Yasmin Merei, Xu Xing & Samantha Rose Hill

What does it mean to truly be heard in exile? How does one’s voice transform when spoken in a foreign land?
This thought-provoking matinee brings together three unique perspectives on the experience of displacement: Samantha Rose Hill, a scholar of Hannah Arendt, will explore the lives of German intellectuals in American exile. Syrian journalist Yasmin Merei will reflect on the challenges and beauty of writing between languages, while Chinese author Xu Xing will share his insights on the act of listening and being heard across different political systems.

This event offers a compelling exploration of artistic and intellectual exile, both in California and Germany.

Yasmin Merei, a Syrian journalist, linguist, and human rights activist, was forced to flee her homeland in 2012. In Berlin, she founded Women for Common Spaces, a network supporting migrant and refugee women.

Chinese author and filmmaker Xu Xing, who recently experienced exile in early 2024, engages with themes of the Cultural Revolution and gives voice to those marginalized in Chinese society. He has taught at various institutions, including the University of Heidelberg.

Our hosts for the “Ways of Listening” festival are the legendary interviewer Paul Holdengräber and renowned Hannah Arendt scholar Samantha Rose Hill.

Paul Holdengräber is a distinguished intellectual and the founding director of Onassis Los Angeles. Known for his captivating and insightful conversations, he previously led a celebrated cultural series at the New York Public Library, where he engaged with luminaries such as Patti Smith and Werner Herzog, among many others. His ability to draw out deep, meaningful dialogues makes him a masterful host and a true curator of ideas.

Samantha Rose Hill is the acclaimed author of Hannah Arendt (2021) and Hannah Arendt’s Poems (2023). A respected scholar and instructor at both the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research and the University of the Underground, Hill’s work delves into the complexities of political thought and human experience. Her writings have been featured in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Aeon, and LitHub.

Language: English

Part of the “Ways of Listening” festival

A series of events in cooperation with Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V.