Workshop on East Asia: Politics, Economy and Society ~Presents~

Socialism is Great!:

From Rocket Factory Girl to International Media

Lijia Zhang

Now a writer, journalist, social commentator and a TV show host, Zhang Lijia spent a decade in the 80’s working in a Nanjing factory, that produced inter-continental missiles capable of reaching North America.  To escape from the repressive routine, she taught herself English.  Her journey from a disillusioned worker to organizer in support of the Tiananmen Square demonstrators illuminates the sea-changes sweeping China in the reform era.  Lijia will discuss her book, her personal experiences of change in China over the past three decades, and her thoughts on China’s position in the world today.

4:00-5:30pm, FRIDAY (special session)

November 6, 2009

Pick Lounge

5828 South University Ave.

Workshop website: http://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/eastasia/

Student coordinator: Jean Lin (jeanlin@uchicago.edu)

Faculty sponsors: Dali Yang, Cheol-sung Lee, Dingxin Zhao (on leave)

The workshop is sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the Council on Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences.