November 21, 2015 – Saturday, the first session of NYU Shanghai’s Literary Reading Series 2015-16 was introduced by lecturer and poet David Perry. Author and NYU Shanghai lecturer Dan Keane, followed by Timothy Tomlinson, NYU Global Liberal Studies program Master Teacher of Writing, read excerpts from their recent works.
Keane kicked off the event with The Lazarus Correction, the first chapter of his forthcoming novel set in Bolivia. With gut-wrenching realism driving plot and his reporter protagonists, Keane’s reading left the audience hinged and hungry for more.
Tomlinson captivated with a collection of poems from Yolanda, An Oral History In Verse, inspired by his interviews with survivors of the Yolanda typhoon that devastated the Philippines in 2013. Striking photos of the interviewees and a recurring motif: "fear of death and loss," brought the audience into each poem’s personal space and unique voice. Tomlinson worked with the vernacular of each survivor’s story, allowing versifications and rhyme schemes to sculpt a poetic appropriation.
The readings were followed by an engaging discussion session, where both authors reflected on a common feature of their works: being a credible voice for an underprivileged layer of society.