Qian Julie Wang - "Beautiful Country" - Chicago Humanities Festival

Qian Julie Wang will discuss her memoir, "Beautiful Country." She will be joined in conversation by Greta Johnsen.

Presented in partnership with the Chicago Humanities Festival

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About the Book: In Chinese, the word for America, Mei Guo, translates directly to “beautiful country.” Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. In China, Qian’s parents were professors; in America, her family is “illegal” and it will require all the determination and small joys they can muster to survive.  Inhabiting her childhood perspective with exquisite lyric clarity and unforgettable charm and strength, Qian Julie Wang has penned an essential American story about a family fracturing under the weight of invisibility, and a girl coming of age in the shadows, who never stops seeking the light.

About the Author: Qian Julie Wang is a graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College. Formerly a commercial litigator, she is now managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP, a firm dedicated to advocating for education and civil rights. Her writing has appeared in major publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. is a graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College. Formerly a commercial litigator, she is now managing partner of Gottlieb & Wang LLP, a firm dedicated to advocating for education and civil rights. Her writing has appeared in major publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

About the Interlocutor: Greta Johnsen hosts and produces WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast, where she has interviewed authors like Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, and Stephen King. Greta has a BA in English from Saint Olaf College and a MS in Journalism from Northwestern University.