Speaking
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Engaging and informative with honesty and humor.
Dori is an experienced and popular speaker at conferences, cruise ships, webinars, bookstores, book clubs, museums, libraries, and schools, both in-person and via Zoom. She has spoken at Library of Congress, Princeton University, Johns Hopkins SAIS, US-China Business Council, National Committee on US-China Relations, Museum of Chinese in America, Chinese Historical Society of America, Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Washington State China Relations Council, Historical Novel Society Conference, Asia Society Hong Kong, and The Bookworm in Beijing.
Upcoming speaking events:
Planning cruise talks on China for September-October 2025 and January-February 2026.
Previous events:
August 2024
Three lectures on contemporary China at Newport Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, WA.
June 2024
Presented three lectures on contemporary China at Covenant Living at the Shores, Mercer Island, WA.
March – April 2024
Presented four lectures onboard two Seabourn cruises about her books and about contemporary China. Excellent feedback!
March 20, 2023
Private in-person meeting of “Overbooked Book Club,” Newcastle, WA.
March 11, 2023
American Association of University Women, Laguna Beach, CA, chapter, featured speaker at annual literary luncheon. This was a sold-out event with more than 160 in-person attendees and also sold out of personally signed copies of When the Red Gates Opened.
August 2, 2022
Podcast interview with Rajika Bhandari on EdUp World Wise, discussing “Building Bridges between the U.S. and China, One Book at a Time.” To listen, click here.
June 22
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Laguna Beach, CA, monthly book club meeting, via Zoom.
May 14
Tiger Talk “China in the 1980s: My Perspectives Today” – Online group of former students of visionary educator Helen T. Lin, who taught Chinese at Wellesley and Middlebury.
May 6, 2022
“China in the 1980s: A Pivotal Time in History, ” lunchtime online talk with PG&E InspirAsian Employee Resource Group.
November 10, 2021
Private book club talk, by Zoom.
October 20
Association for Women in Communications, Seattle Chapter, “Lunch and Learn” talk, by Zoom. Topic: “Overcoming Internal Obstacles.”
October 16
American Association of University Woman, Seattle branch, book talk about When the Red Gates Opened, in person at newly renovated Seattle Asian Art Museum.
October 4
QWERTY podcast with memoir coach Marion Roach Smith, a 30-minute interview called “On writing across genres, and the world of publishing, with Dori Jones Yang.” You can listen to the full interview here.
September 25
Seattle’s Jade Guild, a 55-year-old Chinese women’s service organization, Zoom book talk about When the Red Gates Opened.
September 20
Private book club talk, in-person, Issaquah, WA. Fun in-person, outdoor evening on the last full day of summer.
July 30
Redmond Association of Spokenword, featured speaker for this group of writers.
July 26
ReOrient podcast – about international issues and leaders from an Asian perspective – interview with Jesse Friedlander.
July 8
Zoom meeting with private book club in Iowa City.
July 6
Guest speaker, “Coopetition with China” class, Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics
June 27
“The Real Leap Forward: Witness to the Origins of China’s Rise,” a presentation for the Cold War Museum.
June 16
University Club of Seattle, book talk on When the Red Gates Opened. University Club is a men-only private social club that dates back more than 100 years. First in-person (and online hybrid) book talk since the pandemic started!
June 10
Moderator of “Chinese Husbands, Western Wives,” a panel featuring Heather Diamond, author of Rabbit in the Moon, and Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair with China Gone Wrong. Watch recording here.
May 21
American Literature Festival in Shanghai, “Three Women Writers: Their China Stories” panel, with fellow authors Claire Chao and Amy Sommers. Moderated by Tina Kanagaratnam, co-founder of “Historic Shanghai.” Organized by the U.S. Embassy, Beijing.
May 20
Princeton Reunions Class of 1976 panel discussion, “Is China as Bad as You Think It Is?” with fellow China experts Steve Markscheid and Terry Cooke.
April 30
Podcast interview with Diane Dewey for “Dropping In to Find Our Common Threads” podcast. Thoughtful interview! Available here.
April 10
Private book club of mothers with adopted Chinese daughters, Seattle.
March 26
King County Library System book talk on When the Red Gates Opened. 10 a.m. Open to the public.
March 11
National Association of Memoir Writers Virtual Book Club, audio interview with president Linda Joy Myers on “Strategies for Overcoming Memoirist’s Block.” You can listen to it by clicking here.
March 3
Asia Society, Hong Kong, online presentation about When the Red Gates Opened. Full video recording is available here.
Feb. 10
American Association of University Women, Lake Washington branch, book talk on When the Red Gates Opened.
January 29
Evening book talk and take-out Chinese feast with Women’s University Club of Seattle, discussing When the Red Gates Opened.
January 27
Book talk with Sunset Club of Seattle about When the Red Gates Opened. Sunset Club is a private women’s club founded in Seattle in 1913; this talk is part of its author lecture series.
January 21, 2021
Brooklyn Public Library book club talk on When the Red Gates Opened with lots of thought-provoking questions!
December 22, 2020
“Femtastic” podcast interview with Katie Breen, “What You Need to Know about China Today.” Audio pocast is vailable here.
November 10, 2020
US-China Business Council, Washington, DC, webinar on When the Red Gates Opened, and “What we can learn today by understanding China in the 1980s.”
November 7
Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Phi Lambda PLUS fraternity, “Why is it so hard to explain China to Americans?”
November 4
Missouri School of Journalism, class on global journalism taught by Professor Kathy Kiely, Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies, University of Missouri.
October 19
Conversations with Creative Women podcast, interview by Sandi Klein. Audio podcast is available here.
October 17
Princeton University classmates and friends virtual book talk on When the Red Gates Opened.
October 10
Hathaway Brown School Class of 1972, virtual classmates reunion and book talk on When the Red Gates Opened.
October 8
Washington State China Relations Council, Seattle, moderator for A Conversation with Jim Mullinex, Consul General of the recently closed US consulate in Chengdu, China. Off the record.
October 6
SAIS China, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., virtual book talk on When the Red Gates Opened. Video of event is available here.
October 1
Washington State China Relations Council, Seattle, China National Day webinar on When the Red Gates Opened. Video of event is available here.
September 30
Island Books, Mercer Island, WA, virtual book launch for When the Red Gates Opened.
September 23
National Committee on US-China Relations, New York, NY, webinar and book talk on When the Red Gates Opened. Video of event is available here.
September 22, 2020
Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, WA, book launch for When the Red Gates Opened.
May 9, 2019
Overseas Press Club of America conference on 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square protests, New York, N.Y., panel of foreign correspondents who covered the Tiananmen Square event.
May 2, 2019
International Community School, Kirkland, WA, Focus Week talk on “Three Keys to Great Writing.”
May 28, 2019
Oregon Episcopal School, Portland, OR, talks with sixth-grade classes about Daughter of Xanadu. Dori has been invited to speak at this school for eight years in a row.
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Currently scheduling:
Talks with insights into contemporary China, and
Book talks about “When the Red Gates Opened: A Memoir of China’s Reawakening.”
Dori enjoys talking to cruise passengers, retirement communities, book clubs, writers groups, women’s groups, Chinese-American groups, and organizations focused on US foreign policy and foreign affairs.
To inquire about scheduling an event, virtual or in-person, please contact Dori.
Have Questions?
Please contact me with any speaking inquiries.
