Synopsis of Research in Shanghai (Sept 3 - Nov 30)：
Lin’s masters thesis is a collection of poetry on female Chinese American identity and its relationship to history and the body. Lin immigrated to the U.S. from China at the age of twelve, and has always felt like she was straddling two languages, not belonging to either one. Identity, then has become a central question that she explores in poetry, and a semester in Shanghai would provide her the access to historical documents and studies of Chinese language history. In particular, Lin is interested in researching the etymology of Chinese characters and how the bodies of the words inform our understanding of gender and identity. Moreover, she hopes to research the stories of Chinese immigrants who left China for the U.S. through the extensive historical archives at the Shanghai Library and by visiting the Shanghai Museum. In addition, an office space at the NYU Shanghai research site would give Lin a dedicated space to write and the opportunity to concentrate on her project.