Asian American Authors in Conversation: The Books That First Made Me Feel Represented
In October 2020, Chatham Square Library began hosting a virtual program, “Talking Books: Asian American Authors in Conversation.” This monthly series features the latest works by living writers of fiction and nonfiction in an hour-long discussion with a member of our library staff. The series not only celebrates Asian American writing, but aims to strengthen community ties, both on the local level and beyond, and cement the idea that Asian Americans are indeed a vital part of the American cultural landscape. In addition, a number of participating authors have conducted writing workshops that run concurrently with Talking Books. Chatham Square has partnered with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) in presenting this program.
During these talks, we asked our guests to tell us which books first made them feel culturally represented. Their answers are below along with links to the books in the NYPL catalog.
The response from attendees to this first season’s talks has been overwhelmingly positive and we are pleased that the program will return for a second season beginning in September 2021. We look forward to continuing to bring talented Asian American writers in conversation with the public.
You might also enjoy: Asian American Authors in Conversation: The Books On My Nightstand
Henry Chang author of Lucky
- Aiiieeeee: An Anthology of Asian American Writers edited by Frank Chin et al.
- Eat a Bowl of Tea by Louis Chu
- No-No Boy by John Okada
Phil Chan author of Final Bow for Yellowface
- Monkey: A Folk Novel of China by Wu Cheng’en (translated by Arthur Waley)
Charles Yu author of Interior Chinatown
- American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Sunita Puri author of That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Michelle Kuo author of Reading with Patrick
- Middlemarch by George Eliot
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Pitchaya Sudbanthad author of Bangkok Wakes to Rain
- Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
Frances Cha author of If I Had Your Face
- Jiyoung Kim, Born 1982 by Nam Joo Cho
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Jennifer J. Chow, author of Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines
- Samurai mystery series by Dale Furutani
- Legend series by Marie Lu
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Xuan Juliana Wang author of Home Remedies
Read E-Books with SimplyE
With your library card, it's easier than ever to choose from more than 300,000 e-books on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app. Gain access to digital resources for all ages, including e-books, audiobooks, databases, and more.
If you don’t have an NYPL library card, New York State residents can apply for a digital card online or through SimplyE (available on the App Store or Google Play).
Need more help? Read our guide to using SimplyE.