Jun 27, 2023, 4:00–5:00 p.m. central time • Register
Join us for a free online discussion of Sandra Tsing Loh’s “My Father’s Chinese Wives,” a selection from our anthology Her Own Accord: American Women on Identity, Culture, and Community. Delve into the work of this fascinating artist, who tells the story of a young Jenna Chow, whose life is turned upside down when her eccentric father suddenly decides to get a mail-order bride from China.
We welcome everyone who is interested to join this discussion, whether you are a Great Books book-group participant, an educator who is newly interested in our unique approach, or an educator who has implemented Junior Great Books® in your classroom. Students who would like to take part are also urged to register (recommended for high school and above). We welcome all opinions, and we are eager to hear your interpretation of the story!
For this discussion, rather than reading the text, the group will listen to a recording made of Loh reading the story for Ira Glass’s National Public Radio program This American Life. You can access it here. This will give the group the opportunity to analyze not only the text itself, but the way Loh reads her own story and the emphasis she gives to certain passages or even individual words. It promises to be a fascinating and fulfilling exchange of ideas!
This discussion is a belated celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month; Loh is the daughter of a Chinese father and a German mother. She is not only a writer but a scientist, musician, and radio personality. She has a daily science commentary on NPR, The Loh Down on Science, and regularly appears on NPR’s Morning Edition and Marketplace.
We hope you will register today for this fun and exciting Shared Inquiry™ discussion facilitated by an expert Great Books leader. See you there!
