Patch Blog: Lisa See to Speak at Library Thursday

The and the —in partnership with the —will present national bestselling author Lisa See on at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The event will be showcased in the and also feature Wind and Wire, a top-flight jazz group. The free program is also supported by the Helix Foundation and Poets & Writers, Inc. with financial support from the James Irvine Foundation. Special thanks to Studio Spectrum, Inc. who will be filming the program for later broadcast in South Pasadena on Channel 19 (Time Warner) and Channel 99 (AT&T U-Verse).

Lisa See’s latest novel “Dreams of Joy” currently sits high atop the fiction bestseller lists. She is also the author of many other bestsellers including her nonfiction family history, “On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family.” One of her previous novels, “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, was recently made into a major motion picture.”

Lisa See was born in Paris, France and grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by her Chinese-American family. See published her first book “On Gold Mountain” in 1995, an account of her father’s side of the family as it moved from China to Southern California. The book was followed up with three ‘Red Princess’ mystery novels set in China:  “Flower Net” (1997), “The Interior” (1999), and “Dragon Bones” (2003).

Her fourth novel was the acclaimed bestseller, “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” (2005), the story of two young women in 19th Century China who communicate through a secret written language. Her “Peony in Love” (2007) focuses on the lives of Chinese women in the 17th Century while “Shanghai Girls” (2009) chronicles the lives of two sisters who come to Los Angeles in arranged marriages. The sequel, “Dreams of Joy was released in May 2011.

Wind & Wire is a long-standing group comprised of Barry Coates on Acoustic Guitar and Guitar Synthesizer, and Mark Hatch on Flugelhorn and EVI. For many years Mark Hatch has been active as a performer, composer, and arranger. Mark toured and recorded with the Ray Charles Orchestra, and then served as musical director for Chaka Khan, as well as performing and recording with Rufus, Aretha Franklin, Flora Purim, Louie Bellson, and many others. 

Barry Coates’ professional career began at age 17 when he was asked to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival with an all-star band conducted by Oliver Nelson. Since the late 70s, Barry has been in demand as a performer and recording guitarist with artists such as the Pointer Sisters, Willie Bobo, John Klemmer, and Kitaro.

The is 1115 El Centro Street. Attendees are advised to arrive early because of the Farmers Market and School District events taking place nearby at the same time. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. No tickets or reservations are necessary and refreshments will be provided.