Two beloved local authors will join us to discuss their new and forthcoming books, the research process for writing historical stories, and so much more.
Join us to hear two beloved local authors, Susan Blumberg-Kason and Cristina Henríquez, in conversation discussing their new and forthcoming books, the research process for writing historical stories, and so much more. This event is in celebration of Susan's new work, Bernardine’s Shanghai Salon. Copies will be available for checkout starting November 7th. Keep an eye out for Cristina's forthcoming book in Spring 2024.
We will have copies of Bernardine's Shanghai Salon for sale during the event! You can also purchase a copy of either author's books in advance. Look for Susan's books here and Cristina's books here. We will also raffle off 5 copies of Bernardine's Shanghai Salon during the event.
Susan Blumberg-Kason
Susan Blumberg-Kason is the author of Bernardine’s Shanghai Salon: The Story of the Doyenne of Old China and Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair with China Gone Wrong. She is also the co-editor of Hong Kong Noir. Susan is a regular contributor to the Asian Review of Books and Cha: An Asian Literary Journal. Her work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, World Literature Today, PopMatters, and the South China Morning Post. She received an MPhil in Government and Public Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she researched provincial assemblies in the late Qing dynasty. She was born, raised, and is now based in the Chicago suburbs.
Cristina Henríquez
Cristina Henríquez is the author of The Book of Unknown Americans, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s 10 Best Books of the Year. It was the Daily Beast Novel of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, a Target Book of the Month selection, and was chosen one of the best books of the year by BookPage, Oprah.com, and School Library Journal. It was also longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Henriquez is also the author The World In Half (a novel), and Come Together, Fall Apart: A Novella and Stories, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection. Her forthcoming novel, The Great Divide, about the building of the Panama Canal, will be published in 2024.
Bernardine's Shanghai Salon: The Story of the Doyenne of Old China
Meet the Jewish salon host in 1930s Shanghai who brought together Chinese and expats around the arts as civil war erupted and World War II loomed on the horizon.
Bernardine Szold Fritz arrived in Shanghai in 1929 to marry her fourth husband. Only thirty-three years old, she found herself in a time and place like no other. Political intrigue and scandal lurked on every street corner. Art Deco cinemas showed the latest Hollywood flicks, while dancehall owners and jazz musicians turned Shanghai into Asia’s top nightlife destination.
Yet from the night of their wedding, Bernardine’s new husband did not live up to his promises. Instead of feeling sorry for herself or leaving Shanghai, Bernardine decided to make a place for herself. Like other Jewish women before her, she started a salon in her home, drawing famous names from the world of politics, the arts, and the intelligentsia. She introduced Emily Hahn, the charismatic opium-smoking writer for The New Yorker, to the flamboyant hotelier Sir Victor Sassoon and legendary poet Sinmay Zau. And when Hollywood stars Anna May Wong, Charlie Chaplin, and Claudette Colbert passed through Shanghai, Bernardine organized gatherings to introduce them to their Shanghai contemporaries.
When Bernardine’s salon could not accommodate all who wanted to attend, she founded the International Arts Theater to produce avant-garde plays, ballets, lectures, and visual arts exhibits, often pushing audiences beyond their comfort zones. As civil war brewed and World War II soon followed, Bernardine’s devotion to the arts and the people of Shanghai brought joy to the city just before it would change forever.
