The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang — Review by Aida Guo

“The Poppy War” is a heavy, dark, and unprecedented debut by R.F. Kuang. The first fantasy war novel out of a trilogy covers topics of classism, colonization, and genocide through the experiences of its young female protagonist who survives in a world familiar of Chinese history. Shamans clash with plot points drawn from events like the Opium War, second Sino-Japanese war and an atmosphere of the Song dynasty.  The main character of the novel is Rin, a dark-skinned and poor war orphan. To avoid her…

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Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jee Lee — Review by Audrey Sun

What does it mean to be successful? Can you be happy and successful? Min Jin Lee takes a stab at answering these questions, with the backdrop of her home in mind. Lee sets Free Food for Millionaires in Elmhurst, her hometown in Queens, and into the family of Casey Han, the daughter of Korean immigrants who run the local laundromat. The questions of success and happiness thus take on a different spin: how can one find success and happiness while making their parents’ sacrifices worthwhile?…

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Talk Story Review: A Conversation with Poet Wing Tek Lum

On August 4, the 1882 Foundation had the honor to host renowned poet Wing Tek Lum for Talk Story. Wing Tek’s past publications include Expounding the Doubtful Points (1987) and The Nanjing Massacre: Poems (2013). That same weekend, Wing Tek was in Washington, D.C. for the Smithsonian Asian American Literature Festival, where he participated on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, Wing Tek paid the 1882 Foundation a visit to Chinatown to share his unpublished poems and working drafts of his new collection at Talk…

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