jin sets many of his stories and novels in china in an imaginary place called muji city. he has won the national book award and the pen/faulkner award for his novel, "waiting" (1999). he has received three pushcart prizes for fiction and a kenyon review prize. many of his short stories have appeared in "the best american short stories" anthologies. his collection "under the red flag" (1997) won the flannery o'connor award for short fiction. "ocean of words" (1996) has been awarded the pen/hemingway award. the novel "war trash" (2004), set during the korean war, won the pen/faulkner award and was a finalist for the pulitzer prize.