美国当代作家
《时代》周刊上月出炉的世界一百名最有影响的人物名单中，有三名当代美国作家入选，他们是KhaledHosseini，ElizabethGilbert和StephenieMeyer。
KhaledHosseini出生在阿富汗，其父是一名阿富汗外交官。在苏军占领阿富汗期间，Hosseini和他的父亲逃离了他们的祖国，辗转移民到美国，他的成名作，TheKiteRunner，就是根据他早年的经历写成的自传体小说。KhaledHosseini是一位生活在旧金山的医生，从事业余写作，迄今为止共出版了两本书（TheKiteRunner和AThousandSplendidSuns)，都是NewYorkTimes上的畅销书。尤其是TheKiteRunner一书，被好莱坞拍成了电影，并译成许多文字，影响了世界各地成千上万的人。正像美国总统夫人LauraBush在下面的介绍中所说的，“很少有人写第一本小说就获得成功。更没有几个人能够用自己的写作改变世界。而43岁的KhaledHosseini这两点都做到了。”
KhaledHosseini
ByLauraBush
Notmanypeoplewritesuccessfulfirstnovels.Stillfewerareabletochangetheworldwiththeirwriting.KhaledHosseini,43,hasdoneboth.His2003novel,TheKiteRunner,introducedreadersaroundtheworldtothepeopleofAfghanistan.Fouryearslater,hepublishedAThousandSplendidSuns—andhelpedhisaudienceseethefacesofthewomenundertheburqas.
Hosseini'sstoriesaresetagainstthebackdropofAfghanistan'stumultuoushistory.Hiscomplexportrayalofhumannature,however,transcendsgeographicboundaries.Inmorethan40languages,readerseverywherecanrecognizethebestandworstinhumanityinhischaracters—ofteninthesameperson.
InAmerica,Hosseini'swritinghasinvitedmanytolookbeyondthepost-9/11stereotypesabouthisbirthcountry.WehavegrowntoseeAfghanistanasalandofmenandwomen,eachwiththeirownhopesandlongingsforlove.
TheU.S.officeoftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugeesrecognizedTheKiteRunner'simpactbynamingHosseinithe2006HumanitarianoftheYear.Sincethen,hisworkasagoodwillenvoyhastakenhimtothehomesofreturningAfghanrefugeesandtocampsineasternChad.
Hosseinihassaidhisnovelsintertwinethe"intimateandpersonal"withthe"broadandhistorical."AsPresidentBushandIhaveencounteredhimthroughhiswritingandhiswork,we'vediscoveredthathislifedoesmuchthesame.
Bush,anactivistonbehalfofAfghanwomen,isFirstLadyoftheU.S.
ElizabethGilbert曾经是颇有名气的杂志专栏作家，她的Pilgrims一书曾获PEN/HemingwayAward。但真正让她大红大紫的是2006年出版的Eat，Pray，Love。在这本书中，Gilbert叙述了她去意大利，印度和印度尼西亚的游历，通过游记的形式描述了她心路历程的嬗变和升华，对生命的价值和生活的意义做了深刻的探索。Gilbert选择这三个都是依英文字母“I”开头的国家，代表了她情感心智厉练的不同阶段和方面：去意大利是为了享受那里的语言，美食和醇酒，满足感官上的愉悦，更多的是形而下的追求；在印度，通过练习瑜珈和体验禁欲生活，作形而上的反省，是为了灵魂的洗礼；而在印尼的巴厘岛，也是她文化苦旅的最后一站，她终于找到了自己的真爱和友谊，找到了沟通形而上和形而下的和谐所在，达到了身与心的平衡。该书是NewYorkTimes的最佳畅销书，获NewYorkTimesNotableBook称号，并被译成20多种语言。据说好莱坞已经将Eat，Pray，Love一书的版权买下，准备拍成电影，由JulieRoberts主演。但是，对于一本侧重描述心灵成长的故事，如何把它通过电影的蒙太奇语言在银幕上表达出来，应该是一个不小的挑战。
ElizabethGilbert
ByJohnHodgman
IfyouarethepersoninAmericawhohasnotyetreadEatPrayLove,byElizabethGilbert,thisisabeautifulbookaboutLiz'sjourneyaroundtheworldafterherdivorce.Ithastouchedcountlesslives,includingOprahWinfrey's,andIwasgladofthis,becauseIamLiz'sfriend.ButwhenIsawheronOprah,Iwasalsoangry:"Whataboutherbeautifulshortstories?"IyelledattheTV."Talkaboutthose,Liz!"Butshedidn't.Lizjustsmiledradiantlyandkeptonchanginglives.
Becausewearefriends,Igettocallher"Liz"Gilbert.Infact,Isometimesdon'tevensay"Gilbert."Just"Gilb."WemetwhenweappearedinTheParisReview's"NewWriters"issuein1996.Butshewasn'tnew.Asawriter,shewasalreadyaccomplished,funnyandwisebeyondheryears.Asaperson,doublyso.
Whenmymotherwasdying,IaskedLizifshebelievedinanafterlife.OfeveryoneIknew,IfiguredLiz,38,wasprobablytheonlyonewhohadreallythoughtitthrough.Theanswersheofferedisstillagreatcomforttome,thoughIwon'trevealithere.It'sprivate;plus,Idon'twanttoruinsalesofmynextbook,LizGilbert'sAnswerRegardingtheAfterlife.IknowamoneymakerwhenIhearone.
SoIreallywasnotsurprisedwhenIheardshewouldbeonOprah.It'sabouttime,Ithought.ButwhenIsawherthere,Iwasangryandjealous.IsuddenlyunderstoodhowmanypeoplenowknewmyfriendLiz,andhowthoseofuswholoveherwouldnowhavetoshareher.Icanacceptthatnow.Thatisgood.Butitwon'tstopmefromtellingyouthatmyfriendLizwrotethebestshortstoryIhaveeverread.It'sinIssue141ofTheParisReview,anditwillmakeyougasp.
Hodgman'sactualnextbookisMoreInformationThanYouRequire
StephenieMeyer可算是在HarryPotter的作者J.K.Rowling之后的另一位（坐家）女奇人。她是住在Phoenix的一位家庭主妇，丈夫工作，她在家里照顾三个孩子，此前从未从事过写作。据StephenieMeyer讲，有一天她做了一个梦，梦见一个女孩和一个俊美的吸血鬼在树林里幽会。第二天，她把这个梦悄悄的记了下来，从此一发而不可收拾，只用了不到半年的时间就完成了小说，Twilight。之后又出版了NewMoon和Eclipse。Twilight系列荣膺NewYorkTimes，PublisherWeekly和Amazon最佳畅销书称号，并在世界各地30多个国家和地区发行，成为HarryPotter之后青少年读者的阅读新宠。好莱坞根据该书拍摄的电影，也将于今年年底发行。除了吸血鬼题材的诡异，再加上浪漫，悬疑等畅销书要素外，Twilight系列最大特点是浪漫而不诉诸感官欲望，这在情欲横流甚至有人张扬“用下半身写作”的今天，实在是一件让健康的心智感到欣慰的事情。另外，通过写吸血鬼和人之间的爱情恩怨来宣示浪漫情感的真谛，也算是浪漫小说的一种极致了。
StephenieMeyer
ByOrsonScottCard
NobodywaslookingforTwilight.AMormonhousewifewritesayoung-adultnovelaboutaloveaffairbetweenateenagegirlandavampire?
IsthisAnneRicelite?Notintheeyesoftheteenagers—andtheirmothers—whohaveembracedthebook.
ButStephenieMeyer'sTwilightdoesraisesomequestions,andI'veaskedthem."Youreallywantyourteenagedaughtertoliveinsidethestoryofagirlwholiestoherparents,invitesaboytosleepinherbedandtrustshimnottotakeadvantageofher?"
ThesewomenlookatmeasifI'minsane."Butshecantrusthim.Hereallylovesher.He's...perfect."
Inanerawhenmuchoftheromancegenrehasbeengivenovertosoftporn,anddarkfantasyispeopledwithone-dimensionalcharactersbentongrimviolence,manyreadershavebecomehungryforpureromanticfantasy—lotsofsexualtension,butasdecorousasJaneAusten.
Meyer,34,didnotcalculatedlyreachforthataudience.Instead,shewrotethestoryshebelievedinandcaredabout.Shewriteswithluminousclarity,neverstandingbetweenthereaderandthedreamtheyshare.She'stherealthing.Still,who'dhavethoughtit?TodayMr.Darcyisavampire.
