Trevor Corson

CHINA

Although best-known for his books The Secret Life of Lobsters and The Story of Sushi, Trevor has lived in and written extensively about East Asia, and has been a long-time student of China. He teaches Chinese history, culture, and language, and has appeared as a Chinese-language actor in instructional videos produced by the Princeton Chinese Linguistics Project, one of the premier Mandarin training programs in the United States.

Trevor began the study of Chinese at the age of 15 as a high-school student in Washington D.C., and continued to learn and use the language for the next decade. After graduating from high school Trevor studied at a Chinese university for two years on a John Fisher Zeidman Memorial Chinese Studies Fellowship. Trevor immersed himself in the daily life of the capital city as well as in the study of China’s history and rich philosophical traditions.

Informally, Trevor began his writing career in China—he penned a series of dispatches about his day-to-day encounters that circulated widely among family and friends, and which he subsequently edited into a self-published book. He went on to study Chinese politics, economy, and both classical and modern language at Princeton University and at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 1998–1999 he served as executive editor of Harvard China Review, a magazine based at Harvard University that covered current developments in business, technology, economics, and politics in China. China remains one of Trevor’s primary interests.

CHINESE

LANGUAGE TRAINING

Trevor has served as a Chinese-language actor in instructional videos produced by the Princeton Chinese Linguistics Project, one of the premier Mandarin training programs in the United States.

“Going to China”

In this tongue-in-cheek video, Trevor plays "John Smith," an annoyed business traveler arriving in Beijing (1992).

“Applying for Work”

In this video, Trevor plays a young job applicant interviewing at a travel agency (1992).