Fiona Sze-Lorrain: Poetry Readings

Fiona Sze-LorrainOn Wednesday, October 5th (4:00 p.m. in Hollander Hall 241), Fiona Sze-Lorrain will read from her latest book of poetry, The Ruined Elegance (Princeton, 2016), chosen by Library Journal as one of the “Best Books 2015: Poetry” and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2016, as well as her two earlier collections, My Funeral Gondola (2013) and Water the Moon (2010). In addition, she will read from her translations of contemporary Chinese and American poets, including Mark Strand and Yi Lu’s Sea Summit (Milkweed, 2016), shortlisted for the 2016 Best Translated Book Award.

Sze-Lorrain writes and translates in English, French, and Chinese. She will also discuss about poetry, art in poetry, translation, cross-cultural experiences, and her own work as zheng (Chinese zither) harpist.

On Thursday, October 6th (4:00 p.m. in Hollander Hall 241), Fiona Sze-Lorrain will give a talk on the Nobel Laureate Gao Xingjian. In this talk, she will outline the development of Gao Xingjian’s film experimentation and aesthetics in relation to his work as visual artist, playwright, and poet during his post-Nobel Prize years. In particular, she will offer a close critical reading of his first and second films—Silhouette sinon l’ombre / Silhouette/Shadow (2005) and Après le déluge / After the Flood (2008)—addressing their relevance as an artistic, [a]political response to the violence and ecological crisis of our current world.