Mark Salzman
Encyclopedia
Mark Joseph Salzman is an American
writer
. Salzman is best known for his 1986 memoir Iron & Silk, which describes his experiences living in China
as an English teacher in the early 1980s.
Salzman grew up in Ridgefield, Conn., the oldest child of a piano teacher mother and a social worker father. He studied Chinese Language and Literature at Yale University
. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude in 1982 and spent the next two years in Changsha, Hunan
teaching English at Hunan Medical College (湖南医学院) and studying martial arts with Pan Qingfu
, a Chinese martial arts
teacher and kung fu movie actor. His experiences in China are recounted in his first book, Iron & Silk: A young American encounters swordsmen, bureaucrats and other citizens of contemporary China, published in 1986. Salzman received several literary awards for Iron & Silk. The book was made into a 1990 film of the same title. Salzman wrote the screenplay and starred as himself in the film. Though the real venue of the story was in Changsha, the film was shot in Hangzhou
, Zhejiang
.
Salzman's other publications include several works of fiction, a memoir dealing with growing up in suburbia
, more specifically Ridgefield, Connecticut
, and a report on his work as a creative writing instructor for juvenile delinquents.
Salzman plays the cello
. In high school, he played the cello for the Norwalk Youth Symphony
.
In the mid-1990s, Salzman appeared in magazine advertisements for Dewar's
Scotch Whisky
.
In 2007, Mark Salzman, along with three other men, was featured in the documentary Protagonist
, directed by his wife, Jessica Yu
.
Salzman was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship
in 2000. He, his wife Jessica Yu
, an Academy Award
-winning filmmaker, and their daughters Ava and Esme live in Los Angeles
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. Salzman is best known for his 1986 memoir Iron & Silk, which describes his experiences living in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
as an English teacher in the early 1980s.
Salzman grew up in Ridgefield, Conn., the oldest child of a piano teacher mother and a social worker father. He studied Chinese Language and Literature at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude in 1982 and spent the next two years in Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
teaching English at Hunan Medical College (湖南医学院) and studying martial arts with Pan Qingfu
Pan Qingfu
Pan Qingfu , also known as Grandmaster Pan, is a Chinese martial artist. Currently living in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Grandmaster Pan's awards include a Hall of Fame award from the United International Kung Fu Federation, a Hall of Fame Award from the World Christian Martial Arts Federation, the...
, a Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
teacher and kung fu movie actor. His experiences in China are recounted in his first book, Iron & Silk: A young American encounters swordsmen, bureaucrats and other citizens of contemporary China, published in 1986. Salzman received several literary awards for Iron & Silk. The book was made into a 1990 film of the same title. Salzman wrote the screenplay and starred as himself in the film. Though the real venue of the story was in Changsha, the film was shot in Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
.
Salzman's other publications include several works of fiction, a memoir dealing with growing up in suburbia
SubUrbia
subUrbia is a play by Eric Bogosian chronicling the nighttime activities of a group of aimless 20-somethings still living in their suburban Boston hometown and their reunion with a former high school classmate who has become a successful musician...
, more specifically Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
, and a report on his work as a creative writing instructor for juvenile delinquents.
Salzman plays the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. In high school, he played the cello for the Norwalk Youth Symphony
Norwalk Youth Symphony
The Norwalk Youth Symphony is a youth symphony for students in middle school and high school in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is known as being one of the most prestigious youth symphonies in the United States; The symphony attracts students from all over Connecticut and in some parts of New York...
.
In the mid-1990s, Salzman appeared in magazine advertisements for Dewar's
Dewar's
Dewar's is a brand of blended Scotch whisky.-History:The Dewar's whisky brand was created by John Dewar, Sr. in 1846. Under the control of his two sons, John A. Dewar Jr. and Thomas "Tommy" Dewar , the brand expanded to become a global market by 1896...
Scotch Whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
.
In 2007, Mark Salzman, along with three other men, was featured in the documentary Protagonist
Protagonist (film)
Protagonist is a 2007 documentary film about the parallels between human life and Euripidean dramatic structure. The film was written and directed by Jessica Yu. It featured extensive interviews with German terrorist Hans-Joachim Klein, ex-gay Christian evangelist Mark Pierpont, Mexican bank robber...
, directed by his wife, Jessica Yu
Jessica Yu
Jessica Lingman Yu is an American film director, writer, producer, and editor. She has worked on documentaries, dramatic films, and television shows. Yu won an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject for Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien .-Early life:Yu graduated from Gunn...
.
Salzman was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 2000. He, his wife Jessica Yu
Jessica Yu
Jessica Lingman Yu is an American film director, writer, producer, and editor. She has worked on documentaries, dramatic films, and television shows. Yu won an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject for Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien .-Early life:Yu graduated from Gunn...
, an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning filmmaker, and their daughters Ava and Esme live in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Works by Salzman
- Iron & SilkIron & SilkIron and Silk is a 1986 autobiographical novel written by Mark Salzman. It was later made into a film of the same name. -Plot summary:...
(1986), ISBN 0-394-55156-7 - The Laughing Sutra (1991)
- The Soloist (1994), nominated for a Pulitzer prizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
- Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia (1995)
- Lying Awake (2000)
- True Notebooks (2003), a book about his experience as a writing teacher in Central Juvenile Hall, as well as the inmates and their writing