Da Chen "Colors of the Mountain" Reading and Lecture

Georgia State University CENCIA Five from Five Series

Da Chen Colors of the Mountain Reading and Lecture Friday, February 7, 11am Centennial Hall Auditorium 100 Auburn Avenue Atlanta, GA

and

Chinese Bamboo Flute and Calligraphy Presentation Friday, February 7, 9am Centennial Hall Room 120 100 Auburn Avenue Atlanta, GA

The sponsors of the event include: CENCIA (Center for Collaborative and International Arts), Center for Collaborative Scholarship in the Humanities, Georgia Humanities Council, the Confucius Institute, the Asian Studies Center, the College of Arts and Science Dean’s Office, the College of Art and Sciences International Programs, Political Science Honor Society, the Honors College and the Office of International Initiatives.

These events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact: cencia@gsu.edu or 404-413-5013.

About Da Chen and Colors of the Mountain: “Da Chen describes his youth in mainland China with engaging humor and affecting warmth. It's often a harrowing tale: born in 1962, Chen was the grandson of a landlord, which rendered his entire family pariahs during the Cultural Revolution. And though initially an excellent student, he was ostracized in school and told he could never attend college. He responded by making friends with a group of young thugs who drank, smoked, and gambled but were kind to him. After Mao died in 1976, the budding juvenile delinquent discovered that higher education might be available to him after all. Chen worked hard to make up for years of neglected studies, and his memoir closes with a jubilant scene as he and his brother Jin are both accepted into college; for his suffering family, ‘thirty years of humiliation had suddenly come to an end.’ Chen's lucid yet emotional prose unsparingly portrays a topsy-turvy society where unfairness reigns and the rules are arbitrarily changed without warning, but his zest for life and sharp eye for character make even the most awful moments grimly funny. This is no saga of victimization, but a thrilling account of an ordeal that fosters spiritual growth. Readers will cheer Chen's triumph over daunting odds.” (Amazon.com, Wendy Smith)

Da Chen arrived in America at the age of 23. He attended Columbia University School of Law on a full scholarship, and upon graduating, worked for the Wall Street investment banking firm of Rothschilds, Inc. He now lives in California, writes, plays the bamboo flute, and demonstrates calligraphy. He is the author of seven novels, three of which are for young adult readers. www.dachen.org/ http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Mountain-Chen/dp/0385720602