Mark Levine's memoir opens a window into China
- By Wendy Lu
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 8, 2014
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Mark Levine has visited 20 Chinese provinces and met a wide variety of people. |
In the first chapter, Mark tells the story of Wyatt, a student in his senior year who took Mark's Western culture class at Huaiyin Teachers College. Unlike most students, Wyatt didn't search for a job after graduation. Instead, he spent the next whole year preparing for a master's program and studying hard on his own. One year later, he'd been admitted to Peking University!
"[That's like] going from school number 320 – like some state college – to being admitted to graduate school at Harvard for his master's degree," says Mark, adding that Wyatt recently received his PhD degree from Hong Kong University.
This is the core of what Mark's book is about – the determination of Chinese people to reach their dreams in the face of obstacles.
"I have several stories of people like this, where there was something they were committed to and wouldn't let anything get in the way," Mark says.
After Mark moved from Huai'an to Beijing in April 2007, he started composing several songs inspired by the experiences he'd had so far. It wasn't enough for a book, though, he thought.
"The songs led to more experiences and meeting more people and going to more places. As a result, finally, I said, 'Okay, now I have a book,'" says Mark, who began writing in January 2013 and finished in September.
More than just a memoir, "Stories from My Chinese Journey" is made up of "a year of conversations" with friends he's made along the way and a unique combination of personal accounts about his teaching, songwriting and performing adventures that many haven't had.
Though foreigners are the target audience of his book, English-speaking Chinese readers have also connected with Mark's stories and sent him messages such as, "Mark, this is like a window! We're able to see how you see us!"
The book launch for "Stories from My Chinese Journey" took place in late April at Minzu University, where Mark has taught for seven years. About 200 people attended the launch, which was organized by Mark's work partner and close friend, Fu Han. At the launch, Mark sang with Fu Han and several students wearing clothing from different Chinese ethnic groups.
For Mark, the most rewarding part about finishing his book has been "going to publisher to pick it up and say, 'This is my book!' Standing there at the book launch, hearing various people talking about the book and my work and telling them about the experiences. The reward is actually still coming. I get to tell more people about it."
Fans of Mark Levine can find his new book at Amazon.cn (Amazon China), dangdang.com or their nearest Xinhua Bookstore.
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