Here are several establishments I've visited in the past two years and some of my impressions of each. Obviously there are many more clubs and bars in Kunshan than I cover here, including bars catering to specific ethnicities and nationalities (e.g. Japanese) and perhaps another installment will follow eventually (hence the Part One in the title of this entry). My one big caveat is that I almost never spend the weekend in Kunshan (I weekend in Shanghai) so some of these observations might pertain more to weekday than weekend nights...
Read MoreGetting Green Again: Remembering our Class of 1991 25th Reunion at Dartmouth College
I have been meaning for quite some time now to write a piece about my experiences at the 25th Reunion for our class of 1991, held on June 16-19 2016 at Dartmouth College. Several hundred '91s joined the reunion and it was quite an experience to see so many faces I hadn't seen in 25 years or more, and to rekindle memories and re-experience some of the youthful vigor of our Dartmouth days.
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Gathering the Worthies: The Association of Asian Studies (AAS) Conference in Toronto, March 2017
Last month I attended the annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, held in Toronto. It was a very special experience to see and meet so many other Asian Studies scholars, many of whom I hadn't seen in years if not decades.
Read MoreSpring 2017 GLS Orientation and Faculty Tour of Shanghai
On Friday we welcomed our new group of 65 students for the Global Learning Semester. We also welcomed our professors for the first session of our program, who are flying in from Duke or elsewhere to teach.
Read MoreVinyl School Years: Musical Memories from the 1980s and my Top 20 Albums (Part 2)
Continuation of a rundown of my favorite albums from high school days in the 1980s, featuring artists Peter Gabriel, XTC, Kate Bush, Violent Femmes, Big Audio Dynamite, Depeche Mode, King Krimson, Prefab Sprout, Shriekback, and U2
Read MoreVinyl School Years: My Favorite Albums from the 1980s (Part 1)
Inspired by my father, and by my forthcoming book on Chinese rock scenes, I take a trip down memory lane, recalling my favorite albums from a misspent youth in Massachusetts. Artists featured in this blog include The Clash, The Dead Kennedys, The English Beat, Polyrock, The Stranglers, Ultravox, Talking Heads, Snakefinger, R.E.M., and Thomas Dolby.
Read MoreThe Year 2016 in 10 Favorite Books
A list of my favorite reads in the year 2016, not necessarily published in that year but mostly recent publications, including books on music, history, Shanghai, and autobiographies of two British gents.
Read MoreRemembering James Freedman, President of Dartmouth College
In the days leading up to our 25th reunion of the Class of 1991, I remember fondly our president Dr. James O. Freedman, who tried hard to create a more intellectual climate for the campus, encountering much opposition along the way.
Read MoreAn educational weekend in Shanghai with SAS Alumni and Duke Kunshan GLS faculty
A blog about an event sponsored by the Shanghai American School that brought three pre-1949 alumni to talk about their memories of the 1940s. And a weekend tour of Shanghai with Duke Kunshan faculty.
Read MoreMusic and Memory: Remembering the Dartmouth College Chamber Singers
As I gear up for the 25th reunion of our class of 1991, I recall with great fondness the choral group known as the Chamber Singers, which was one of my best experiences at Dartmouth.
Read MoreLive from Tokyo, its...A podcast interview on Shanghai Nightscapes with "New Books in East Asian Studies" presenter Carla Nappi
Fellow Shanghai Nightscapes author James Farrer and I did a Skype interview about our book with Carla Nappi for her podcast on East Asian books
Read MoreMore talks for Shanghai Nightscapes
More talks and interviews about our new book Shanghai Nightscapes
Read MoreShanghai Nightscapes book talk for Royal Asiatic Society, Sept 12
James Farrer and I will be holding a series of book talks in the coming week. We are especially looking forward to our talk for the Royal Asiatic Society in Shanghai. For more info on this talk, please see this website.
Shanghai Nightscapes Goes Live
Finally, nearly twenty years after this project was first conceived in the Hithouse Bar near Fudan University, over a couple of soggy, warm beers and the bleery-eyed environment of a student-populated disco bar, our book Shanghai Nightscapes is now being launched into the world. Special thanks goes out to Doug Mitchell and the rest of the team at U Chicago Press, as well as to our various editors and compilers. James Farrer, my coauthor, was the driving force behind this project's completion, and definitely deserves top billing. I hope that those who read the book will find something of themselves reflected in its contents.
You may find the book on Amazon or just go directly to the publisher, University of Chicago Press. Happy reading!
That's a Fine Cuppa Cha: Another Rave Review of Mu Shiying
My publisher just sent me the link to this article about my book on Mu Shiying published in Cha: An Asian Literary Journal. Thanks to the reviewer, Huiwen Shi, for writing such a positive and insightful yet also critical review.
What Makes a City Habitable? Workshopping with Toby Lincoln and SASS, and a Night of Cow's Heads and Craft Brews
An account of a workshop on habitable cities held at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and organized by British China scholar and urban historian Toby Lincoln
Read MoreCatching Coco and the Possicobilities at JZ Club
Coco Zhao has been a fixture of the jazz scene since the late 1990s, and he sings regularly at the JZ Club with his group the Possicobilities.
Read MoreProject Dementia Revisited: Getting Reacquainted with the Beijing Rock Scene
Catching up with the rock scene in Beijing and re interviewing Michael Pettis and Yang Haisong, seeing SUBS perform at Temple and also seeing Chui Wan, a fairly new band, at Yugong Yishan.
Read MoreWalter Benjamin: A Critical Life
I have long been fascinated by the life story and the writings of Walter Benjamin. Benjamin's life and works have taken on mythical powers over the past decades. This book combines a painstakingly detailed account of his life with deep critical analyses of his works, richly contextualized within the framework of his life story. It is a stunning work of scholarship, which reconstructs his life through his own letters and other documents as well as those of his friends and others in the circles in which he traveled.
Read MoreA Great List of Books and Films on Old Shanghai
At risk of sounding narcissistic, I was just googling my own name to see what comes up (at least I don't post selfies on facebook!) and on the Frommers website I found this excellent listing of books and films about Shanghai history. Can't recommend it highly enough to those interested in learning about our fair city (and not just because my book Shanghai's Dancing World is on the list--and if you made this list, please update it to include my book on Mu Shiying!)