American Shaolin
Polly's Memoir of an American's Martial Arts Journey Through China.
American Shaolin explores one American Ivy-Leaguer's journey of self-discovery and martial arts in this memoir, part travelogue, part comedy.
Matthew Polly writes this humorous memoir, American Shaolin, about his journey to China to transform himself from a small, weak American, to a mean, lean Chinese martial arts machine. He leads the readers through his journey, introducing them to many of the quirky characters he meets along the way. Though this book could be referred to as a “travelogue” of sorts, the personal journey on which the reader follows Polly makes this book stick out much more as a memoir.
Plot and Characters in American Shaolin
Matthew Polly is not only tired of Princeton University and the Ivy League lifestyle that inevitably follows, but he is tired of being a 98-pound wimp without and true motivation. So, Polly decides to embark on a journey to China to the Shanolin Temple to learn the ways of ancient Chinese martial arts. In the end, he does end up learning the martial arts, but the lessons learned through observation of this very different culture, and himself, a 6’3” westerner who does not fit in terribly well, brings this memoir full circle.
Throughout Polly’s journey, he meets many entertaining characters; most notably, however, are the Finnish messiah and his girlfriend, who create paradoxes about this new culture that you’ll have to read to believe. Throughout his travels, he also learns the ins and outs of Chinese dating, the backwards practicings of a local medical practitioner, and strange drinking games unlike anything he’s ever encountered.
Awards
Though just published in February of 2007, American Shaolin has already received high critical acclaim.
2008 Alex Award
Polly and his memoir have won the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Alex Award for 2008. The Alex Award is given each year in honor of Margaret Alexander “Alex” Edwards, a librarian from Baltimore who specialized and dedicated her life to young adult services within libraries. The award specifically goes to books published for adults, which also have a direct appeal to young adults.
2008 Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults
American Shaolin has also won a coveted spot on the ALA’s Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults. In order to be chosen for this award, a book must be one of the ten most outstanding pieces of fiction or nonfiction for young adults published in the last calendar year.
About the Author
Matthew Polly grew up a farm boy in Kansas, loving the simple life, but longing to go somewhere bigger. This led him to Princeton University where he studied as a Rhodes scholar. He has been a travel writer for Slate for the past several years. He has also published works in Playboy, The Nation, and Esquire. He currently lives in New York City.
American Shaolin is a great discovery on the shelves of adult nonfiction that has a strong draw with young adult audiences. Hopefully Polly will continue to publish books with such a widespread attraction. His dedication to showing the world as it really is can be a great eye-opener for many young adults across the country.
