The Peculiar Modernity of Britain, 1848-2000

Zuoxiao Zuzhou in conversation with Michael Timmins. Moderated by Andrew Jones, chair, Center for Chinese Studies. The music of Zuoxiao Zuzhou, one of Chinese best-known rock musicians, draws playfully on rock and roll, Chinese folk and operatic sounds, and electronic textures. A leading composer for independent Chinese films, he has worked closely with Ai Weiwei and Jia Zhangke. He is also a novelist and memoirist, whose two published books feature wildly creative accounts of the artistic life in a country hell-bent on development at any cost. Whether in his books or his songs or his graphic art, Zuoxiao Zuzhou pushes the envelope artistically and politically, maintaining a tough, humorous, unflinching and clear-eyed empathy for those who have been silenced and marginalized. Michael Timmins is the songwriter and guitarist for the Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band Cowboy Junkies, formed in Toronto in 1985. Their second album, The Trinity Session, earned them both critical attention and a cult following. The band's version of The Velvet Underground song "Sweet Jane" was featured in the film Natural Born Killers. Their Nomad Series includes the 2010 album, Renmin Park.