Posts

Mirror: Selected Poems by Zhang Zao

by at

New Publication:
Mirror: Selected Poems by Zhang Zao, Translated by Fiona Sze-Lorrain
Zephyr Press, 2025
Bilingual, with an introduction by Fiona Sze-Lorrain and an afterword by Bei Dao

To purchase: Zephyr Press or Amazon

This bilingual posthumous collection is a detailed, retrospective look at Zhang Zao, one of the more brilliant poetic minds from China of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He left China in 1986 and lived in Germany until his death at 47 in 2010.

The poems in this collection span Zhang Zao’s short career, beginning with “Mirror,” one of his earliest and best known works, and ending with “Lantern Town,” written less than two months before his death. As Bei Dao writes in his afterword, Zhang Zao “possessed both a thorough grasp of European literature and culture and an introspective understanding of the broad, profound Asian aesthetics: between the two philosophies, he sought a new tension and melting point.” Translated by Fiona Sze-Lorrain, Mirror is Zhang Zao’s first book to be translated into English and will be bilingual in Chinese and English on facing pages.

Mirror is the twelfth and final volume in Zephyr Press’s Jintian Series of Contemporary Chinese Poetry, which was launched in 2011 and has been curated by Bei Dao, Lydia H. Liu, and Christopher Mattison. It is also Fiona Sze-Lorrain’s fourth translation title (after Wind Says by Bai Hua, I Can Almost See the Clouds of Dust by Yu Xiang, and Canyon in the Body by Lan Lan) in the series. Continue reading Mirror: Selected Poems by Zhang Zao →

University of Maryland position

by at

Assistant Professor in Sinophone Cinema and Media Studies (Position # P-126741-848341)

The School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Maryland, College Park, invites applications for a full-time (40 hours) tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Sinophone Cinema and Media Studies beginning Fall 2026. The successful candidate will be jointly appointed in East Asian Languages & Cultures and Cinema & Media Studies. Qualified candidates will demonstrate recognized potential for excellence in scholarship,as well as interest and experience in teaching a wide range of courses in Chinese language and literature, modern Chinese culture and intellectual history, and film history and theory. Native or near-native fluency in both Mandarin and English is required. PhD must be in hand at time ofemployment.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach four courses per year (two in East Asian Languages and Cultures and two in Cinema and Media Studies) and to contribute to interdisciplinary initiatives in SLLC and across the university. The School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community. We seek candidates whose research, teaching, and service have prepared them to contribute to all of the pillars of the ARHU Strategic Plan: Transformative Thinking; Boundless Creativity; Expansive Empathy; and Meaningful Futures. Contributions toward those goals and values might include leadership in teaching, mentoring, research, or service towards building an equitable and inclusive scholarly environment and/or increasing access or participation of all individuals equitably and fairly. For full consideration, applicants should submit: a cover letter, CV, a one-page statement of teaching philosophy plus a sample syllabus, a representative writing sample in English of no more than 20 pages, and the names and contact information for three references who may be contacted for confidential letters of recommendation. All materials must be uploaded to the University of Maryland web-based employment application system via the University of Maryland’s job site: https://umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCP by the application deadline of November 10, 2025. This search is contingent upon the availability of funds.

The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. Please read the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy.

Ligia González <sllc-facultyaffairs@umd.edu>

2026 Berkeley-Stanford grad conference–cfp

by at

The annual Berkeley-Stanford Graduate Student Conference in Modern Chinese Humanities brings together current graduate students from across the U.S. and around the world to present innovative research on any aspect of modern Chinese cultural production in the humanistic disciplines. The conference provides a window into current research in Chinese studies, and serves as a platform for fostering interaction among budding scholars of geographically disparate institutions, facilitating their exchange of ideas and interests. The conference hopes to encourage interdisciplinary scholarship within and between literary and cultural studies, cultural history, art history, film and media studies, musicology and sound studies, as well as the interpretative social sciences.

Currently enrolled graduate students are invited to submit paper proposals for the Berkeley-Stanford Graduate Student Conference in Modern Chinese Humanities, to be held April 10-11, 2026 at UC Berkeley. Conference registration is free. Presenters will be provided with shared lodging, Friday dinner, and Saturday lunch. There is limited partial funding assistance for those who cannot find their own funding.

Proposals/bios due: Friday, November 8, 2025 (11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time)

Application Instructions:
To apply, please submit your abstract (up to 250 words) and a short bio (up to 100 words, including current institutional affiliation), and include the following information in the application: Author Name, Author Bio, Paper Title, Subtitle (optional), Keywords, and Abstract. Please follow the link to apply: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/a315258c58bb4c6f8511dc3a25350de3

The 2026 keynote speaker is Ying Qian, East Languages and Cultures, Columbia University, and the conference alumni speaker is Julia Keblinska, Film & Screen Studies, University of Cambridge. Continue reading 2026 Berkeley-Stanford grad conference–cfp →

AI straight-washes gay couple in ‘Together’

by at

Source: China Digital Times (9/23/25)
Netizen Voices: AI Straight-washes Gay Couple in Imported Horror Movie “Together” [Updated: Film Withdrawn]
By Samuel Wade

The critically acclaimed U.S.-Australian body-horror movie “Together” launched in China on September 19. Some viewers noted, alongside cuts to sex scenes, a less familiar and overt form of alteration: one male character in a scene originally depicting a same-sex wedding was digitally replaced with a woman. [Updated on September 25, 2025: The film’s global distributor has blamed its local distributor for the changes, saying “Neon does not approve of Hishow’s unauthorized edit of the film and have demanded they cease distributing this altered version.”] The exact circumstances surrounding the change are unclear, but the following comments, compiled by CDT Chinese editors, illustrate the resulting storm of indignant criticism on film-focused corners of platforms like Douban, Zhihu, and Xiaohongshu (RedNote). Several refer to the Chinese government’s longstanding stance toward homosexuality of 不支持不反对 bù zhīchí bù fǎnduì, or “neither supporting nor opposing.” That purported balance has increasingly tilted toward opposition in recent years, with LGBTQ+ content and organizations facing mounting suppression. Other comments express fear that the face-swapping heralds a new wave of more technologically advanced and less readily identifiable censorship.

rockiron99: The mainland Chinese version of “Together” uses AI technology to “face swap” a same-sex couple from the original film into a straight couple. If they just deleted scenes, we could work it out by watching BluRay or streaming versions, and even scene alterations like cropping, dimming, or photoshopping in skirts could be fairly readily identified. But the evolution of alteration methods like this AI face-swapping is terrifying … in the future, we won’t even be able to tell if we’re watching the original film or not.

Superbia: We’ve reached the point where it’s not a matter of cuts, but of falsification and misrepresentation.

有劳犬子费心了： This is nauseating because it not only interferes with the integrity of the plot, it disrespects the sexual orientation of the actors. Congrats to those Chinese with thin skins for pioneering this new mode of film import. Next time, they might as well straight-swap “Call Me by Your Name” for hetero screenings. Continue reading AI straight-washes gay couple in ‘Together’ →

HKUST positions

by at

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology:
Three Open Positions in Anthropology, Art History, and Philosophy

1. Open Rank Professor of Anthropology

The Division of Humanities of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) invites applications for a substantiation-track position in Anthropology, with an expected starting date of 2 July 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. We invite applications at all ranks (Assistant Professor / Associate Professor / Professor), though we especially welcome applications at the level of Professor and Associate Professor with substantiation.

The position is for a scholar of Chinese anthropology whose research focuses on the Greater Bay Area, South China, Southwest China, or Southeast Asia. Preferred areas of expertise would include ecological or environmental anthropology, or other areas that help build links across the university, but strong applicants with other interests are also encouraged to apply. The successful candidate is expected to be actively involved in the South China Research Centre in the School of Humanities and Social Science.

The successful candidate should demonstrate a commitment to excellence in research and teaching as well as a strong publication record appropriate to career stage.  For applicants at the level of Associate Professor or Professor, a record of obtaining competitive external funding will be a plus. 

Starting salary will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits including annual leave and medical/dental benefits will be provided. Housing benefits will also be provided where applicable. Initial appointment at Assistant Professor rank will normally be on a three-year contract, renewable subject to mutual agreement.  A gratuity will be payable upon successful completion of contract. Continue reading HKUST positions →

Routledge Companion to Xue Mo–cfp

by at

Call for Papers
The Routledge Companion to Xue Mo 雪漠

We invite submissions for an edited volume dedicated to Xue Mo (Chen Kaihong, b. 1963), one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Chinese literature. This volume will feature contributions from international scholars, alongside one or two original essays by Xue Mo himself.

Xue Mo’s works explore the coexistence of light and darkness in human nature. His novels do not shy away from violence or despair, yet they always leave space for redemption and transformation. Even in the most broken corners of the soul, there remains a thread of conscience and a glimmer of humanity, guiding readers toward renewal and awakening. This tension between light and shadow reflects Xue Mo’s profound understanding of human nature and his belief in the potential for personal growth and inner transformation.

His literary achievements include the monumental eight-volume epic 《娑萨朗》, recognized as the first long epic in Han Chinese literary history. Beyond fiction, Xue Mo has created widely acclaimed cultural works, such as the audiobook of his interpretation of Diamond Sutra on the 喜马拉雅 Himalaya platform, titled  《佛陀的智慧》, has consistently ranked top for year .and a four-volume commentary on the Dao De Jing titled 《老子的心事》I-IV, which has sold nearly one million copies. Institutions in the School of Foreign Languages at Ningbo University and Central South University have established research centers dedicated to studying his works. His work bridges literature, philosophy, and spiritual reflection, making him a major figure in contemporary Chinese culture. Continue reading Routledge Companion to Xue Mo–cfp →

Comparing genocides

by at

NEW PUBLICATION
Comparing genocides: Forced assimilation in Nazi Europe and East Turkestan (Xinjiang), China
Forced assimilation as a neglected yet crucial instrument of genocide, past and present.
By Magnus Fiskesjö

–My new article at SINOPSIS (Prague) issued on 26 Sept. 2025, comparing Xi Jinping’s ongoing forced assimilation (Sinicization) as genocide against the Uyghurs and others today, with Hitler’s interrupted plans for forced assimilation (Germanization) of the Czechs and of the rest of Occupied Europe, as an instrument of the Nazi genocides.

Writing to the Rhythm of Labor review

by at

MCLC Resource Center is pleased to announce publication of Richard King’s review of Writing to the Rhythm of Labor: Cultural Politics of the Chinese Revolution, 1942-1976, by Benjamin Kindler. The review appears below and at its online home: https://u.osu.edu/mclc/book-reviews/king/. My thanks to Nicholas Kaldis, our literary studies book review editor, for ushering the review to publication.

Kirk Denton, MCLC

Writing to the Rhythm of Labor:
Cultural Politics of the Chinese Revolution, 1942-1976

By Benjamin Kindler

Reviewed by Richard King

MCLC Resource Center Publication (Copyright September, 2025)

Benjamin Kindler, Writing to the Rhythm of Labor: Cultural Politics of the Chinese Revolution, 1942-1976 New York: Columbia University Press, 2025. xi + 280 pp. ISBN: 9780231219327 (paperback) / ISBN: 9780231219310 (hardcover) / ISBN: 9780231562638 (E-book).

In the final paragraph of this absorbing and challenging book, Benjamin Kindler declares that it has been written “in a spirit of critical—but unapologetic—solidarity with communist projects of past, present, and future,” with the hope for “a renewal of a communist politics […] so that future generations might one day cleanse life of all evil, oppression, and violence and enjoy it to the fullest” (234). The materials he assembles for this ambitious enterprise consist of revolutionary political, economic and cultural theory from four key periods beginning at the communist base at Yan’an and ending with the death of Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, and literary writings that embrace the theories of their day. Chief among the authorities, apart from Mao himself, are Zhou Yang 周揚, a champion of Soviet literary practice and the leading Party cultural theorist from Yan’an to the mid-1960s, and Zhang Chunqiao 張春橋, who advanced the more radical political agenda of the Cultural Revolution in the final decade of the Mao era. Authors of fictional works analyzed include the novelists Liu Qing 柳青, Zhou Libo 周立波, Bai Lang 白朗, and Jin Jingmai 金敬邁, and the short-story writers Li Zhun 李准, Hu Wanchun 胡萬春, Ru Zhijuan 茹志娟, and Duan Ruixia 段瑞夏. In the introduction and conclusion, and at points in-between, Ding Ling 丁玲 appears as a writer both transformed and transforming, an exemplar of the Maoist vison of the artist. Two issues dominate discussion: the role of the wenyi gongzuozhe 文藝工作者 (here rendered “culture worker”) as a transitional figure in socialist artistic production, and the question of remuneration for work, examined through debates over “bourgeois right” that draw on classic Marxist texts including Marx’s 1875 “Critique of the Gotha Programme.” And two authors cited in the introduction inform Kindler’s approach: the French Marxist Louis Althusser provides a focus on “temporality” and the different rhythms of work experienced by the peasant, the factory worker, and the writer; while the writing of the early twentieth century Chinese feminist He-Yin Zhen 何殷震 draws his attention to the “free and voluntary” labor of women as opposed to the money economy of capitalism. Continue reading Writing to the Rhythm of Labor review →

Self-Portrait as a Banana

by at

Dear MCLC members,

I am pleased to announce the publication of my new poetry collection Self-Portrait as a Banana (Poetic Edge, 2025). The book can be purchased online.  You are also kindly invited to attend my online book launch on 10 October. This is a free event but booking is necessary.

Book description:

Hongwei Bao’s latest collection, Self-Portrait as a Banana, is a candid exploration of his queer, diasporic, East Asian identity and cross-cultural relationships. Appropriating, subverting and queering cultural tropes like the banana, rice and beckoning cat, and identities such as queerness and Chineseness, this is a powerful journey. A bold, humorous and refreshing celebration of queer desire, identity and cultural differences.

Praise for the book:

‘In his second full-length collection, Hongwei Bao dwells on his experiences of migration and homecoming, using his own position in the queer East Asian diaspora to illustrate broader social themes. In poems of resilient optimism, he shows how one can counter prejudice by creating one’s own versions of home and belonging, within communities of one’s own choosing and devising. For all the breadth of their resonance, across a span of both time and space, the poems concentrate on the meaningful details of everyday life at a local level, where familiarity overcomes estrangement.’–Gregory Woods, author of A History of Gay Literature: The Male Tradition Continue reading Self-Portrait as a Banana →

Digital Humanities special issue

by at

Dear All,

I am pleased to share the publication of a special issue of Journal of Chinese Cinemas on the theme of the digital humanities.

Digital Humanities
Journal of Chinese Cinemas
Edited by Panpan Yang

Panpan Yang, Seeing the less visible: Advancing global digital humanities

Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh, Testing the canon: Digital scholarship and early cinema in Hong Kong

Pin Li & Weichen Jia, The making of ‘the Hollywood of China’: A preliminary social network analysis of the early Hong Kong film industry (1914–1941)

Lin Du, From information to metaphor: Tracking photographic editing in Chinese wartime magazines through Digital Historical Forensics

Dylan Suher, Finding a home for the video essay: Videographic criticism and the study of Chinese television drama

Rui Jiao & Jing Wang, Mining the database of the people: Documentaries based on user-generated content, and database cinema in China

Hope that some of you will find the collection of articles useful.

Panpan Yang <panpanyangpanpan@gmail.com>

The Remote Chay Podcast

by at

New Podcast Alert: Remote Chay

This podcast brings together researchers and experts to explore two tightly linked topics:

  1. Remote Ethnography – how do we study places that are physically or politically inaccessible due to surveillance, state control, or other restrictions?
  2. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (China) – a critical case at the intersection of geopolitics, anthropology, ethics, and research methodology.

Each episode dives deep into the challenges of conducting research under extreme constraints. From inaccessible field sites to global surveillance regimes, Remote Chay invites guests to reflect on what it means to produce knowledge in such contexts, in particular for Uyghur studies.

Explore all episodes here 👉 remote-xuar.com/podcast

Very Best,

Vanessa Frangville <Vanessa.Frangville@ulb.be>

The Sinophone Across Disciplines and Space

by at

Workshop: Re-Visualizing “The West”: The Sinophone Across Disciplines and Space
Milan, October 1, 2025
Venue: University of Milan, Room T1, Piazza Indro Montanelli 1, Sesto San Giovanni

Dear all,

I am pleased to announce a one-day international workshop exploring Sinophone perspectives across disciplines and space, with particular attention to geo-literary imaginaries and their European resonances. The event is convened by Simona Gallo (University of Milan, Project PI) and will be held in person at the University of Milan.

Speakers include:

  • Shu-mei Shih (UCLA)
  • Wen-chi Li (University of Bern)
  • Irmy Schweiger (Stockholm University)
  • Rosa Lombardi (Roma Tre University)
  • Melody Yunzi Li (University of Houston, online)
  • Serena De Marchi (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
  • Justyna Jaguścik (University of Bern)
  • Martina Caschera (University of Bergamo)
  • Simona Gallo (University of Milan)

I warmly welcome your attendance and participation!

Simona Gallo <simona.gallo@unimi.it>

How to silence dissent

by at

Source: NYT (9/22/25)
How to Silence Dissent, Bit by Bit Until Fear Takes Over
阅读简体中文版| 閱讀繁體中文版 | Leer en español
In China, journalism and public debate were opening up, and then a leader took over and used a series of steps to dictate speech.
By Li Yuan

Credit…Dongyan Xu

In early March, I asked a lawyer, a naturalized citizen living in Texas, whether he shared the unease among Chinese immigrants that American politics under President Trump was beginning to echo the China we left behind: fawning officials, intimidation of the press and business leaders currying favor with leadership.

He shrugged. As long as late-night talk show hosts can still make fun of the president, he said, American democracy is safe.

For those of us who grew up under strict censorship, late-night comedy always felt like an emblem of American freedom. The idea that millions of Americans could go to bed each night having watched their presidents mocked felt almost magical, something unimaginable where we came from.

That’s why ABC’s suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel show after pressure from the Trump administration, amid the president’s public threats toward critical journalists, felt so jarring. To many Chinese who have endured the relentless erosion of speech by the country’s top leader, Xi Jinping, it felt ominous. Free speech rarely vanishes in a single blow. It erodes until silence feels normal.

“Coming from a dictatorship, people like me are sharply attuned to these things,” said Zhang Wenmin, a former investigative journalist in China better known for her pen name Jiang Xue. “We can sense how freedoms are chipped away little by little.”

Ms. Zhang was repeatedly harassed and threatened for what state security agents called her “negative reporting” on China. She now lives in the United States. Continue reading How to silence dissent →

Zhang Zhan sentenced a second time

by at

Source: The Guardian (9/22/25)
UN and rights groups condemn reported jailing of Wuhan Covid citizen journalist
Zhang Zhan sentenced to four years for second time on charge often used by China to target government critics
By  Senior China correspondent

Zhang Zhan provoked the ire of the authorities after she travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the initial response to the Covid-19 outbreak. Photograph: YouTube/AFP/Getty Images

The UN, human rights groups and media freedom watchdogs have condemned reports that Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist, was sentenced to jail for the second time last week.

Zhang, 42, is thought to have stood trial in Shanghai on Friday on a charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a charge often used in China to target critics of the government. Western diplomats were reportedly turned away from observing the trial.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a media freedom NGO, said on Saturday that Zhang had been sentenced to four years in prison.

The sentencing came 16 months after she was released following a four-year sentence on the same charge. Zhang provoked the ire of the authorities after she travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the initial response to the Covid-19 outbreak. She was one of a number of independent journalists to be detained for broadcasting reports about the severe lockdown at ground zero of the pandemic. Continue reading Zhang Zhan sentenced a second time →

The Southern Discourse in Sinophone Literature

by at

Book publication: The Southern Discourse in Sinophone Literature: Moving Borders (Routledge, 2025)

This post shares the exciting news of the recent publication of The Southern Discourse in Sinophone Literature: Moving Borders (Routledge, 2025), a groundbreaking volume that explores the dynamic intersections of Sinophone studies, transnational literature, and “Southern” cultural imaginaries. Edited by Chia-rong Wu (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), Min-xu Zhan (National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan), Alison Groppe (University of Oregon, USA), and Yenna Wu (University of California, Riverside, USA), this volume brings together contributions from an impressive group of international scholars across Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania. The book is available both in print and digital formats, and its DOI is https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003594116.

The collection moves beyond a China-centered framework to examine “Southern discourse” as both a cultural and geographical concept, engaging with regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and Australia, in addition to the Chinese mainland. The essays collectively interrogate themes of hybridity, migration, racial dynamics, gender politics, Indigenous consciousness, translation, and global South–North relations. The fifteen chapters provide fresh perspectives that challenge binary oppositions and highlight the fluidity of borders in Sinophone cultural production. This book is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Sinophone literature, Chinese studies, comparative literature, diaspora studies, and cultural geography.

Posted by: Chia-rong Wu chiarong.wu@canterbury.ac.nz