A Novel of Old Shanghai: In Conversation with Weina Dai Randel, by Susan Blumberg-Kason

Interviews   Weina Dai Randel burst onto the literary scene a number of years ago with her duology about Empress Wu Zetian, China’s first woman leader. After winning the prestigious Rita Award in 2017 and seeing her novels translated into seven languages, she is back now with a new historical novel set in 1940s Shanghai. Keeping with her love of strong women characters, her new book, The Last Rose of Shanghai, centers on a nightclub owner named Aiyi Shao who falls for a Jewish refugee who had recently escaped Nazi Germany. Through their love of jazz, they develop a forbidden bond set during one of Shanghai’s most volatile and exciting eras. Randel is the first Chinese American author to write about Shanghai Jewish refugees, although there have been dozens of memoirs, narratives, and novels about this phenomenon from Jewish authors. We recently spoke over Zoom about what made Shanghai so special and why it matters now, along with the reasons Jews escaped to Shanghai during World War II and how Chinese and Jewish traditions are so similar. Susan Blumberg-Kason: It seems that the popularity of 1930s and ’40s Shanghai rose both in China and the US about twenty-five years ago. Can you talk about the appeal of this time and why it’s so special, both to people in the US and China? Weina Dai Randel: I think many aspects of Old Shanghai appeal to us today. From the late 1920s to the early 1940s, the period of Old Shanghai was a symbol of... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2022-01-20 14:33:49 UTC ]

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The best early Amazon October Prime Day Deals for 2023

Amazon's second Prime-related event for 2023 is officially called Prime Big Deal Days and will happen October 10 and 11. This is the second year in a row for a fall-based, site-wide Amazon sale and we're already seeing discounts pop up. You'll need a Prime membership to... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-02 17:30:05 UTC ]
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AI Detection Startups Say Amazon Could Flag AI Books. It Doesn't

Amazon has taken some steps to stem the tide of books written with artificial intelligence, but another solution may already exist. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2023-09-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
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With a Twist, Sale of RBmedia Completed

The private equity firm KKR has completed its sale of audiobook publisher RBmedia to investment firm H.I.G. Capital and private equity firm Francisco Partners. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Summary and Analysis of Ray Bradbury’s ‘The City’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘The City’ is a short story about revenge best served cold. Written by the American author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), the story was included in his 1952 collection The Illustrated Man. The story is about a city which has waited twenty thousand years... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-09-17 14:00:52 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Rights Meeting 2: Developments in Audio

Not all international audiobook markets are evolving at the same pace, according to speakers at the second online Frankfurt Rights Meeting. The post Frankfurt Rights Meeting 2: Developments in Audio appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-16 00:02:33 UTC ]
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Audiobook Review: ‘The Ghost Club,’ by Kate Winkler Dawson

Kate Winkler Dawson’s audiobook original reveals the origins of a society of occult-obsessed supernaturalists that included Dickens, Doyle, Yeats and more. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-18 09:00:23 UTC ]
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Werner Herzog Is the Voice of A.I. Poetry

When asked to narrate an audiobook of machine-generated verse, Mr. Herzog readily agreed. “I wasn’t the best choice,” he said. “I was the only choice.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-14 09:00:32 UTC ]
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Christine Baranski and Jesse Green on Narrating the Life of Mary Rodgers

Actor Christine Baranski and New York Times theater critic Jesse Green join host Jo Reed in a special bonus edition of Behind the Mic. The two teamed up to create the audiobook of Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers, written by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green. Mary Rodgers was the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-11 08:22:34 UTC ]
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9 of the Best Video Game and Audiobook Pairings

These video game and audiobook pairings complement each other for the ideal playing and listening experience. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-10 10:34:00 UTC ]
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10 Bookish Jigsaw Puzzles For All Your Audiobook Reading Time

If your fingers are itching to put together a puzzle and you're delighted by bookish things, get into these bookish jigsaw puzzles.- Jamie Canaves Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-07 10:31:00 UTC ]
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Lit Hub Daily: August 4, 2023

How author Aimie K. Runyan found a new way to approach story for her “reluctant reader” children. | Lit Hub Parenting “My wife was actually kind of freaked out by how happy I was during that time.” Adrian Tomine on the delight of collaborating on the film adaptation of his graphic novel... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-04 10:30:27 UTC ]
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The Sales Numbers on Books by Supreme Court Justices

A recent New York Times article put a spotlight on the book deals made by sitting justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. But how have books written by Supreme Court justices sold? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Libro.fm Opens, Audiobook Sales Through Local Bookstores

The seven-year-old Seattle-based Libro.fm opens a Bookshop.org-style audiobook-selling service in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The post Libro.fm Opens, Audiobook Sales Through Local Bookstores appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-07-26 13:34:20 UTC ]
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Equity Firm Eyeing Simon & Schuster to Sell RBmedia for $1 Billion

In what is likely a record price for an audiobook publisher, KKR, the private equity firm that owns RBmedia—and a rumored contender to buy S&S—is selling the company for an alleged $1 billion sum. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops back to $250, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week's best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-21 15:15:52 UTC ]
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The best early Prime Day deals for 2023

Amazon Prime Day 2023 is almost here, but you can still snag some early deals before the two-day shopping event begins in earnest. We've rounded up the best early Prime Day deals we can find below. Remember that you'll need to subscribe to Prime to take advantage of many (but not all) of the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-10 18:45:44 UTC ]
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The best early Prime Day deals for 2023

Amazon Prime Day 2023 is a few days away on July 11th, but you don't have to wait until then to get a good deal. The company has started to roll out a few early Prime Day deals before the two-day shopping event officially commences, including, as expected, several discounts on its own devices... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-09 13:05:03 UTC ]
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The best early Prime Day deals for 2023

Amazon Prime Day 2023 is a few days away on July 11th, but you don't have to wait until then to get a good deal. The company has started to roll out a few early Prime Day deals before the two-day shopping event officially commences, including, as expected, several discounts on its own devices... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-07 14:29:48 UTC ]
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The best early Prime Day deals for 2023

Amazon Prime Day 2023 is one week away on July 11th, but you don't have to wait until then to get a good deal. The company has started to roll out a few early Prime Day deals before the two-day shopping event officially commences, including, as expected, several discounts on its own devices and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-04 12:48:53 UTC ]
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Trump Lawyers Argue Copyright Suit Against Woodward, S&S Should Proceed

The former president's lawyers contend that he was speaking in his personal capacity, not as president of the United States, when he gave a series or recorded interviews later used in the 2022 audiobook 'The Trump Tapes.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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