The BackLit series pairs student interviewers with visiting writers for short, in-depth conversations about craft and writing.

Zang Di 臧棣

Eleanor Goodman 顾爱玲

NYU global student João Thomaz Londres interviews to Eleanor Goodman 顾爱玲, an American poet, writer and translator of Chinese. Goodman joined the acclaimed Chinese poet Zang Di 臧棣 for a bilingual reading of his collection The Roots of Wisdom.

Helen Schulman

João Thomaz Londres interviews Helen Schulman, an American novelist, short story, non-fiction, and screenwriter. At NYU Shanghai, Schulman read from her short story “In a Better Place”.

Bruce Handy

NYU global student João Thomaz Londres spoke to Bruce Handy, an American author and editor. At NYU Shanghai, Bruce Handy read from his 2017 book, Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult.

Jill Magi

NYU Global student João Thomaz Londres interviews to Jill Magi, a writer, artist, critic, and educator, working in text, image and textile.

Sandra Simonds

João Thomaz Londres interviews Sandra Simonds, an American poet and critic. At NYU Shanghai, Simonds read from her collection Further Problems with Pleasure, winner of the 2015 Akron Poetry Prize.

Karina Puente 

NYU Gallatin student William Denning interviews Karina Puente, a Peruvian architect, urban designer, and illustrator. Puente shared some of her notebooks and drawings inspired by Italian author Italo Calvino’s 1972 novel Invisible Cities, accompanied by readings of Calvino’s work from NYU Shanghai students.

Victoria Chang

NYU Shanghai student Luc Risbeck interviews the poet Victoria Chang. Chang was at NYU Shanghai for a reading of her fourth book of poetry, Barbie Chang.

Robin Hemley

NYU Gallatin student William Denning interviews Robin Hemley, an American novelist, non-fiction writer, and professor. Hemley is the author of 10 books of non-fiction and fiction. At NYU Shanghai, Hemley read from his popular fiction-writing guidebook, Turning Life into Fiction.

Tse Hao Guang

NYU Shanghai student Haitian Ma interviews Tse Hao Guang, a Singaporean poet and editor. At NYU Shanghai, Tse read from his 2016 collection Deeds of Light, published by Math Paper Press.

Daryl Lim Wei Jie

NYU Shanghai student Haitian Ma interviews Daryl Lim Wei Jie, a Singaporean poet and critic. Lim read from his 2016 collection A Book of Changes, published by Math Paper Press.

Lijia Zhang

NYU global student João Thomaz Londres interviewed Lijia Zhang, a novelist, social commentator, and public speaker based in Beijing. At NYU Shanghai, Zhang read from her 2017 novel Lotus and shared insights about broader social issues of gender inequality in China’s reform era.

James Sherry

Senior Lecturer David Perry interviews James Sherry, an American critic, poet and translator. At NYU Shanghai, Sherry read from his 2016 collection Entangled Bank, and discussed the intersection of poetry with environmentalism in the age of globalization. Sherry also discussed his involvement in The Reciprocal Translation Project, focusing on translation between American and Chinese poets.