2019 Pittsburgh Humanities Festival to feature Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan, "Crazy Rich Asians and the Power of Representation."

via @kevinkwanbooks

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes today that the 2019 Pittsburgh Humanities Festival will feature Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan. The festival introduces "An Evening with Kevin Kwan: Crazy Rich Asians and the Power of Representation":

Kevin Kwan’s breakout debut novel, Crazy Rich Asians, has become something of a cultural phenomenon, topping bestseller lists worldwide, spawning two bestselling sequels and inspiring a #1 movie. Also the first romantic comedy from a major Hollywood studio to feature a lead actor and actress of Asian descent, the release of this film is now considered a watershed moment to many Asians and Asian-Americans.

In this interview, Kwan discusses the (unanticipated) cultural impact of his novels and describes how the climate in many industries, particularly entertainment, is already changing. Discussing the wide spectrum and multiple facets of Asians around the world, Kwan also explores the unimaginable wealth disparity rarely discussed.

Asian Film and Family Film Screenings and Discussion, October 21 at Pitt.

via Hankook Ilbo.

The University of Pittsburgh's Alumni Association will host "Asian Film and Family Film Screenings and Discussion" on October 21.

Plan to attend a captivating screening of three short films that poignantly and candidly depict modern Asian family life. The lens through which each of us sees “family” is unique to our own personal experiences and is strongly influenced by the cultures in which we live. This cross-cultural presentation will enlighten participants on the differences and similarities we share when it comes to the human concept of family. The subject matter of the films may not be appropriate for children.

After the screening, Meghan Hynson from the Department of Music will do a hands-on demonstration and talk on the Indonesian angklung, a small, portable bamboo rattle that is pitched to the Western scale and played by shaking.

The cost is $20 per person and will include an alumni and friends networking reception.

It runs from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Cloisters (map). Registration and payment may be completed online.

All-you-can-eat sushi place opens in Robinson.

Sushi Bomb recently opened across from The Mall at Robinson, offering all-you-can-eat sushi. It replaces York Buffet and the short-lived Sushi Cho, both of which are part of a recent spree of Asian buffet closings that includes Dynasty in Cranberry, Old Town Buffet in the South Hills, and TJ Buffet in the North Hills.

New Pokemon movie The Power of Us (劇場版ポケットモンスター みんなの物語) around Pittsburgh in November.

The latest Pokemon movie The Power of Us (劇場版ポケットモンスター みんなの物語) will play in the Pittsburgh area from November 24. The distributor provides a summary:

A young athlete whose running days might be behind her, a compulsive liar, a shy researcher, a bitter old woman, and a little girl with a big secret—the only thing they have in common is the annual Wind Festival in Fula City.

The festival celebrates the Legendary Pokémon Lugia, who brings the wind that powers this seaside city. When a series of threats endangers not just the festival, but all the people and Pokémon of Fula City, it’ll take more than just Ash and Pikachu to save the day! Can everyone put aside their differences and work together—or will it all end in destruction?

The movie plays in English on November 24, 26, 28, and December 1 at Southside Works, AMC Loews Waterfront, and the Cinemark Theaters in Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Japanese Conversation Table, October 19 at Pitt.

"Osaka, Japan" by Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons)

Pitt's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will hold its next Japanese Conversation Table on Friday, October 19. It's a chance for native Japanese speakers and members of the Pitt community learning Japanese to meet and practice outside of the classroom. The sessions meet in 244A of the Cathedral of Learning (map) from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on October 19, November 2, and November 30.

"Comfort Women: The Legacy of Sexual Slavery in Asia," October 19 and 20 at Pitt.

Twenty Two, by Guo Ke, screens on October 19.

The Allegheny County Bar Association and the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present a "Comfort Women: The Legacy of Sexual Slavery in Asia" conference on October 19 and 20.

As a collaborative partnership between the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Asian Studies Center, the Comfort Women: The Legacy of Sexual Slavery in Asia conference will focus on the historical and legal aspects of sexual enslavement of women by the military in the years before and during World War II. Reaching beyond the actual historical events, the conference will explore the reasons for the long silence and how performance practices—protests, tribunals, theater, and memorial building projects are used to demand justice for those who suffered the state-sponsored acts of sexual violence both in Asia and here in America. The conference provides the framework for understanding how actions designed to bring about redress can shift from the legal aspects to its cultural and social possibilities.

2018 movie Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions The Movie: Take O (映画 中二病でも恋がしたい！ -Take On Me) in Pittsburgh, November 4.

The 2018 Japanese animated movie Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions The Movie: Take O (映画 中二病でも恋がしたい！ -Take On Me) will play in Pittsburgh on November 4.

The Vertical Ray of the Sun (Mùa hè chiều thẳng đứng) at Maridon Museum, October 25.

The next installment of this fall's film series at the Maridon Museum is the 2000 Vietnamese film The Vertical Ray of the Sun (Mùa hè chiều thẳng đứng) on October 25.

UPMC hiring bilingual Mandarin(or Cantonese)-English administrative assistant in Squirrel Hill.

UPMC is hiring a bilingual Chinese-English administrative assistant for an office in Squirrel Hill.

University of Pittsburgh Physicians is seeking a full-time Administrative Assistant - Associate to support the Department of Family Medicine at the UPMC Squirrel Hill Family Practice in the Wilkins Building!

Under direct supervision, the Associate Administrative Assistant provides general administrative support to a department or group of professionals.

The ideal candidate for this position will be bilingual, specifically being fluent in both English and Mandarin (or Cantonese). This position includes, but is not limited to, helping patients understand directions/information and scheduling patient appointments.

More information, and application instructions, available at the job posting on UPMC's website.

The Journey of a North Korean Refugee, October 16 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Students Alliance and Liberty in North Korea chapter will present "The Journey of a North Korean Refugee" on Tuesday, October 16.

University of Pittsburgh: International Week 10/13-10/20 - The Asian Students Alliance and Pitt Liberty in North Korea will be presenting a guided audio-visual tour through the life of a North Korean refugee in three parts: oppression in North Korea, escape, and life after. Every year, thousands of North Koreans risk their lives to escape political and economic oppression. We hope that through this event you can catch a glimpse of the 3000 mile journey that these North Korean refugees undergo.

It runs from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm in the William Pitt Union's Lower Lounge (map).