Since 1993, the Summer Author Series has brought award-winning biographers to The Mount. This year’s Series explores lives and ideas that have challenged convention. From unsung heroes to innovators, these talks invite us to reflect on how acts of courage—large and small—have challenged assumptions and expanded our collective imagination.
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR • VOGUE • KIRKUS REVIEWS • ALTA JOURNAL
Drawing on newly available personal archives, in-depth interviews, and striking photographs, Water Mirror Echo moves beyond the myth to reveal the complex man behind the global icon. From segregated San Francisco to war-torn Hong Kong and the ferment of West Coast counterculture, Jeff Chang’s biography traces how Bruce Lee’s singular presence reshaped culture, challenged Hollywood, and helped define what it meant—and still means—to be Asian in America.
The Mount wishes to thank Sheila Parekh Blum and Christopher Blum for supporting this program.
IMPORTANT EVENT INFORMATION:
- This one-hour talk takes place in The Mount’s Event Tent, an open-air, 400-seat tent adjacent to the parking lot. Please be mindful of the weather and plan accordingly.
- In the event of extreme weather, such as excessive heat or severe thunderstorms, this program may be moved indoors to The Mount’s Stable Auditorium, which has a limited capacity. All ticket holders will be notified by email at least two hours before the scheduled start time if a venue change is necessary. General admission tickets are valid for outdoor events only. If the program is moved indoors, General Admission tickets will be automatically canceled, and a full refund will be issued.
- If you have concerns about the weather, we recommend selecting the Rain or Shine Ticket option (a $5 add-on) at the time of purchase. Rain or Shine Tickets guarantee admission, whether the program takes place outdoors or is moved indoors.
- Seating for all programs at The Mount is first-come, first-served. If you have seating preferences, we recommend arriving fifteen minutes early.
- Accessible seating is available. To discuss arrangements, please contact us by phone: 413-551-5111 x5; or email: programs@edithwharton.org. For more information about accessibility, review The Mount’s accessibility webpage.
- A book signing will follow this talk. Books can be purchased at the event from The Mount Gift & Bookstore or in advance via Bookshop.org
- Questions? Email: programs@edithwharton.org; or phone: 413-551-5111 x2
Jeff Chang is a writer, host, and cultural organizer. His book, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, was named one of the best U.S. nonfiction books of the last quarter century. He has also written the award-winning books, Who We Be: A Cultural History of Race in Post-Civil Rights America, and We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes On Race and Resegregation. His bylines have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, The Guardian, and the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as Slate, Mother Jones, The Nation, n+1, and The Believer. He has been a Lucas Artist Fellow and has received the American Book Award, the Asian American Literary Award, and the USA Ford Fellowship in Literature. He is the host of the Signal award-winning podcast on artists and ideas, Edge of Reason, and of Notes From the Edge, produced by KALW Public Media. His most recent book, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America (Mariner), was released in September 2025.
