Books and Music
"Border Crossings," Sydney Review of Books, 30 May 2017
An essay that uses the new memoir, Once Upon a Time in the East, as a springboard for surveying the career of Chinese novelist and filmmaker Guo Xiaolu (author of I Am China).
“A Space to Dream,” Sydney Review of Books, 5 December 2016
An essay reflecting on historical narratives in two new books about China – the novel by Canadian author Madeleine Thien, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, and a non-fiction account of Chinese contemporary art in the post-Mao era by Australian journalist Madeleine O'Dea, The Phoenix Years.
“We Are All Dispensable” - Confessions of an Elevator Operator, TheBeijinger.com, October 21, 2009
Interview with Beijing author Jimmy Qi, whose Yu Li: Confessions of an Elevator Operator is an uproarious tale of China’s surplus labor. Yu Li (whose name literally means “extra manpower”) is a migrant worker transported from rural China to the lift of one of Beijing’s classiest apartment blocks, stuffed with celebrities and important officials. The responsibility of transporting these powerful men and alluring women from floor to floor is almost more than a country boy can handle, especially with a “nuclear weapon” in his pants ready to go off at any moment.
Salt of the Earth – Buyi Launch their Second Album, The Beijinger.com, September 25, 2009
Buyi’s (布衣) rough-hewn, folk-inflected rock has long been a mainstay of Beijing’ live music scene, inspiring a hardcore following of fervent fans. On the eve of the release of their eponymous second album, Dan talks to lead singer Wu Ningyue in Beijing.
That Was Shit!, RealTime 92, Aug-Sept, 2009
Dan Edwards and Gail Priest talk to Rice屎Corpse, a noise trio put together by Sydney-based artist Lucas Abela, featuring Chinese musicians Yang Yang on drums and Li Zenghui on piano. Rice屎Corpse recently released their debut CD and toured 10 cities in China.
The Fourth Estate, Radio 2SER, Sydney, 24 July, 2009
Dan Edwards appeared on The Fourth Estate, Shevonne Hunt's radio program on developments in global media, discussing online writing in China. A podcast of the program can be downloaded here.
China's New Generation of Online Novelists, New Matilda, 22 July, 2009
Dan Edwards takes a look China's online literature phenomenon. For the first time in over half a century, the internet has provided mainland Chinese with a space in which they can read and write fiction free from the dictates of state ideology.
Lost Souls Adrift in a Materialistic River, Sydney Morning Herald, May 16-17, 2009
Profile of controversial Chinese author Murong Xuecun, whose novel Leave Me Alone was recently translated into English for the first time and published in Australia.
Love and Socialism on Revolution's Factory Floor, The Age, 9 Aug 2008
Profile of Chinese writer Zhang Lijia, in which she discusses "Socialism is Great!", her book about growing up in 1980s China. This article also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, Aug 23-24, 2008.
Review of Zhang Lijia's "Socialism is Great!", Time Out Beijing, Summer 2008
Zhang Lijia's memoir is a lively account of love, sex and intellectual ferment growing up in Nanjing during the 1980s.
Dylan's 60s Revisited, RealTime 71, Feb-March 2006
Dylan's seminal 60s work reconsidered through the books of Greil Marcus and the Martin Scorsese documentary, No Direction Home.
Skimming the Surface, Senses of Cinema, issue number 32, July-Sept 2004
A review of Walkabout by Louis Nowra, part of the 'Australian Screen Classics' series examining the Nicholas Roeg film of the same name from 1971. Unfortunately Nowra offers a disappointingly prosaic reading of the film.
Review of the Necks double album Mosquito/See Through, 2004
From the 'Earbash' section of the RealTime website.
Above: Madeleine Thien's new novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, traces the story of a family of
musicians through China's tumultuous recent history. Dan wrote about Thien's book for The Sydney Review of Books.
Lucas Abela of Rice屎Corpse in action, with drummer Yang Yang behind in a Panda suit. Dan and Gail Priest wrote about Rice屎Corpse for RealTime.
