Lin Da

Lin Da is the joint pen name of Ding Hongfu and Li Xiaolin, a Chinese American couple. Both were born in Shanghai in 1952, were sent to work in rural Heilongjiang, entered university in 1978, and moved to the United States in 1991. Writing in epistolary form, the couple produced the "Close-up View of America" series on American constitutional government, the rule of law, and history, in plain and lucid prose that uses concrete examples to show how institutions work. Their other books include Taking a Book to Paris, Spanish Travel Notes, and Sweeping Up Fallen Leaves for Winter. Their subjects span politics, law, culture, world history, and essays. Twelve of their works are held here. Writing for Chinese readers, they are known for narrative and observation and have been influential in popularizing institutional knowledge and cross-cultural understanding.