New York Times Best-Selling Author, Da Chen Reads at SUNY Ulster November 2

STONE RIDGE, NY, October 23, 2010 (Press-News.org) Through his reading, acclaimed author Da Chen of Highland promises to inspire audience members about discovering their uniqueness during two readings at SUNY Ulster on Nov. 2, through the Herbert H. and Sofia P. Reuner Library Writers Series presented by The Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc.

Chen, whose novels are themed around hope, survival and living the impossible, will share his experiences from growing up in the deep south of China to becoming an award-winning American author and will read from his upcoming novel about a Yale man in love with a Chinese princess, My Last Emperorist.

Free and open to the public, the readings will take place at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.., at the Vanderlyn Hall Student Lounge on the Stone Ridge campus. Chen also plans to play his bamboo flute, demonstrate Chinese brush calligraphy, answer questions and sign books.

"It's an Asian belief that one is given a special gift in life and that ones life is not living itself but to discover that particular gift that resonates with them and makes them extraordinary," he said. "We are all extraordinary. Each one of us are central characters in our own play and no one should downplay oneself."

Chen discovered his gift of writing in his 30s after arriving in America at the age of 23 with $30 in his pocket, a bamboo flute and a heart filled with hope. He attended Columbia University School of Law on a full scholarship, and after graduating, worked for the Wall Street investment banking firm of Rothschilds, Inc. When his first child was born, he wrote his memoir Colors of the Mountain to teach her about her Chinese roots and through that learned the art of writing fiction and expressing oneself through writing.

The memoir about his childhood during China's Cultural Revolution, Colors of the Mountain, was compared to Angela's Ashes and became a New York Times best-seller. China's Son, the children's adaptation of Chen's memoir, has been recognized for teens and young adults. Sounds of the River, the sequel to his first memoir, was published to rave international reviews. His young adult novel, Wandering Warrior, was optioned by Warner Brothers. Brothers, his first adult fiction, was a Quill Awards finalist and a Best Book of the Year by Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews.

Chen is the recipient of the 2007 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. His books are being used as textbooks in Yale and Vassar among other colleges nationwide and in high schools and middle schools throughout the country, and are translated into 11 languages.
Started in 1998, The Herbert H. & Sonia P. Reuner Library Writers Series brings renowned writers to the Stone Ridge campus every fall. Past authors participating in the program include David Rakoff, Francine Prose, Carolyn Forche, Billy Collins, Joyce Carol Oates and Michael Cunningham.

Chen, who lectures to students nationwide and presents writing workshops, expects to get as much inspiration out of the event as he provides by engaging with the audience. "Each person is a drop of water, not a downpour or a cascade, that creates a little ripple when you plunge into the ocean," he said. For more information, call (845) 687-5262.

About SUNY Ulster
Ulster County Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York, located in Stone Ridge, in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountain region. SUNY Ulster offers students small classes and faculty; online degree programs and courses; computer and technology facilities; and cultural programming; as well as continuing education and services for businesses. More than 60 percent of SUNY Ulster graduates continue their studies at four-year public and private institutions throughout the state and nation. For more information, visit http://www.sunyulster.edu