David R. Knechtges
Encyclopedia
David R. Knechtges is an American
sinologist and professor in the University of Washington
's Department of East Asian Languages and Literature, and an expert on Chinese literature
of the Han Dynasty
and Six Dynasties period
.
Knechtges earned a BA
in Chinese from Washington in 1964, followed by an MA
from Harvard University
in 1965 and a PhD
in Chinese Language and Literature from Washington in 1968. He taught at Yale University
and Harvard for several years before joining Washington's East Asian faculty in 1972.
Knechtges has written or edited six books on ancient Chinese literature, and is best known for his ongoing translation of the Wen-xuan, a major collection of early Chinese literature, the work's first ever translation into English.
In 2006, Knechtges was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sinologist and professor in the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
's Department of East Asian Languages and Literature, and an expert on Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Six Dynasties period
Six Dynasties
Six Dynasties is a collective noun for six Chinese dynasties during the periods of the Three Kingdoms , Jin Dynasty , and Southern and Northern Dynasties ....
.
Knechtges earned a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Chinese from Washington in 1964, followed by an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1965 and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Chinese Language and Literature from Washington in 1968. He taught 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...
and Harvard for several years before joining Washington's East Asian faculty in 1972.
Knechtges has written or edited six books on ancient Chinese literature, and is best known for his ongoing translation of the Wen-xuan, a major collection of early Chinese literature, the work's first ever translation into English.
In 2006, Knechtges was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.
Selected Works
- The Han Rhapsody: A Study of the Fu of Yang Hsiung (53 BC - AD 18). Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1976.
- Wen-xuan or Selections of Refined Literature, vol. 1, "Rhapsodies on Metropolises and Capitals". Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982.
- The Han Shu Biography of Yang Xiong (53 BC - AD 18). Tempe, Arizona: Center for Asian Studies, Arizona State University, 1982.
- Wen xuan or Selections of Refined Literature, vol. 2, "Rhapsodies on Sacrifices, Hunts, Travel, Palaces and Halls, Rivers and Seas." Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987.
- Wen xuan, vol. 3. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996.
- Court Culture and Literature in Early China. Variorum Collected Studies Series. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, 2002.
- As editor and co-translator:
- (with Gong Kechang) Studies of the Han Fu. American Oriental Series 84. New Haven: American Oriental Society, 1997.
- As co-editor:
- (with Paul Kroll) Studies in Early Medieval Chinese Literature and Cultural History: In Honor of Richard B. Mather and Donald Holzman. Provo, Utah: T'ang Studies Society, 2003.
- (with Taiping Chang) Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature: A Reference Guide, Part One. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2010.
External links
- Audio of 2009 lecture, "How to View a Mountain in Medieval China."