Filial piety and betrayal! Martial law and political prisoners! Stinky Tofu! We’re exploring new Taiwanese American lit from the Shilin night market to the historical trauma of the White Terror. Come hear novelists Shawna Yang Ryan and Ed Lin, who’ll discuss their books with beauty and fashion politics blogger Arabelle Sicardi (Teen Vogue and ROOKIE). We'll also have complementary Taiwan Beer, generously donated by Taiwan Beer. Gan bei! RESERVE A SEAT! $5 SUGGESTED DONATION | OPEN TO…
SHAWNA YANG RYAN is a former Fulbright scholar and the author of the novel GREEN ISLAND, a stunning story of love, betrayal, and family, set against the backdrop of a changing Taiwan over the course of the twentieth century. She authored a previous novel, Water Ghosts, and teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Her short fiction has appeared in ZYZZYVA, The Asian American Literary Review, Kartika Review, and The Berkeley Fiction Review. We've been…
In Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for prioritizing family. When 25-year-old Jing-nan’s gangster uncle, Big Eye, asks a favor, Jing-nan can’t exactly say no, especially because two goons are going to follow him around to make sure he gets it done right. The favor is this: Big Eye’s 16-year-old daughter, Mei-ling, has a biker boyfriend from the wrong side of the tracks—in Big Eye’s gangster opinion—and Big Eye wants Jing-nan to bring her to Taipei, away from the bad influences,…
We love smartly-written mystery capers, especially those from the mind of author Ed Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent. We completely appreciate that this one is set (yet again) in the night markets of Taiwan! Ed Lin's latest novel, Incensed, has just been released, and he's also on tour to promote and read from the book. Ed Lin, a journalist by training, is the author of several other books: Waylaid, his literary debut, and his Robert Chow crime series, set in 1970s Manhattan Chinatown:…
The Japanese Tea Garden welcomes San Francisco author Katrina Goldsaito and Taiwanese American artist Julia Kuo (who we have interviewed before) for an interactive reading with live illustrations. Their new book, THE SOUND OF SILENCE, follows a little boy through the hustle and bustle of Tokyo as he searches for the elusive sound. The reading is for all ages, and author and artist will stay for a Q&A and book signing. With koto performance by Yoshio Saito 9:45 a.m.
Monday October 3rd
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Dmae Roberts is the author of The Letting Go Trilogies: Stories of A Mixed-Race Family. TaiwaneseAmerican.org's editorial director Anna Wu chatted briefly with Dmae about the powerful, beautifully vulnerable memoirs. * * * Anna Wu: Hi Dmae. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Could you tell us a little bit about the process of writing these memoirs? How did you come to structure the book as a series of trilogies? Dmae Roberts: Through the decades, I've written…
As we celebrate Taiwanese American Heritage Week and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to feature accomplished individuals of Taiwanese descent who have used their voices and talents to highlight the histories and legacies of our community. Kenji C. Liu is author of Map of an Onion, national winner of the 2015 Hillary Gravendyk Poetry Prize. His poetry is in, among other places, American Poetry Review, Action Yes!, Split This Rock’s poem of the week series,…
Come and hear Shawna Yang Ryan read from her brand new novel, Green Island. Green Island is a story of love, betrayal, and family, set against the backdrop of a changing Taiwan in the twentieth century. February 28, 1947—Trapped inside the family home amidst an uprising that has rocked Taipei, Dr. Tsai delivers his youngest daughter, the unnamed narrator of Green Island. In the following weeks, as the Chinese Nationalists act to crush the opposition, Dr. Tsai becomes one of the many thousands…
A stunning story of love, betrayal, and family, set against the backdrop of a changing Taiwan over the course of the twentieth century. February 28, 1947. Trapped inside their home due to an uprising that has rocked Taipei, Dr. Tsai delivers his youngest daughter, the unnamed narrator of Green Island. A few days later, he is one of the many thousands of people dragged away from their families. Missing for a decade, he eventually returns a haunted man. Feeling a stranger in the midst of his…
Ed Lin is the author of Ghost Month, a new mystery novel set in Taipei. He is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. TaiwaneseAmerican.org's editorial director Anna Wu sat down with Ed while he was on a book tour in Berkeley, California, and they talked about his book, the politics of Taiwan, and how he became a novelist. * * * Anna Wu: Hi Ed. Could you tell us a bit about your novel, Ghost Month? Ed Lin: My latest novel Ghost Month was published by Soho Crime, actually…
