Ask the Author: James Carter
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James Carter
Walking in Shanghai past the relics of the old Shanghai Race Club. When I first encountered it, it was an art museum with a fancy restaurant on top. When I dug a little and learned what had once been there, I wanted to know more, and thought it was a perfect way to explore the relationship between Chinese and foreigners in Shanghai.
I've always liked the idea of using the events of a single day to bring big historical arcs into focus and make those processes personal. At the same time, I've been researching pivot points in Chinese history where Chinese and Western people and ideas interacted. The Shanghai Race Club seemed the perfect place to explore those interactions, and those last moments before Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War changed the city forever were a moment that had seemingly endless possibilities and a rich cast of characters from around the world.
I've always liked the idea of using the events of a single day to bring big historical arcs into focus and make those processes personal. At the same time, I've been researching pivot points in Chinese history where Chinese and Western people and ideas interacted. The Shanghai Race Club seemed the perfect place to explore those interactions, and those last moments before Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War changed the city forever were a moment that had seemingly endless possibilities and a rich cast of characters from around the world.
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