On Mon., May 4, Patricia Gercik, former MIT-Japan Program director and MISTI associate airector, will discuss her novel, "The Outsider," at the MIT Tang Center (Room E51-325) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. A reception with refreshments and sushi will follow the book talk and signing.
"The Outsider," set in the chaos of post-war Japan, vividly explores the political turmoil between the Japanese right and left and the impact of the American occupation through the eyes of a child. Sarah, a European child, is thrown into the fray with her Japanese playmates and her parent’s business associates. She identifies with her Japanese friends and is determined to become part of their world. Sarah’s quest to find herself takes her deeply into all aspects of Japanese life.
Gercik, who was raised in post-war Japan (her family having immigrated to the country in 1918), joined the MIT-Japan Program in 1987 and was with MISTI and MIT-Japan for 26 years. She is also the author of "On Track," a Japanese case-study book about building trust across cultures. In 1994 Gercik was awarded the Jack Thayer Award by the Japan Society of Boston, and in 2011 she was honored with the MIT Excellence Award for Leadership.
This event is sponsored by the MIT-Japan Program and the Japan Society of Boston. Each year the MIT-Japan Program matches 30 to 40 MIT students with internship and research opportunities in Japan. The program also facilitates faculty collaborations between MIT and Japan through the MISTI Hayashi Seed Fund. MIT-Japan is part of MISTI, MIT’s flagship international education program.
