Reese s Book Club and 8 Other Great Online Book Clubs mentalfloss.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mentalfloss.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mar 16, 2021 2:15 PM EDT
Charles Yu, author of our February pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, recently answered questions submitted by readers on Facebook about his satirical novel, “Interior Chinatown”.
Written as a teleplay, the book offers a darkly humorous commentary on racism and representation in the entertainment industry. You’ll find a selection of his answers below and can watch senior correspondent Jeffrey Brown’s interview with him here. These responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
You’re definitely walking a line between the stereotype of the perpetual foreigner and identity. How much, or what kind of, advice did you accept from editors in deciding what to include or exclude from your story?
Nomadland is our March book club pick pbs.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pbs.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The February pick for our ‘Now Read This’ book club was “Interior Chinatown, winner of the 2020 National Book Award. It’s a funny and biting satire of stereotypes of Asian Americans in popular culture. The book s author, Charles Yu, also writes for television, including the HBO show, “Westworld.” Jeffrey Brown spoke with Yu for our ongoing arts and culture series, CANVAS.
Read the Full Transcript
Judy Woodruff:
The February pick for our PBS NewsHour /New York Times book club Now Read This is Interior Chinatown, winner of the 2020 National Book Award. It s a funny and biting satire of stereotypes of Asian Americans in popular culture.
Column: Connect with one another with a good book
Amy Wilson Sheldon/Special to the Crier
We’re isolated, we’re hunkered down because of the weather – and maybe we’re a little bored too? Winter during a pandemic: It can be the pits. Our hypothetical watercoolers may be obsolete (not to mention non-sanitary), but I propose we try to bring watercooler culture back with…books. So often, we view reading as a solitary activity. Yet well into the 17th century, reading was actually a communal activity. In fact, 18th century England was a high point for the parlor “read aloud,” as greater access to current fiction led to “elocution” as a popular pastime.