Below the Line in Beijing

“This compelling novel will hold you in its grip from beginning to end. Part mystery, part psychological thriller, Below the Line in Beijing is a terrific read and an auspicious debut by a gifted writer.” --Theodore Jacobs, M.D., psychoanalyst, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, author, The Year of Durocher, a novel.

“This is a fascinating novel with a vivid plot. The novel explores the depths of man’s unconscious motivations, and at times, reads like a detective story. As a Chinese native, I am very impressed by the author’s knowledge of Chinese history, language, literature, art, tea and even details about Beijing’s geography. In that sense, the novel’s most important contribution is the link it makes between West and East—between America and China.”--Dr. Jun Tong, Professor of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.

“Readers of Saul Bellow’s literary classics of middle age and diminished powers will quickly appreciate the setting and concerns of this novel. The action in Below the Line in Beijing is largely internal and observational, but excels in its tone and approach. Steeped in the cultural atmosphere of China, the special circumstances of the Olympics, and the unique struggles of an aging man, Below the Line in Beijing is a solid recommendation for any who want a novel packed with the duality of introspection and cultural analysis.” D. Donovan, Senior eBOOK Reviewer, Midwest Book review.

Author Bio: Richard Seldin graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Political Science, and in 1972 received a J.D. from Fordham Law School where he was managing editor of the law review. Most of his 30 year career as a U.S. government attorney was with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). His primary responsibilities included reviewing and writing parts of reports on United States-China trade relations and United States involvement in the World Trade Organization. While at GAO, he won numerous awards for his work on China and World Trade Organization projects, among others.

Prior to working for GAO, Mr. Seldin published short stories in the Washington Review of the Arts and Mississippi Review and had a story performed on WPFW. Mr. Seldin also has studied Chinese (Mandarin) for many years and worked part-time as a Chinese-English, free-lance translator. His translations of novellas and short stories have been published by the Chinese Literature Press in Beijing and China Books & Periodicals in San Francisco and include several stories in the Feng Jicai collection Ten years of Madness: Oral Histories of China’s Cultural Revolution. Subsequent to his retirement from GAO in 2005, Mr. Seldin published several nonfiction articles on United-States China trade relations, and several short stories in Chinese. He recently co-authored a book of poems with his sister, Pearls Beneath The Rind, which Kirkus Reviews described as “a smart unusual collection of poetry with honed, pleasant surprises.”

Mr. Seldin has had extensive personal experience with psychoanalysis, and, for many years, has studied psychoanalytic theory in programs offered by the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Sian.