Lost Underground
In the 1960s, at great risk to their lives, a group of teenagers in China defied the authoritarian regime by reading and writing forbidden texts, painting and exhibiting avant-garde works of art, and exploring western music. Held in secret, these early underground salons laid the groundwork for a movement called “The Misty Poets.” Their stories from China’s Cultural Revolution have been buried by fear and fading memory. We present these stories to preserve a history that should never be forgotten and also reflects the struggles continuing in America and around the globe. (For our purposes, some names have been changed to protect the identities of those still living in China.)
Listen on:
Lost Underground is a podcast produced by StoryBoards Northwest written by Cheryll Leo-Gwin and Directed by Gavin Reub. Music composed by Hummie Mann, edited by Arlene Naganawa, with assistant editor Meridian Smith. Curated by Barbara Jirsa and dramatized by Kathy Hsieh and Mimi Gan. Lost Underground follows the journey of the Misty Poets of China, who at great peril held underground salons for artists and writers during China’s Cultural Revolution.
Lost Underground was recorded at Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle with sound design by Daniel Guenther.
This podcast was made possible with grants from 4Culture and ArtsWA and support from Jack Straw Cultural Center, the Stroum Jewish Community Center and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance.
Episodes
Episodes
Oct 29, 2025
Oct 29, 2025
31 min
“The Third Generation” – Seeking freedom from oppression and persecution, the third-generation escapes from China.
Oct 15, 2025
Oct 15, 2025
39 min
“Still Some Questions” – Suicide, torture, and hopelessness drive a young painter to become China’s grandfather of painting during the Cultural Revolution.
Oct 1, 2025
Oct 1, 2025
24 min
“Dreamers” - Escaping the authoritarian Dictator Mao Tse Tung, teenage artists and poets in underground salons are drunk and in love with love.
Sep 17, 2025
Sep 17, 2025
36 min
“Music in the Wilds”: Under the harshest conditions in China’s Great Northwestern Wilderness and authoritarian dictatorship, music finds the heart.
Sep 3, 2025
Sep 3, 2025
26 min
“Under Threat to Lives”: Young teenager and painter Li Muchen uses fire and flames to protect his friends from the authoritarian control of dictator Mao Tse Tung.
Aug 20, 2025
Aug 20, 2025
27 min
Li Fan, a young revoluonary and right-hand man of Mao TseTung. He speaks of student revolts, red army guerilla warfare, and imprisonment as a spy.
Aug 6, 2025
Aug 6, 2025
28 min
Young teenager, Li Mei Ling, escapes from starvation, authoritarian dictatorship, imprisonment, and family separation during China’s Cultural Revolution.
Jul 30, 2025
Jul 30, 2025
9 min
An 8-episode podcast will be released in Summer 2025. Stories from the underground salons during China’s Cultural Revolution have been buried by fear and fading memory. We present these true stories to preserve a history that also reflects the similar struggles continuing in America and around the globe.