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Amy Tan has just finished tutoring a 9-year-old boy. They were reading a graphic novel, which Tan likes because whatever the subject, it encourages reading. Their lesson evolves into a discussion about the word “degenerative” and what it means. Once the boy leaves, Tan thinks she may get him “March,” the graphic novel created by the late Congressman John Lewis, co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell that illustrates lessons learned through the struggle for civil rights.
In one interaction, many sides of the award-winning author come to light. Educator. Advisor. Philosopher. Activist. Even MasterClass instructor. Anyone who knows Tan could tell you these things but even after numerous bestselling books (“The Valley of Amazement,” “The Kitchen God’s Wife,” “The Hundred Secret Senses”), a seminal film (“The Joy Luck Club” from her first celebrated novel) and even an opera (based on another book, “The Bonesetter’s Daughter”), Tan has led a relat
January 27, 2021
Author Amy Tan in a still from the documentary feature Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir. The film was made by James Redford, son of cinema legend Robert, who died from cancer before it was finished. KPJR Films
When James “Jamie” Redford, son of cinema legend Robert, wanted to make a film about Amy Tan, the Chinese-American author was not initially convinced.
“I was reluctant to do this, because I’m trying to move toward more privacy as I get older,” Tan, 68, tells the Post from her home in Sausalito, California. “But Jamie was somebody I knew through friends and he was so compassionate, very kind. He was charming and persistent and he got me to agree, promising that everything would be subject to my approval.