Mar 11, 2023

Sunday Salon: New Asian American Memoir/Short Stories and a Book on Censorship

New Books:

I've discovered another memoir by an Asian American/Chinese American who grew up in a restaurant family in the U.S. (See my review of Curtis Chin's memoir set in Detroit in the 1980s) Jane Wong's book is set in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City: A Memoir by Jane Wong

Publication: May 16, 2023, Tin House Books
Genre: memoir, nonfiction, Asian American literature

In her debut memoir, Wong tells a new story about Atlantic City, one that resists a single identity, a single story, as she writes about making do with what you have―and what you don’t.

This is a memoir about family, food, girlhood, resistance, and growing up in a Chinese American restaurant on the Jersey shore. (publisher)




Afterparties: Stories by Anthony Veasna So

Published August 3, 2021; Ecco
Genre: short stories, Cambodian American literature, gay/lesbian fiction

I read the first three of nine stories so far, of the lives of young Cambodian Americans at home, school, work - their checquered  lives, many on the lower income level, their families surviving as relatively recent immigrants and refugees from the Cambodian Civil War and the Khmer Rouge in the mid 1970s, a war called the Cambodian Genocide.

This war and their family history are still alive among these families, as they try to find their way in a new country, sometimes worried about the past finding its way into their present and future. The stories are set in a community in California.

In the first story, "Three Women of Chuck's Donuts," a single mother of two girls works 24 hours a day in her donut shop, part of her divorce settlement from her Cambodian husband. 

The second story, "Superking Son Scores Again," has a badminton genius doing what he loves best - coaching the high school badminton team, while he does what he hates most, managing his parents' grocery store. 

In a third story, "Maly, Maly, Maly" a young gay Cambodian bonds with his cousin, but when she starts growing into a young woman following her traditions in the community, he is left feeling very alone.   

I'm eager to read the other stories by So, this talented,  award-winning Cambodian writer, who sadly died, possibly of drug complications, in his late 20s. 



In my mailbox:
by Claudia Johnson
March 14, 2023, Fulcrum Publishing

About: Pulitzer Prize Nominated Winner of the 1993 PEN/Newman’s Own First Amendment Award for Claudia Johnson’s extraordinary efforts to restore banned literary classics from Florida classrooms

Stifled Laughter is the story of one woman's efforts to restore literary classics to the classrooms of rural north Florida. 

Thanks to Wiley Saichek/ Saichek Publicity for a review copy

What are you reading this week?
 
Memes: The Sunday Post hosted byThe Caffeinated BookreviewerAlso,  It's Monday: What Are You Readingand Sunday SalonStacking the ShelvesMailbox Monday

34 comments:

  1. That’s an intriguing list of books. I also liked Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li, a novel about the people who work in a Chinese restaurant. I found that it exploded a lot of stereotypes. And for a non-fiction history of American Chinese restaurants there’s the classic by Jennifer 8 Lee, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles.

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks for the suggestions. I haven’t had a chance to read those as yet but plan to read all the Asian restaurant books out there!

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  2. You have me sold on the Jane Wong book. Adding it to Goodreads now.

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  3. 'Stifled Laughter' looks interesting - and VERY topical!

    I'll be starting 'Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar - Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes' by Daniel Klein and Thomas Cathcart on Sunday, then I'll be reading 'Passage to Mutiny' by Alexander Kent.

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  4. I think Stifled Laughter must be such a fascinating book.

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    1. I'll be enjoying reading about it.

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  5. Stifled Laughter does look like a good one! Hope you have a great weekend. :D

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  6. Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City sounds good! I hope you enjoy all of these. Have a great week!

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    1. I’m looking forward to reading it!

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  7. Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City looks really interesting. I hope you enjoy your new books and have a great weekend. - Katie

    My STS if you care to visit - https://justanothergirlandherbooks.blogspot.com/2023/03/stack-shelves-11-march-2023.html

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  8. I’m eager to get into them all, yes!. Thanks for visiting.

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  9. I am adding that Curtis Chin book to my list! I live about ten minutes from Detroit.

    Also, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City looks really good as well.

    Have you read First They Killed My Father? Such a hard emotional read but very good.

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  10. This post made me thing about how now that so many of us work from home, we have lost a valuable place to meet people from communities and cultures different from our own: the Corporate breakroom. The company I work for created virtual diversity and inclusion programs to help with that, but it's still not the same as sitting together in the breakroom, talking with your coworkers. I remember one co-worker who was always sharing tasty snacks from India and showing me pictures of her family at various festivals and celebrations. And of course whenever we had one of our many potlucks we got to share foods from all sorts of different cultures. I miss that!

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  11. Stifled Laughter sounds like a book I need in my life. The people in my town are big fans of banning books for all sorts of stupid reasons.

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  12. I like your blog name. You had it once before, right?

    Great titles!

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  13. I think I added Curtis Chens memoir to my WTR from your review so I’ll be interested to learn how you think Wong’s book compares.

    Wishing you a good reading week

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  14. A nice variety of books! I used to love short stories, but I haven't read a collection in the longest time.
    I agree with my fellow bloggers, Stifled Laughter does sound like a good read.

    Have a great week ahead and happy reading!

    Elza Reads

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  15. Oooh! All of these books sound great, especially the censorship one! Great haul!

    Here’s my Sunday Post

    Rabbit Ears Book Blog: WORLD’S WEIRDEST BOOK BLOG!

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  16. Looks like I need to add another book or 3 to my reading list. I don't know whether to thank you or not :)

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  17. I love reading all your comments and thoughts on the books. Thank you.

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  18. That memoir does sound wonderful. Hope you enjoy it and that you have a wonderful week!

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  19. Stifled Laughter seems very timely. That topic has grabbed headlines just in the last week.

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  20. Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City has a interesting/pretty cover. Hope you enjoy the story!

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  21. Oh I thought I commented (this might be o duplicate) but I like the Asian American memoirs and stories with restaurants. It adds another dimension (plus I'll admit I'm a sucker for a good Chinese restaurant).

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  22. I'm intrigued by the Jane Wong book. Sounds like a good read.

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  23. That is a great crab cover! I am intrigued by Stifled Laughter. I'll look forward to your thoughts. Have a good week and Happy Reading!

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  24. Stifled Laughter sounds intriguing.

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  25. oh wow, Johnson's book sounds so good and essential right now

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  26. Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, and the other two books in the other post look great. They remind me of Chop Suey Nation by Ann Hui. Her nonfiction book takes a look at different Chinese food restaurants across Canada, but doesn't really delve into one individual place. Although in the process of writing the book she discovered that her parents started out running one in the first years of their marriage.
    Thanks for the heads up about these titiles.

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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