Event Details

WHAT: An online talk by Jeremiah Jenne on American writer and illustrator Graham Peck's classic China travelogue Two Kinds of Time


WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7:00-8:00 PM Beijing time (online)


ABOUT THE EVENT: At first glance, Two Kinds of Time may seem like just another memoir about Chinaโ€”an American writer and illustrator documenting his wartime experiences in the 1940s. However, Graham Peck's account is also a sharp and at times darkly humorous meditation on a nation in the grip of war and revolution.

With an artist's skillโ€”figuratively and literallyโ€”Peck sketched a portrait of China as it unraveled under the weight of war, political upheaval, and foreign intervention. His incisive critiques of Nationalist corruption, firsthand observations of America's support of Chiang Kai-shek, and astute insights into the Chinese Revolution make Two Kinds of Time an essential document of 20th-century China. At the same time, Peck's prescient warnings about U.S. foreign policy and the limits of American power remain relevant 75 years after the book's publication.

In this retrospective book talk, we revisit Peck's world, exploring his fusion of travelogue, sketchbook, political analysis, and personal reflection. We'll discuss his travels, his encounters with wartime figures, and the resonance of his conclusions about America's missteps in China.

Join historian, writer, and China Books Review columnist Jeremiah Jenne as we rediscover a book that foresaw the future even as it chronicled a fading past.


ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Jeremiah is a writer and historian who was based in Beijing for over two decades. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and taught Late Imperial and Modern Chinese History for 17 years. Now in Geneva, Switzerland, he is the lead columnist for The Archive Picks section at the China Books Review and hosts the podcast Barbarians at the Gate. You can follow him and his new project, which looks at historical travel and historical travelers on Substack at By Their Own Compass.


HOW MUCH: This online event is free for RASBJ members; RMB 50 for members of RAS branches in London, Shanghai and Hong Kong; RMB 100 for non-members.


HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I Will Attend" by noon Feb. 10 and follow the instructions. After successful registration you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the event. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS branches: Please register at least 72 hours in advance to allow time for membership verification. You will receive several emails from RASBJ; please check your spam folder to ensure you see all our emails. If you encounter difficulties paying with Wechat Pay, you may wish to try Alipay instead; international credit cards are also accepted.


REFUND POLICY: If the event is cancelled by RASBJ, all paid-up registrants will be refunded.

Speakers

  • Jeremiah Jenne (Speaker)

    Jeremiah Jenne

    Speaker

    https://jeremiahjenne.com

    Dr. Jeremiah Jenne is a writer and historian who was based in Beijing for over two decades. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and taught Late Imperial and Modern Chinese History for 17 years. Now in Geneva, Switzerland, he is the lead columnist for The Archive Picks section at the "China Books Review" and hosts the podcast "Barbarians at the Gate". You can follow him and his new project, which looks at historical travel and historical travelers on Substack at"By Their Own Compass".

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