Atlanta Public Library Announces Special Palms Grill Dinner/Behind the Scenes Program
 

[January 20, 2015]  On January 24, the Atlanta Public Library will offer a special program entitled “Fields of Fury: What’s Behind Rural China’s Storm of Protests?” China has become a major world influence, and understanding what is going on there is important in understanding China’s impact on the U.S. farming industry.

This program was only recently added to the list of Palms Grill dinners, and people may make reservations by calling the Library at 217-538-2112. The program is free except for the cost of dinner. Sponsored by the Atlanta National Bank and the A-Team, the program is part of the Library’s celebration of National Tea Month.

The guest speaker for the program is Illinois Wesleyan University history professor Dr. Thomas D. Lutze who suggests that we cannot understand China without understanding the farming population of 500 million people. Tens of thousands of farmer protests have rocked China every year for the past decade. Better understanding what is going on in the countryside can help us better understand the actions of the Chinese government, not only in regard to its domestic policies, but also in regard to its foreign policy, including its relationship with the United States.

Dr. Lutze specializes in Asian history and teaches a variety of courses ranging from introductory explorations of China and Japan to focused studies, including World War II in the Pacific, the Chinese Revolution, Modern Japan, and the Vietnam War. He teaches a travel course in China, hosted and co-sponsored by the History Department of Peking University, and he has developed a popular London travel course entitled “The Bloody History of Afternoon Tea: The British Empire and Asia.”

[Catherine Maciariello, Atlanta Public Library]