Cyril Birch is Agassiz Professor Emeritus of Chinese and Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley. His books include thetwo-volume Anthology of Chinese Literature, Stories from a Ming Collection, Scenes for Mandarins, Mistress and Maid, and Tales from China.Catherine Swatek is Associate Professor of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia, and author of Peony Pavilion Onstage: Four Centuries in the Career of a Chinese Drama.