The Same Bright Moon

In 2019, Wendy Bashant, a burned-out college dean, quits her job to teach two hundred students in the ancient, walled city of Xi'an, China.

The year turns extraordinary when tensions between China and the U.S. escalate: first tit-for-tat tariffs. Then a worldwide pandemic. Finally lockdowns, closed consulates, and expelled journalists. All the while, accusations are lobbed back and forth like flaming arrows launched over the Pacific.

Against this background of aggression, Wendy tries to teach a class in American culture. Instead, her students illustrate the realities of growing up in an emerging global power. Through their experiences and compelling perspectives, the students debate various issues, such as environmentalism, gender, healthcare and political conflict.

The Same Bright Moon is a collaborative memoir highlighting the stories of these students through their assignments, discussions and poetry at the height of Covid-19.