347:(2010), is a record of Hessler's journeys driving a rented car from rural northern Chinese counties to the factory towns of southern China, and the significant economic and industrial growth taking place there. While his stories are about ordinary people's lives in China and not motivated by politics, they nevertheless touch upon political issues or the lives of people who encountered problems during the
430:
about how China handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Because
Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute declined to renew his teaching contract, after some of his students reported Hessler's class, he and his family moved back to Colorado at the end of the first semester of 2021.
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in recognition of his "keenly observed accounts of ordinary people responding to the complexities of life in such rapidly changing societies as Reform Era China."
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395:. In an interview upon being named a MacArthur Fellow in September 2011, he expressed his intention to spend much of the next year learning
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with an A.B. in
English after completing a senior thesis titled "Dead Man's Shoes and Other Stories." During his junior year, he studied in
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614:"Peter Hessler: Q&A; with winner of MacArthur Foundation genius grant and cool half million - Denver News - the Latest Word"
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As stated by
Hessler in "Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present", John Murray Publishers, London, 2006.
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Fuling was initially a part of
Sichuan Province, but was moved into the newly-established Chongqing Municipality in 1997.
803:
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663:"After the Flood: Cultural Heritage and Cultural Politics in Chongqing Municipality and the Three Gorges Areas, China"
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553:"MacArthur Fellows Program: Meet the 2011 Fellows Hessler, Peter Doctor of Letters, UMC conferred May 18, 2013"
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municipality. He later worked in China as freelance writer for publications such as the
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Since 2024, Hessler has coached track at a middle school in his hometown in
Colorado.
365:(2013), which, like his previous works, also covers China's ordinary people and life.
179:. He is the author of four books about China and has contributed numerous articles to
896:
503:
426:- Pittsburgh Institute. During his time in Chengdu, Hessler wrote several pieces for
369:
1031:"Time Out Hong Kong – Book Reviews and Interviews | Interview: Leslie T. Chang"
238:
in southeastern
Missouri. He wrote an extensive ethnography about the small town of
234:
The summer before graduating from
Princeton, Hessler worked as a researcher for the
676:
903:, returned and his family settled in Chengdu to teach at Sichuan University].
809:"Long-Form Journalist Peter Hessler: 2011 MacArthur Fellow | MacArthur Foundation"
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Future
Anterior: Journal of Historic Preservation, History, Theory, and Criticism
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329:(2006) features a series of parallel episodes featuring his former students, a
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on topics including the Peace Corps in Nepal and small towns in
Colorado.
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as a staff writer in 2000 and served as foreign correspondent until 2007.
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219:'s writing seminar. After graduating from Princeton, Hessler received a
1112:
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983:"China author Peter Hessler loses teaching post at Sichuan University"
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871:"Journalist Peter Hessler on Moving to Egypt After the Revolution"
496:"32 U.S. Rhodes Scholars Are Selected to Study in Oxford for 1992"
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in 1996 and was sent to China for two years to teach
English at
1116:
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1192:"Video: Peter Hessler discusses his book 'Country Driving'"
1107:
351:, one example being that of the story of the archaeologist
399:. He said he envisioned spending five or six years in the
1156:"Dr. Moira Gunn speaks with Peter Hessler on Tech Nation"
767:
Times: An interview with Peter Hessler - Hot Metal Bridge
191:, among other publications. In 2011, Hessler received a
958:"Unearthing the Story: An Interview with Peter Hessler"
411:, a book detailing his experiences of Egypt during the
1144:"'Oracle Bones' by Peter Hessler - Sunday Book Review"
333:
dissident who fled to the U.S., and the archaeologist
319:-winning book about his experiences in two years as a
409:
The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution
422:
in southwest China. He taught nonfiction writing at
1132:"Peter Hessler profiled on Rolf Pott's Vagabonding"
1075:"The Double Education off My Twins' Chinese School"
636:
634:
403:. While living there, he and his wife both learned
381:In October 2011, Hessler and his family moved to
1200:
1056:"MacArthur Foundation 'genius grant' recipients"
631:
608:
606:
418:In August 2019, Hessler and his family moved to
555:. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
344:Country Driving: A Journey from Farm to Factory
175:(born June 14, 1969) is an American writer and
826:
824:
650:2006 National Book Award Finalist, Nonfiction
603:
362:Strange Stones: Dispatches from East and West
326:Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China
855:"Talk Like an Egyptian", Letter from Cairo,
545:
442:Hessler is married to journalist and writer
372:, where he continued to publish articles in
223:to study English language and literature at
780:"Peter Hessler and Kay Ryan, 2011 Geniuses"
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529:"Peter Hessler on China's Past and Present"
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368:Hessler left China in 2007 and settled in
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309:Hessler has written four books on China.
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697:"The Peace Corps Breaks Ties with China"
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931:Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute
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323:volunteer teaching English in China.
1168:. Barnes & Noble. Archived from
722:River Town: two years on the Yangtze
576:"Dead Man's Shoes and Other Stories"
312:River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
211:in 1988. In 1992, he graduated from
1072:
694:
13:
1224:Alumni of the University of Oxford
1166:"Meet the Writers - Peter Hessler"
999:
899:[Peter Hessler, the author of
355:and his wife, poet and translator
147:National Book Award for Nonfiction
14:
1260:
1194:. Asia Society. February 9, 2010.
1101:
337:who committed suicide during the
66:English, Chinese, Egyptian Arabic
869:Foley, Dylan (August 28, 2019).
502:. Associated Press. 1991-12-09.
437:
245:Society for Applied Anthropology
1214:Writers from Columbia, Missouri
1180:. HarperCollins. Archived from
1158:. IT Conversations. 2006-08-08.
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736:"Travel Writer: Peter Hessler"
661:Demattè, Paola (Summer 2012).
654:
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527:Apostoaie, Ella (2024-07-28).
520:
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16:American writer and journalist
1:
1249:People from Ridgway, Colorado
1178:"Author Page - Peter Hessler"
897:"《寻路中国》作者何伟回来了，全家定居成都，任教四川大学"
749:Peter Hessler, The New Yorker
482:
242:, which was published in the
1002:"Peter Hessler's Last Class"
907:(in Chinese). 30 August 2019
7:
1234:Princeton University alumni
1000:He, Yujia (July 19, 2021).
956:Bures, Frank (2019-10-16).
832:"On the road less traveled"
264:, in a small city near the
10:
1265:
1219:Hickman High School alumni
460:Peter Hessler bibliography
457:
58:Writer, journalist, runner
681:10.5749/futuante.9.1.0049
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89:Mansfield College, Oxford
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28:
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1122:Peter Hessler's articles
987:South China Morning Post
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407:. In 2019, he published
359:. In 2013, he published
291:South China Morning Post
199:Early life and education
877:. No. Literary Hub
720:Hessler, Peter (2001).
574:Hessler, Peter (1992).
385:, where he covered the
262:Fuling Teachers College
591:Cite journal requires
173:Peter Benjamin Hessler
50:何伟 (Hé Wěi) (in China)
1229:The New Yorker people
769:Retrieved 2016.11-13.
207:, and graduated from
1062:on October 16, 2011.
788:. 20 September 2011.
229:University of Oxford
213:Princeton University
193:MacArthur Fellowship
138:MacArthur Fellowship
85:Princeton University
349:Cultural Revolution
339:Cultural Revolution
297:National Geographic
279:Wall Street Journal
256:Hessler joined the
209:Hickman High School
203:Hessler grew up in
188:National Geographic
1148:The New York Times
754:2014-07-03 at the
500:The New York Times
424:Sichuan University
341:. His third book,
236:Kellogg Foundation
221:Rhodes Scholarship
205:Columbia, Missouri
1244:MacArthur Fellows
1019:Sideline Sinology
724:. Harper Collins.
370:Ridgway, Colorado
300:. Hessler joined
225:Mansfield College
170:
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1140:Spence, Jonathan
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1108:Official website
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1073:Hessler, Peter.
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405:Egyptian Arabic
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117:Country Driving
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81:Alma mater
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1184:on 2007-09-29.
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1142:(2006-04-30).
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1126:The New Yorker
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1102:External links
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1080:The New Yorker
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989:. 31 May 2021.
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182:The New Yorker
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1182:the original
1170:the original
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1134:. July 2002.
1088:. Retrieved
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1035:the original
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875:Literary Hub
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840:. Retrieved
836:the original
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800:Ghostarchive
798:Archived at
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738:. July 2002.
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618:the original
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1239:1969 births
1113:Appearances
413:Arab Spring
401:Middle East
387:Middle East
357:Zhao Luorui
321:Peace Corps
258:Peace Corps
217:John McPhee
71:Nationality
1203:Categories
1085:Conde Nast
1041:2010-12-07
1006:Sixth Tone
967:23 October
857:New Yorker
842:2011-09-20
706:2020-06-26
624:2011-09-21
538:2024-07-30
513:2019-06-05
483:References
448:New Yorker
177:journalist
103:River Town
55:Occupation
35:1969-06-14
911:30 August
905:The Paper
881:30 August
508:0362-4331
450:article.
274:Chongqing
962:Longread
802:and the
752:Archived
272:, later
240:Sikeston
163:Children
75:American
63:Language
47:Pen name
1090:27 June
814:YouTube
420:Chengdu
270:Sichuan
1117:C-SPAN
506:
397:Arabic
331:Uighur
294:, and
288:, the
282:, the
252:Career
153:Spouse
465:Notes
383:Cairo
1092:2023
969:2019
943:2019
913:2019
883:2019
597:help
561:2011
504:ISSN
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29:Born
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