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Global Shanghai: From Myth to History and Back Again (Dec. 7, 2009)
Monday December 7, 2009, 3:30, Margaret Brent Room, Stamp Student Union
A lecture by Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Professor of History at UC-Irvine, and editor of the journal Asian Studies.
Renowned historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom examines common half-truths about Shanghai, past and present – for example, that it is was a mere "fishing village" before the Opium War, and that its cosmopolitanism is an instance of "East meeting West." He argues that in the past and even more, in the present, as it gears up to host China’s first World Fair in 2010, it is a place where "East meets East," as the city’s international influences largely come from other parts of Asia. Professor Wasserstrom is a specialist in Chinese history, interested in an array of topics, ranging from the gendered symbolism of revolutions to patterns of student protest; from the way that globalization affects urban life and popular culture to American images of Asia. He is fascinated by seeing what light the past can shed on the present, and is committed to finding ways to reach and engage general as well as specialist audiences. He is the author, most recently, of Global Shanghai, 1850-2010 (Routledge, 2009) and China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know (forthcoming in April from Oxford University Press). His reviews and commentaries have appeared in blogs such as “The China Beat” (which he cofounded) and the “Huffington Post,” as well as general interest periodicals like Time and Newsweek.
Sponsored the Center for East Asian Studies, in celebration of 40 years of Asian Studies at the University of Maryland.
PAST CAMPUS EVENTS
Margaret Jenkins Dance Company with The Guangdong Modern Dance Company of Guangzhou, China (Oct. 29, 2009)
Thursday, October 29 & Friday, October 30.
8pm, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland
Known for her innovative collaborative processes, choreographer Margaret
Jenkins has infused /Other Suns/ with the creative energies of the
Guangdong dancers and her company members.
Together, they explore how their physical languages affect each other,
creating a unique hybrid language for everyone. Contact www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu for tickets or more information.
Friday, October 30. 7 PM
PRE-SHOW LECTURE : "DANCE IN CHINA"
Ling Tang, University of Maryland Department of Dance alumnus, leads
this pre-performance lecture on the history of dance in China —
an exploration of different movement techniques and traditions, from
Chinese classical and folk dance to modern dance in China. Leah M. Smith Lecture Hall, Room 2200
FREE
Benefit Concert for Victims of Taiwan Disaster (Oct. 24, 2009)
Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 8:00-10:00 PM,
Colony Ballroom of Stamp Student Union
Performances include: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (opening act for Ludacris last year);
Columbia Chinese Language School Choir;
B-Terps Breakdancing Crew;
TerpWushu;
Chinese Violin;
Solo Guitarists & Vocalists;
Eugene Chuang Solo;
UMD Off the Wall Comedy;
Clair Stein Solo;
Caribbean Soca Piece;
Ascience Theatrical Piece;
Anokha A'Capella
Glory Star Children's Chorus;
James Han Solo;
David Kwon Solo/Duet. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the victims struck by Typhoon Morakot.
Donations will also be accepted during the concert. Tickets are $5 at the Hoff Theater, Student Union, UM, or r, e-mail Mary Feng at mfeng@umd.edu
Translating History into Music: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Japanese-American Internment Camps. (Oct. 27, 2009)
Tuesday October 27, 2009 3:30-5:30, Atrium, Stamp Student Union
Pioneering Percussionist, Composer, Ethnomusicologist, and GRAMMY nominee Dr. Anthony Brown speaking on composing the musical suites “Never Again” and “E.O. 9066” from his album FAMILY. Anthony Brown is a composer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, Guggenheim and Ford Fellow, Smithsonian Associate Scholar, and GRAMMY nominee. He has collaborated with Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, Sir Roland Hanna, Zakir Hussain, Steve Lacy, David Murray, James Newton with the SF Contemporary Music Players, Wadada Leo Smith with the Del Sol String Quartet, and Anthony Davis with the San Francisco Symphony. Dr. Brown performs on over twenty recordings on Water Baby, Asian Improv, Soul Note, Blue Note, Gramavision, and RPM records. Dr. Brown has served as a Visiting Professor of Music at UC Berkeley, and an advisor and consultant for The Exploratorium, San Francisco Unified School District, SFJAZZ and the NEA. Previously he was Curator of American Musical Culture and Director of the Jazz Oral History Program at the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Brown is currently Artistic Director of Fifth Stream Music, and the internationally acclaimed Asian American Orchestra. Dr. Brown holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in music (ethnomusicology) from UC Berkeley, and a Master of Music degree in jazz performance from Rutgers University.
Sponsored by the Japanese Program of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Asian American Studies Program, and the Center for East Asian Studies.
"Why Censor Lady Chatterley?: Sex and Democracy in Japan after 1945" Talk by Ann Sherif (Oct. 16, 2009)
Friday, October 16,
12:00-1:30 m,
2103 Taliaffero Hall
Ann Sherif, Director of the East Asian Studies Program and
Professor of Japanese Language and Literature at Oberlin College, has written extensively on modern Japanese literature
and its intersection with politics and law. Most recently, she has
published, Japan's Cold War: Media, Literature and the Law (Columbia
University Press, 2009). Professor Sherif was a recipient of a 20th
Century Japan Research Award (2007-2008) for research in the Gordon W.
Prange and East Asia Collections. In addition to her talk on Lady
Chatterley, she will report on her research findings. This event is free to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Co-sponsored by the East Asia & Gordon W. Prange Collections, the Nathan
and Jeanette Center for Historical Studies and the Center for East Asian
Studies (CEAS) in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of
CEAS.
Free Film Screening of "Autumn Gem," about China's first feminist, Qiu Jin. (Oct. 15, 2009)
Thursday, October 15,
5:00-6:30 pm,
Hornbake Library, Room J (Non-Print Media Center)
The film-maker, Ms. Rae Chang, will be joining us with an introduction
to her work. She has been touring this film across the United States in
colleges and universities, and has offered to show it at the UM as well.
Qiu Jin was a writer and activist in Qing Dynasty China who challenged
traditional gender roles and demanded equal rights for women.
Please join us for what promises to be a very interesting and
informational event!
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Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emporer (Nov. 19, 2009 - March 31, 2010)
A Special Exhibition at National Geographic Museum, 17th & M Streets NW, Washington, DC 20036
Soldiers. Charioteers. Archers. Musicians. Generals. Acrobats. Nearly 2,000 years ago, thousands of life-size clay figures were buried in massive underground pits to accompany China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, into the afterlife. Their discovery outside the city of Xi'an in 1974 is one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. Now, you can stand face-to-face with these terra cotta warriors. In November 2009, National Geographic Museum hosts Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, an exhibition featuring treasures from the tomb complex including 15 life-size figures, weapons, armor, coins, and more. Don't miss this chance to see the largest collection of significant artifacts from China ever to travel to the United States.
World premiere of a new Chinese film, "Li Tong" - Oct. 24, 2009
Saturday, October 24th, 2009, Utopia Film Festival,
8:00-9:30 pm,
Greenbelt Arts Center
(Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles)
When eight-year-old Li Tong wakes to the cartoon sounds of her new alarm clock, she believes it will be a day like any other. With her father away on business and her mother working the nightshift at the hospital, she gets herself ready in her own special way and hurries out to catch the city bus. Little does she know that she is starting a journey that will take her far beyond the gates of school through the old and new streets of a changing Beijing.
Film Festival organizer Chris Logan writes, "The Utopia Film Festival is delighted to have Handreach as partner in the fifth annual Utopia Film Festival and their sponsorship of Li Tong. One of the festival themes is community development and individuals view their changing environment. According to the filmmaker, this film motivation was to illustrate change in Beijing with a journey home through the realities of a city and country in transition." After the film, China experts will be on hand to answer questions about China's human service infrastructure for children.
Second Annual Calvin Chin Memorial Dim Sum Brunch - Oct. 25, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 1:00 pm at the ZhongShan Restaurant, 323
Park Avenue, Baltimore MD 21201.
Calvin Chin was a founding member of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City
Committee and the patriarch of Baltimore’s Chinese community. He passed
away on February 12, 2008. The ZhongShan Restaurant in Baltimore's
Chinatown is at the same location where he and his wife, Katherine
("Kitty") Chin, owned and operated a Chinese restaurant for many years.
Kitty, of course, will be present at this event. Price is $25.00 per person if payment is received on or before October
18 and $35.00 thereafter or at the door (space available). To register
and pay by credit card please click here.
Public Art and Illustration: the Cartoons and Art of Ding Cong (1916-2009) - Oct. 20, 2009
To comprehend a tumultuous history like that of 20th century China, we can benefit greatly from the acute observations of an artist active during the period. Ding Cong (1916-2009), until recently China's most famous living cartoonist and artists, offers that perspective. The Library of Congress and George Mason University are sponsoring a one day symposium and exhibition showing Ding Cong's life and work. The morning conference at the Library of Congress will include speakers intimately familiar with Cong's life and work. In the afternoon, the Mason Atrium Gallery at GMU will display 30 cartoons and artwork and include more commentary. These events illuminate the life of this artist, whose cogent insights illuminate China's volatile century. Conference: 8:30 am - noon, LJ119 Jefferson Bldg. Library of Congress. Exhibition: 1:45-4:30pm, Mason Art Gallery, School of Visual and Performing Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. For more information email Marcia Ristaino
Silent Blossoms: Indigo Dyeing & Noh Masks
The deep indigo pigment formed from the polygonum plant is known as Japan Blue. The opulent blues that can be derived from this plant have been utilized by artisans for centuries. Artist Tamiko Matsumura utilizes Japan Blue and a tie dyeing technique to create breathtaking pieces centered on her profound sentiments towards Cherry Blossoms and Nature.
Her husband, Yasuo Matsumura, is also a master of an ancient craft- Noh mask carving. The classical theater art of Noh has continued for over 600 years. An integral aspect of Noh Theater is the use of masks. Though the masks are often subtle, great detail goes into carving and painting them. The play of light and shadow on the masks gives them great versatility.
"In bringing together Noh masks and Indigo we hope to create a new dimension and bring about an innovative and uncommon space. Nothing would make us happier than if our creations resonate with the guests who kindly visit them."
- Tamiko & Yasuo Matsumura
The 2009 9th Annual DC APA Film Festival
Submissions for eligible feature length and short films are now being accepted for the 9th Annual DC APA Film Festival. Films can be submitted online through our Withoutabox site for a discounted submission fee. Early deadline for all submissions is May 2, 2008!
The Etsuko and Joe Price collection: "Patterned Feathers, Piercing Eyes"—November 10, 2007-April 13, 2008
The Etsuko and Joe Price collection is regarded as one of the world's finest collections of paintings from Japan's Edo period (1615-1868).
Ironically, within the more than two centuries of imposed national isolation, Japan's traditional painting ateliers witnessed both continuity and unprecedented splintering, the emergence of individual talents, and degrees of eccentricity, variety, and creativity unmatched in previous centuries. The results are featured in the Price collection, which recently completed a highly acclaimed one-year tour of four major Japanese museums (July 2006-May 2007).
A variation of that exhibition is now presented at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery as Patterned Feathers, Piercing Eyes: Edo Masters from the Price Collection (November 10, 2007-April 13, 2008). The collection next will be on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (June 22-September 14, 2008), where the Prices have been instrumental in advancing the study and appreciation of Japanese art.
While the Price collection offers exceptional examples of the traditional and divergent styles of the Edo period, it was assembled with an eye to beauty rather than encyclopedic aims. Thus, it can be presented in multiple ways. We have chosen here to explore three major areas: the manifestations of legend, spirit, and myth in everyday life; the multiple meanings of landscape; and the preternatural presence of birds and beasts.
Although arbitrary, these divisions reveal an overall phenomenon: during the Edo period (1615-1868) in Japan, paintings began to incorporate a new sense of intimacy, even jocularity, with the divine and the revered past. In addition, birds and animals moved from having largely symbolic, heraldic roles to assuming more complex functions with highly individualized personalities. Images of the land reverberate with spirit and layers of meaning. In a sense, vertical hierarchies of the universe begin to tilt toward the horizontal.
The paintings of the Edo period announced that the alert eye could expect wholly new ways of encountering the world. By paying heed to the structure of nature, the structure of beauty would be revealed.
This exhibition has been made possible through the generosity of the Anne van Biema Endowment and Nikkei, Inc.
Rotations:
To accommodate both the size of the collection and conservation requirements, the paintings in this exhibition will be rotated several times. Generally, screen displays will be changed three times and most hanging scrolls changed twice, with a few exceptions. There are 109 titled paintings in the exhibition. Because some "titles" are actually painting ensembles, the number of actual paintings runs to approximately 150. At any given time, approximately 50 works will be on display.
Most hanging scrolls will change during the period between January 14 and 25, 2008. Most screens will change between January 2 and 4 and, again, between February 18 and 22.
Time & Location: November 10, 2007–April 13, 2008. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
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Internships at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is currently soliciting resumes for summer internships (paid) in Washington, DC, working on Chinese human rights and rule of law issues. We value the contribution that interns make to our work, and we have benefited from the intellectual and practical contributions of the interns who have worked with us so far. We are also gratified about the number of very highly qualified people who apply to work with us as interns each year.
Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to the CECC via fax at (202) 226-3804, attention: Judy Wright, Director of Administration, or via e-mail to Judy Wright (Judy.Wright@mail.house.gov). Please discuss in your cover letter how your professional goals, interests, and background relate to the Commission's legislative mandate regarding human rights and the rule of law in China.
The CECC seeks interns for three periods of the year:
|
Duration
(approximate) |
Applications Must Be Received By Our Office No Later Than 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time |
Fall Semester |
September 15-December 15 |
July 1 |
Spring Semester |
February 1-May 1 |
November 1 |
Summer |
June 15-August 15 |
February 1 |
Those who wish to apply for internships should understand the following:
* CECC interns receive a salary of $10/hour;
* Interns must be U.S. citizens;
* We regret that interns are not eligible for federal benefits.
* During the fall and spring semesters, CECC internships are part-time, and we expect interns to work between 15 and 20 hours per week;
* During the summer, CECC internships are full-time, and we expect summer interns to work between 32 and 40 hours per week;
* Interns should have completed at least some China-related coursework. It is also desirable that they have some background in one or more of the specific human rights and rule of law issues in the CECC legislative mandate.
* Interns should be able to read Chinese well enough to assist with research in newspapers, journals, and on websites. More advanced Chinese language capability would be a plus. The successful candidate for an internship often will have lived or studied in mainland China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan.
* Interns will conduct research and writing projects on human rights and rule of law issues in China under the supervision of Commission staff. Interns may also assist with researching and updating records on the Commission’s Political Prisoner Database. Interns may also be invited or required to attend some of the many rule of law and human rights events organized by the Commission and other organizations in Washington, D.C.
* Although our interns are generally current students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree, others are also welcome to apply.
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East Asia Forum
The East Asia Forum was born ten years ago out of a conviction that graduate students very frequently produce scholarship of publishable quality, but find few outlets to display it in a landscape crowded with the work of better established academics. Along with several colleagues in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto, I hit upon the idea of producing an annual journal, which would feature the best papers of our own graduate students.
Our aim was twofold. We sought not only to showcase the variety of research taking place in our doctoral programme, but also to expose graduate students to the processes of revision and rigourous external review which would later become a part of their lives in the academy. As the East Asia Forum began to take on a life of its own, a partnership was formed with doctoral students in the East Asian field at York University, and in recent years, articles by young scholars from American and Asian Universities have found their way into the journal. These latter are the more outstanding papers presented at the International Graduate Student Conference held each year in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto.
In the previous nine years, more than forty articles on a wide range of subjects have appeared in the East Asia Forum. The choice of articles for review has always been left to a student editorial board, whose members are rotated each year so that as many students as possible are exposed to the experience of academic publication. The index of articles in this volume will suggest that while China-related subjects claimed the most attention in the early years of the journal, the last few years have reflected a greater emphasis on Japan, Korea and Taiwan as the field of East Asian studies broadens, becomes more cross-cultural, and reflects a greater commonality of East Asian approaches to current discourses such as those concerned with nation/nationalism, post-modernism, memory, civil society, gender and identity.
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Spring 2006
Fall 2005
2004-2005
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