha Jin, a Chinese-American writer who received a Ph.D. in English at Brandeis in 1993. He has received numerous awards, such as the National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction, the PEN/Hemingway Award and the Asian American Literary Award.

According to his online biography, Ha Jin is the author's pen name. He was born Jin Xuefei on Feb. 21, 1956 in the Liaoning province in northern China and joined the People's Liberation Army as a volunteer at the age of 14, during which he was stationed at the northeastern border between China and the former USSR. He taught himself middle school and high school courses during this period and left the army at age 19 to attend college, which was postponed due to the Cultural Revolution. Instead of continuing his education, Jin became a railway telegrapher and learned English.

When he was 21 years old, the colleges reopened and he was assigned to study his last choice for a major, English, at Heilongjiang University in Harbin. After receiving his bachelor's and masters in American Literature in universities in China, he went to the United States to study English at Brandeis University in 1985. After the 1989 Tianamen Square massacre, Jin decided to not return to China to teach or write and instead stayed in the the U.S. with the intention to write solely in English. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 1993, he currently teaches at Boston University and readily agreed to interview with the Justice.

Jin decided to study English in Brandeis because it was "the only school that gave [him] the scholarship when [he] applied," with a grateful tone to not only its excellent, stable English program, but also to its generosity in providing financial support. His first cultural encounters in America had also taken place at Brandeis, working on and outside the campus with jobs such as a custodian at Waltham Medical Center.

As he delved into the nostalgic memories of himself as a graduate student, he explained that his favorite aspect of the school was the small classes that emphasized a very close, strong working relationship with the professors and his peers, since such "small programs allowed an environment in which people can get to know each other closely and help each other very well."

A Good Fall, about which Jin is coming to talk to the first-year class for the book discussion, is a collection of short stories that are based on real events that took place in Flushing, N.Y. Jin has either been told or personally heard each of the immigrants' stories. Jin's imagination and dedication to provide intricate details in each of the beautifully portrayed stories evoke various emotions to which immigrant readers can relate, but also for which non-immigrants can experience.

Two of the important aspects of writing that Jin emphasizes in his teaching are clarity and storytelling, commenting, "Clarity means also to think clearly when you write." More importantly than the writing technicalities, Jin urges his students to tell stories rather than tales: "A tale is about a happening, an event, which is associated with the stating of mere facts. However, a story has the beginning, the climax, and the end, and very often has a message that relates to the reader at an emotional level, so that the reader can take something from it."

Convincingly enough, he has explored the challenges most immigrants endure, such as economic pressures, loneliness and despair when their plans become shattered into pieces or relationships with their loved ones are slipping through their fingers. Meanwhile, he also depicts the bliss of self-discovery, potentials and newfound hopes in ways the immigrants had not expected. While he had difficulty choosing his "favorite" story out of the 12, Jin recounted having enjoyed depicting the unbreakable bond between a composer and his girlfriend's parakeet in "A Composer and His Parakeets." The story describes the dynamics of the composer's musical career and a fading long-distance relationship with his girlfriend, during which the muted yet lovable parakeet intervenes. On the other hand, the last story of the book, "A Good Fall," concludes the book on a more hopeful note as a Chinese monk struggles to remain in the country in hopes to return home with enough financial support for his family while maintaining his identity and staying optimistic. While some readers may have difficulty understanding the subtle nuances of his short stories, many fully appreciate the messages that may be seemingly invisible yet apparent. A successful storyteller, Jin added, narrates the events neutrally yet exposes the reader to the emotional conflict that the main character faces.

After briefly explaining the cultural background that shaped his essence as a writer, he explained that there is no special message for the first-years to absorb from reading the book; however, he hopes that the message from each story has successfully impacted the reader in various ways that depends on the reader oneself. Lastly, for English as a Second-Language students in Brandeis, Jin offered two pieces of important advice that helped him succeed in his career: "Speak more, listen more and also try to mix more with native speakers. And don't be afraid of making mistakes, because confronting the inevitable makes you stronger in the end."

Ha Jin will discuss his book, A Good Fall, with the first-years tomorrow from 8 to 10 p.m. at the New Student Forum at the Spingold Theater Center.