In the Spotlight

The Mount's next "Women in China" lecture will be delivered Jan. 31 by Shu-mei Shih on "Women in 20th Century Chinese Literature." Shih's talk will include discussion of writer Eileen Chang (above) and her work during the Republican Revolution period of 1911-1949.

What does the work of Chinese women novelists tell us when placed in the context of some of the 20th century's most dramatic, historic upheavals - during the Communist Revolution for example? 

Shu-mei Shih will offer some answers this Thursday, Jan. 31, during a discussion of "Women in 20th Century Chinese Literature," part of Mount St. Mary's ongoing, six-part series on "Women in China." The series invites expert scholars to explore and explain the evolution of gender roles from ancient China through the 21st century.

Shih's Jan. 31 talk will take place at 6 p.m. in the Pompeian Room of the College's historic Doheny Mansion. Attendance is free. RSVP at www.msmc.la.edu/WomenInChina.

Shih is a UCLA professor of comparative literature, Asian languages and cultures, and Asian-American studies. "Women in 20th Century Chinese Literature" will focus on these women of literature in the context of major historical upheavals such as the Republican Revolution, the Communist Revolution, the Cultural Revolution and Post-Socialism.

A question-and-answer period will follow the lecture, which takes place from 6-7 p.m. inside Mount St. Mary’s historic Doheny Mansion on the College’s downtown campus. This free lecture is open to the public. For more information, or to RSVP to reserve a seat, visit www.msmc.la.edu/WomenInChina.

Each lecture in the "Women in China" series features top scholars in Chinese history, poetry, art, literature and cinema. The free events are funded by a two-year $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The speaker series is part of the College’s project, “Women in China: Internationalizing the Humanities and Professional Studies Curricula,” which launched in July to integrate international cultures into undergraduate and graduate coursework. The project ties humanities courses into the Mount’s professional schools of nursing, physical therapy, education and business.