Ancient East Asia Exploration Society
(Northern New Jersey and afield)
meetings
We meet to discuss classics of East Asian, and particularly Chinese literature, to drink tea and (if we have enough poets) improvise poetry — in English, in the classical Asian manner, with a proposed theme and meter Right now we're reading through Confucius. Knowledge of Chinese or another Asian language is not required, though desirable.
I am in the process of building a moon-viewing garden with a "Pavilion of Distant Fragrace" here in New Jersey. When this is completed, (I hope in a year or so) we will have a real hidden paradise to withdraw to.
Besides formal meetings of the group, there are plenty of field trips. A recent excursion took us to the Staten Island Chinese Scholar's Garden, and the not terribly adjacent Tibetan Museum. Whenever possible the adventure ends at a good Asian (usually Korean) restaurant..
If this appeals to you, please get back to me with some information about yourself, which should include age, educational background, and specific Asian interests.
Projects
China Bibliography
this is an ongoing project: I will be grateful for suggestions about other books
to include
A Concise Grammar of Classical Chinese
The Neon Chrysanthemums
霓虹菊
This is our motorcycle "gang." We have annual summer excursions to far northern New York State (which is amazingly like riding through a Chinese landscape painting: mountains, ravines, rivers and lakes gleaming in the mist), and into French Canada. We have more modest excursions up the Hudson Valley and into the hills of Pennsylvania all year round.