As part of Syracuse University’s Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month celebration, New York Times bestselling author Lisa See will hold a question-and-answer session on Monday, April 1, at 2:30 p.m. in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons on the first floor of Bird Library. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Central Library, Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Syracuse University Library.
From her international bestseller “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” to her bestseller “Shanghai Girls,” See’s novels are heavily influenced by her Chinese heritage and fascination with what she refers to as “forgotten history.”
See was born in Paris but grew up in Los Angeles. She lived with her mother, but spent a lot of time with her father’s family in Chinatown. Her first book, “On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family” (1995), was a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book. The book traces the journey of Lisa’s great-grandfather, Fong See, who overcame obstacles at every step to become the 100-year-old godfather of Los Angeles’s Chinatown and the patriarch of a sprawling family.
See is often referred to as a “book club favorite,” but her writing and work about her Chinese heritage go far beyond that realm. She has done extensive civic work, winning her the honor of National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women in 2001, and was the recipient of the Chinese American Museum’s History Maker Award in 2003.
In addition to writing books, See was the Publishers Weekly West Coast Correspondent for 13 years. As a freelance journalist, her articles have appeared in Vogue, Self and More, as well as in numerous book reviews around the country. A film version of “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” was released by Fox Searchlight in 2011.
See currently serves as a Los Angeles City Commissioner on the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Monument Authority. To learn more, visit her website at www.LisaSee.com.
For more information on the question-and-answer session or upcoming APA month events, contact Huey Hsiao, associate director in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, at huhsiao@syr.edu.
As part of the Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series, See will also be speaking on April 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Crouse-Hinds Theater at the Mulroy Civic Center. To purchase tickets, contact the Oncenter Box Office at 315-435-2121 or visit Ticketmaster online.
