Great Evening with Bill Savage!

Many thanks to Bill Savage for a wonderful and insightful evening of Chicago literary history. Nelson Algren’s trek through Chicago came alive as Bill presented stories of Algren’s time in Chicago, his connections with city life, and valuable memorabilia illustrating his connection with literary greats like Gwendolyn Brooks. Even Algren’s connection to the Despres family was shown through an autographed copy of Chicago: City on the Make given to the late Leon Despres. Great job Bill!

What A Difference A Mayor Makes

image credit- Gapers Block, March 2010

— written by Garrett Chado
When Nelson Algren’s book Chicago: City on the Make was first published in 1951 it received harsh criticism from the Chicago Daily News, who called it a ‘case for ra(n)t control.’ Perhaps they were justified in their outcries; Algren casts a light into the darkest streets and corners of Chicago and her history, in a way that only a malevolent lover can. Yet here we are today – the Chicago Daily News has been silent for 34 years and Algren’s work continues to live on with the publication of the 50^th and 60^th anniversary editions of Chicago: City on the Make.

Revisiting Chicago: City on the Make

 

First published in 1951, Nelson Algren’s Chicago: City on the Make was scorned by the Chicago establishment because of its gritty portrayal of the city. Co-editor Bill Savage discusses his annotations to the 60th anniversary edition of this provocative work providing historic photos and updated info. As the city moves into a new era with a new mayor, does the picture still hold true?

Wed., May 23, 2012 @ 6pm

Big Girl Small – Odd Girl Out

As we discussed for the past couple of posts, Rachel DeWoskin has a great deal of experience living as an outsider. The experiences she had in China have granted her that unique feeling of simultaneously being desired (as a beautiful exotic woman on a hit TV show) and being estranged (having negative stereotypes attributed to her for those same attributes). The protagonist of her most recent book Big Girl Small has a similar experience as a dwarf. As the starred Publisher’s Weekly review puts it, Judy Lohden has “two visions of herself—that of a pretty teenage girl with an hourglass figure who happens to be three feet nine inches tall, and that of a sideshow attraction.” She’s very talented, not the least of which are her beautiful voice, her intelligence and her wry sense of humor, the latter two showing prominently as she narrates her story. Her beauty attracts the attention of Mr. Popular Jeff Legassic, but she’s ultimately rejected as she’s humiliated at prom. In fact, she begins the book hiding out in a seedy motel, recovering from the heartbreak she suffered, a stark symbol of her isolation.

Love Chinese – American Style

“Foreign Babes in China” uses the culture clash I mentioned last time as a source for a lot of drama and comedy. The theme song is a mash-up between hip-hop in English (with token references to the [Great] Wall and Tiananmen Square) and traditional Chinese pop. If the whole song was in English it could easily be the theme song to a sitcom here in the United States. The show also shares an emphasis on melodramatic romantic entanglements. “Robert’s totally in love,” DeWoskin’s character says at the very beginning of one episode, “He followed Louise all the way from America even though Louise doesn’t love him!” The rest of the conversation revolves around whether Robert’s rival, Tianling, has “the guts” to make a move while Robert’s around. This rival is a Chinese local, and his friend urges him to “Do it for China!” It’s a typical dramatic angle, but with a nationalistic twist.

An American Star Made in China

Next week’s Despres Lecture speaker, Rachel DeWoskin, is known in the United States for her books, more recently for her young adult literature. But she’s been a familiar face to Chinese television audiences for years now. In China, DeWoskin was known as Jiexi, the breakout character from the hit show 洋妞在北京, translated as “Foreign Babes in China.” Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1972 and raised by a noted sinologist, she was ideally suited to play a seductive Westerner in China’s hit show. DeWoskin arrived at just the right time for her to interact with the Chinese zeitgeist and become a transformative sex symbol.

Big Girl Small – Writing in Triplet

(photo credit: anne li)

Rachel DeWoskin is a woman with her feet on two continents and her writing across three genres. DeWoskin, who has won several awards including the 2012 ALA’s Alex Award for her recent novel, Big Girl Small, has spent much of her life between the US and China, even becoming the star of a Chinese soap opera while living in Beijing. Her memoir, Foreign Babes in Beijing, and her novel, Repeat After Me, provide a glimpse into Chinese – American relations. She is also a published poet and is currently teaching memoir and fiction at the University of Chicago.
 
Join us for an intriguing look into this writer’s world.

Wed., April 25, 2012 @ 6pm