May 13, 2021
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
UCI students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to join the UCI Great Big Read at 12-1 p.m. PT on May 19 with Charles Yu to discuss his novel, Interior Chinatown.
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Mr. Yu joins the UCI Great Big Read at a pivotal moment in history – one where the United States is celebrating unprecedented diversity, amid such celebrations as Asian Pacific Heritage Month, while national headlines report about unchecked anti-Asian sentiments and brutality. The virtual facilitated conversation with Charles Yu about his blockbuster novel, Interior Chinatown, aims to explore the current climate for inclusion and diversity. This session will be facilitated by Christopher Tzechung Fan assistant professor, English and Asian American Studies.
Mr. Yu was honored in 2007 as a “5 under 35” honoree by the National Book Foundation. He received its 2020 National Book Award for fiction for Interior Chinatown, a darkly humorous tale that upends blatant stereotypes and their depictions in the media. A writer in multiple genres, his previous works include the science fiction novel How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, short story collections Third Class Superhero and Sorry Please Thank You, and multiple stories for television, including for the hit HBO show Westworld. He received two award nominations from the Writers Guild of America for his Westworld episodes.
The UCI Great Big Read is sponsored by the Office of Inclusive Excellence, UCI Libraries, and Division of Student Affairs. This University-wide program provides a forum for discussion about exceptional literature promoting inclusive excellence. The program aims to foster engagement and social solidarity among UCI members and the public during a time when we are practicing physical distancing due to the current pandemic.
For more details, please see information at: https://inclusion.uci.edu/uci-great-big-read/.