12 Acclaimed Books on Taiwan Literature and Film

On October 10, President Tsai Ing-wen noted in her National Day address the record performance of Taiwan’s athletes, noting “We had waited so long for that moment, for Taiwan’s achievements, Taiwan’s confidence, and Taiwan’s courage to be seen and appreciated by the world.” This is not just in the athletic arena but in other areas such as arts and culture as...

Book Excerpt from From Rural China to the Ivy League by Yü Ying-shih (Chapter 1)

In his book From Rural China to the Ivy League: Reminiscences of Transformations in Modern Chinese History, published just a month after he passed away, Professor Yü Ying-shih recalls his childhood in China, showing how his love of learning and his exposure to the harsh realities of life both came early. The following is an excerpt from chapter 1 “Rural...

Book Excerpt from Mo Yan Speaks

Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, whose name literally means “don’t speak,” is renowned for his fiction, which includes The Garlic Ballads; Red Sorghum; Shifu, You’ll Do Anything for a Laugh; Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out; The Republic of Wine; and Big Breasts and Wide Hips (all translated into English by Professor Howard Goldblatt). Mo Yan’s fiction has captivated a global audience for years, and his speeches...

Book Excerpt from “Military Strategy for the 21st Century”

This book by Lieutenant General Charles Cleveland, Dr. Benjamin Jensen, Colonel Susan Bryant, and Lieutenant Colonel Arnel David calls for the rethinking of how the U.S. national security community approaches population-centric warfare and strategic competition in the 21st century. Strategic advantage in the 21st century will emerge from mapping human geography in a connected world, leveraging key relationships, and applying a...

Excerpt from Negotiating the New START Treaty by Rose Gottemoeller

On Anatoly Antonov, her Russian counterpart in negotiating the treaty, Rose Gottemoller reveals: We had a wary mutual respect. That mutual respect was almost upended, though, by the “tough-girl negotiator” incident. After the April meeting of the presidents, we were driving a hard pace to complete the new treaty. As we entered June and were preparing for a July encounter...

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Professor Yü Ying-shih

We are greatly saddened by the passing of Professor Yü Ying-shih, whom we came to know through his memoir, From Rural China to the Ivy League: Reminiscences of Transformations in Modern Chinese History, which was scheduled to be published this month. Professor Yü set the gold standard for humanity and scholarship. As noted by Professor Michael S. Duke and Professor...

Paths of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Chapter 12: Picturing Homes and Border Crossings: The Slavery Trope in Films of the Black Atlantic

In the twelfth and final chapter of Paths of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Interactions, Identities, and Images, Awam Amkpa and Gunja SenGupta examine three films—Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust (United States, 1991), Euzhan Palcy’s Rue Cases-Nègres (Martinique, 1983), and Ousmane Sembène’s Ceddo (Senegal, 1977)—to examine the representation of slavery. The authors argue that on discursive and stylistic levels, these...

Paths of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Chapter 11: Slaves Supplicant and Slaves Triumphant: The Middle Passage of an Abolitionist Icon

In the eleventh chapter of Paths of the Atlantic Slave Trade:Interactions, Identities, and Images, Jeffrey R. Kerr-Richie examines a transition in the visual representation of the slave from the beseeching captive to the grateful ex-slave and argues that the popular visual image of slave supplication was crucial in constructing the metaphorical image of ex-slaves’ gratitude for their freedom. Even though...

Paths of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Chapter 10: Hidden Beneath the Surface: Atlantic Slavery in Winslow Homer’s Gulf Stream

In Chapter 10 of Paths of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Interactions, Identities, and Images, Peter H. Wood examines North American artist Winslow Homer’s famous 1899 painting, The Gulf Stream. Homer’s masterpiece is set in the Atlantic between Cuba and North America, with a distant ship and an ominous storm in the background. A solitary black man, adrift on a small...

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