NEW PALTZ — Da Chen, Hudson Valley resident and author of the nationally-acclaimed memoirColors of the Mountain (Random House, 2000), will speak at SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday, April 5. The presentation, free of charge and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in Studley Theatre.
Chen will open with an introductory talk, then read selections from Colors, which recently won the North Eastern Booksellers Association’s Discover Award, and has been praised as a candid, plainspoken coming-of-age tale set in Mao’s China. Trained in Chinese classical music, Chen will also perform on the dizi, or Chinese bamboo flute. The evening will conclude with questions from the audience and a booksigning in individualized brush calligraphy.
“Welcoming a new local author with national recognition carries special meaning for us,” said Kristine Harris, a professor in the History Department and the coordinator of the Asian Studies Program at New Paltz. She also said that Chen relates a story that touches on timeless themes friendship and betrayal, courtship and love, the strength of family, the importance of education, and finding one’s place in the world.
After growing up in the Fujian countryside, Chen earned a full scholarship to Columbia Law School. He subsequently worked at the Wall Street firm Rothschilds before moving to Highland N.Y. with his wife, Sunni, and two young children.
Chen is currently completing a 22-city author’s tour of the nation which has included a visit to the University of California at Berkeley. He has been interviewed by National Public Radio, C-Span, and The Washington Post. More than 200 fans attended a February 12 signing at Ariel Booksellers, New Paltz.
Harris concluded, “The evening should prove both popular and stimulating and especially illuminating for students, families and anyone interested in writing, music, or contemporary China.”
Chen’s presentation is being sponsored by the Asian Studies Program and the Student Association. It is also generating enthusiastic support from diverse campus organizations including the Asian Student Association, Computer Science Club, History Club, Korean Culture Union, and the Multi-Cultural Coalition of Teachers.
Studley Theatre is located in the Old Main Building and accessible by circular driveway from Plattekill Avenue. For more information on this event, please contact Harris at (845) 257-3546.
