E-16 - THE WONDROUS ELIXIR OF THE TWO CHINESE LOVERS by Tim McGirk (Plum Rain Press, 2025)
About this episode
John Ross interviews Tim McGirk about his novel and the historical figure Xu Fu's journey.
The first emperor of China dispatched a Taoist priest named Xu Fu to bring back the elixir of immortality. Xu Fu and his fleet vanished. Some legends say he settled in Japan. In Tim McGirk's novel, Xu Fu goes beyond Japan, traversing the Pacific Ocean and landing upon the shores of the land of the Maya. In this fun conversation, John Ross and Tim McGirk discuss Xu Fu, Tim's novel and his work as a foreign correspondent for Time magazine. Note: John also talked with Tim on the Books on Asia podcast, but they cover different ground in this Bookish Asia episode. Learn more about the novel at Amazon.com , Plum Rain Press , or at Tim McGirk's website . A video version of this chat is available on YouTube .
More episodes of BOOKISH ASIA with Plum Rain Press
- E-19 - THE SAME MOON: A YOUNG WOMAN’S SEASON OF ENTANGLEMENTS IN RURAL JAPAN - By Sarah Coomber (2026, Wild Geranium Press)
- E-17- JENNA CODY’S FAVORITE TAIWAN FICTION
- E-15 - THE CUTTLEFISH by Chris Tharp
- E-14 - CHINA RUNNING DOG by Mark Kitto
- E-13 - TAIWANESE FEET: MY WALK AROUND TAIWAN by John Groot (Almas Books, 2020)
- E-12 - FOR FUKUI’S SAKE: TWO YEARS IN RURAL JAPAN by Sam Baldwin (2011, Baka Books)
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