Reading Lu Xun in New York: A Conversation With Xudong Zhang and Adam Tooze｜张旭东 x 亚当·图兹：在纽约阅读鲁迅
Lu Xun is widely regarded as the pioneer of modern Chinese literature and one of the sharpest critics of early twentieth-century Chinese society. His writing continues to shape how readers understand modernity, moral conscience, and the struggles of the individual in history.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of Lu Xun’s passing. Accent Salon warmly invites you to a conversation in his memory and in his continued presence.
Starting from his groundbreaking short story Diary of a Madman, this event brings together two distinguished New York–based scholars to explore what it means to read Lu Xun today — and what it means to read him now, across languages, cultures, and intellectual traditions.
Our guests include Zhang Xudong, NYU literature professor and one of the most influential interpreters of Lu Xun and Chinese modernity, and Adam Tooze, Columbia historian and renowned global public intellectual, who has recently turned his attention toward China.
Moderated by Qing Wang, journalist and the co-host of The Weirdo Podcast, the discussion will revolve around questions: What does A Madman’s Diary truly express, and how should we read it now? Why does Lu Xun’s intellectual legacy still matter in the twenty-first century? And what shifts — or remains untranslatable — when Lu Xun is read in the English-speaking world?
Join us for a meaningful afternoon of literature, history, and cross-cultural reflection, as we revisit Lu Xun not only as a Chinese writer, but as a global voice of modern conscience.
This is the second event of Accent Salon Series. Co-initiated by Accent Society, The Weirdo Podcast, and Chartbook, the Accent Salon Series seeks to foster intellectual exchange between New York’s English- and Chinese-speaking communities — and those who move between them — through a mix of online and in-person gatherings.
鲁迅，中国现代文学的拓荒者者，也是二十世纪初中国社会最尖锐的批评家之一。他的写作至今仍在塑造读者对现代性、道德良知，以及历史中个体挣扎处境的理解。
今年是鲁迅逝世九十周年。重音沙龙诚挚邀请您参加一场对话——纪念鲁迅的过往、也探讨他在当下的意义。
本次活动将从鲁迅划时代的短篇小说《狂人日记》出发，邀请两位常驻纽约的杰出学者，共同探讨在今天阅读鲁迅意味着什么——以及在当下跨越语言、文化与思想传统来阅读鲁迅，又意味着什么。
嘉宾包括：
纽约大学文学教授张旭东——鲁迅与中国现代性研究领域最具影响力的阐释者之一；
哥伦比亚大学历史学者亚当·图兹——全球知名的公共知识分子，近来开始尤其关注中国。
活动将由播客《不合时宜》主播王磬主持。讨论将围绕以下问题展开：《狂人日记》究竟表达了什么？我们今天应当如何阅读它？为什么鲁迅的思想遗产在二十一世纪仍然重要？当鲁迅进入英文世界的阅读语境时，什么发生了变化——又有什么始终无法被翻译？
欢迎您加入这场富有意义的沙龙活动，在文学、历史与跨文化的共同反思中，我们将重新回到鲁迅——不仅作为一位中国作家，也作为现代良知的全球性声音。
这是重音沙龙系列的第二场活动。该沙龙由Accent Society、《不合时宜》播客与Chartbook共同发起，旨在通过线上与线下的活动，促进纽约地区的英文与中文社群——以及穿梭于两者之间的人们——的思想交流与智识对话。
【活动语言/Event Language】英文/English