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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260920T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260920T123000
DTSTAMP:20260825T033315Z
CREATED:20260825T030856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T033315Z
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SUMMARY:Meet & Greet | Habbi's Treasures by Yoojin Grace Wuertz
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nA heartfelt ode to family\, memory\, and the stories that live in the everyday things we hold dear. \nDuring a game of hide-and-seek at his grandfather’s house\, Caleb finds something unexpected-a box full of unknown treasures. Inside are old clothes: a worn school uniform\, a polished naval jacket\, a folded tuxedo\, and a pair of grass-stained jeans. One by one\, Habbi shares the story behind each treasure\, passing down his life’s journey to Caleb. \nInspired by her own family’s history\, acclaimed novelist Yoojin Grace Wuertz makes her picture book debut with this poignant\, intergenerational story about resilience\, gratitude\, and the wisdom we pass down. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nYoojin Grace Wuertz is the author of EVERYTHING BELONGS TO US\, which was selected as a New York Times Editors’ Choice\, longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize\, and included on Kirkus Reviews’ Best Fiction of 2017. She is the author of two picture books\, HABBI’S TREASURES (Fall 2026) and SOMI’S STAR DAY (Fall 2027)\, both from RISE x Penguin Workshop. Her debut young adult novel is forthcoming from Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan) in Spring 2027. Grace’s writing has appeared in Guernica\, ArtReview\, The Times Literary Supplement\, and The Los Angeles Review of Books\, among others. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Brattleboro Literary Festival. Grace was born in Seoul\, South Korea\, and immigrated to the United States at age six. She holds a BA in English from Yale University and an MFA in fiction from New York University. She lives in Princeton\, New Jersey\, with her family.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/meet-greet-habbis-treasures-by-yoojin-grace-wuertz/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/YoojinGraceWuertz_copy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T200000
DTSTAMP:20260825T031310Z
CREATED:20260825T031310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T031310Z
UID:10003217-1790103600-1790107200@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch | Foreigners by E.L. Shen
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nPerfect for fans of Pachinko and Last Night at the Telegraph Club\, this propulsive\, tender novel follows an immigrant family across generations as they navigate love\, belonging\, and the great fictions we must weave to preserve a legacy. \nFor centuries\, the Chin family has kept its secrets. \nIn 1878\, Duanfang knows he’s destined for greatness. He’ll do anything to uphold and protect the legacy of his Manchu family—even if it means hiding his past. \nIn 1965\, Zheng Yi flies from Taiwan to New York City to have a shot at attending an American college. Thrown into a world of parties\, prejudice\, and a tumultuous romance\, Yi worries that New York may be more than she can handle. But just as she is beginning to adjust\, she must make a shocking decision that will irrevocably change her life and her future forever. \nToday\, Dawn Chin’s family is opaque at best\, with heavy expectations and heavier silences. But an assignment to interview her grandmother is about to crack open her real family history: a legacy hundreds of years old\, and a lie decades in the making . . . \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nE.L. Shen is a writer and editor living in Connecticut. Her debut middle grade novel\, The Comeback (Macmillan) is a Junior Library Guild Selection\, received two starred reviews\, and was praised for its “fast- paced prose\, big emotions\, and authentic dialogue” in The New York Times. Her young adult debut\, The Queens of New York (HarperCollins) is an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults\, a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year\, a Junior Library Guild Selection\, and a Common Sense Media Selection. Her most recent novel\, Maybe It’s a Sign (Macmillan)\, published on January 23\, 2024 and is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \n\n\nCindy Pham is a queer Vietnamese-American author of fantasy books. Based in New York City\, she works as a full-time designer while moonlighting as a fiction writer and content creator. Her YouTube channel\, Read With Cindy\, has amassed over half a million subscribers and focuses on books\, movie reactions\, and candid commentary. The Secret World of Briar Rose is her debut novel.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-launch-foreigners-by-e-l-shen/
LOCATION:Chatham Square Library – NYPL\, 33 East Broadway\, New York\, NY\, 10002
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/09.22.26E.L.Shen-copy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260924T190000
DTSTAMP:20260825T033126Z
CREATED:20260825T031647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T033126Z
UID:10003218-1790272800-1790276400@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch | What's a Snow Leopard to You? by Chen-Fu Hsu
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \n\n\n\n*Winner of the 2021 Taiwan Literature Award* \nA captivating fusion of travelogue\, fiction\, and cultural meditation that journeys deep into the heart of Tibet. \nChen-Fu Hsu’s debut novel begins with a young Taiwanese naturalist on an arduous quest for the elusive snow leopard\, weaving in excerpts from translated entries from a left behind diary of a fictional Japanese monk\, which bears witness to the seismic transformations of Tibet across the decades under Chinese rule. \nFollowing his deeply spiritual connection to Tibet\, the protagonist sets off on multiple journeys to the region\, describing in brilliant detail the vast beauty of the Tibetan plateau and the wildlife that has existed since time immemorial. However\, on his third visit to the region\, he is harassed at every turn by the Chinese police who confiscate his belongings\, including his books\, eventually forcing him to leave for Taiwan. One book overlooked by the Chinese police is the long-lost diary of Udagawa Ekai\, a Zen monk who traveled to Lhasa in the postwar years. The diary tells the monk’s story up until his death as a recluse\, and paints a picture of a Tibet that has a diverse and deeply religious culture that has fought against invaders on multiple fronts. \nHsu laces excerpts from Ekai’s diary within his narrative\, tracing the changes sparked from the horrors of the Chinese military annexation in the 1950s through the Cultural Revolution and into the contemporary age of forced economic development. Through encounters with the people of Tibet and their stories\, What’s a Snow Leopard to You? spans the divide between an intimate portrait of a land in flux and a philosophical inquiry into humanity’s fraught yet enduring bond with nature. This richly layered work braids history with myth\, environmentalism with art\, and creates a single story of change in one of the world’s most sparsely inhabited regions. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nChen-Fu Hsu (徐振輔) was born in Taipei in 1994. He holds a BS in Entomology and an MA in Geography from National Taiwan University. His work has long explored the entanglements between human and non-human worlds. He has been selected four times for the Chiu Ko Publishing Annual Prose Selection and has received several literary awards\, including the Taipei Literature Annuity. What’s a Snow Leopard to You? is his debut novel\, which has already received multiple literary awards in Taiwan. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nStephan Zguta is an editor at Skyhorse Publishing\, where he works primarily on titles for Arcade Publishing\, an imprint specializing in literary fiction and nonfiction from around the world. He lives in Queens\, New York\, with his wife and son.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-launch-whats-a-snow-leopard-to-you-by-chen-fu-hsu/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/09.24.26Chen-FuHsu_1-copy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260926T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260926T210000
DTSTAMP:20260825T032008Z
CREATED:20260825T032008Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T032008Z
UID:10003219-1790449200-1790456400@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Beginner's Block Printing Workshop with Kintsugi Print Studio
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a Beginner’s Block Printing Workshop with Kintsugi Print Studio and create your own handmade bookmark on September 26\, 2026 from 7-9pm! \nIn this 2-hour hands-on workshop\, you will:  \n– Learn the fundamentals of block printing through guided exercises\n– Create and carve your own bookmark design\n– Handprint your bookmarks to exchange with others and take home\n– Leave with your own carved stamp + Block Print 101 Guide to keep and continue printing on your own!
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/beginners-block-printing-workshop-with-kintsugi-print-studio/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Arts and Crafts,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9-26-block-print-workshop-kintsugiprint-yu-and-me-books-final-copy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261001T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261001T200000
DTSTAMP:20260825T032329Z
CREATED:20260825T032329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T032329Z
UID:10003220-1790881200-1790884800@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Talk | Mud on the Moon by Nita Noveno
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nMUD ON THE MOON is a hybrid memoir that weaves a daughter’s journey of discovering her Filipino immigrant father’s hidden past with imaginative storytelling\, offering a look into migration\, identity\, and the intergenerational legacies that shape who we are.  \n\n\n\nBorn in Southeast Alaska\, Nita Noveno traces the legacy of her father\, who arrived in the US in 1928 as part of a wave of Filipino men seeking better opportunities through manual labor in agriculture and other industries. The book alternates between Nita’s coming-of-age story and imagined chapters of her father’s life\, revealing the gaps and silences that lie between their experiences. With a blend of personal and historical imagery\, Mud on the Moon offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Filipino immigrants in America. It is a meditation on how family\, memory\, and identity are shaped by the stories we inherit\, both spoken and unspoken\, across generations. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nNita Noveno is the recipient of the 2024 Women’s Prose Prize from Red Hen Press for her hybrid memoir Mud on the Moon\, published in August 2026. Publishers Weekly calls it “a moving blend of autobiography and imagination” and “an auspicious first outing.” A graduate of the MFA Creative Writing Program at The New School\, her creative nonfiction and hybrid work has appeared in MĀNOA\, Hippocampus\, The Margins\, and elsewhere. She teaches creative nonfiction\, composition\, and literature at the Borough of Manhattan Community College\, City University of New York\, and is the founder\, curator\, and host emeritus of Sunday Salon\, a long-running reading series in New York City. The child of immigrant parents from the Philippines\, she grew up in the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska and now lives in Queens\, NY. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nNina Sharma’s work has appeared in outlets such as The Los Angeles Times\, The New Yorker\, Harper’s Bazaar and Electric Literature. Her debut personal essay collection is The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown(Penguin Press 2024). The Washington Post praises\, “Sharma’s debut is remarkable for its daring\, how unafraid it is to eschew rosy visions of racial solidarity.” Nina received her MFA in writing from Columbia University’s School of the Arts and has been awarded residencies from Vermont Studio Center and  St. Nell’s Humor Writing Residency. Nina is formerly the Programs Director at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and with Quincy Scott Jones she co-created Blackshop\, a column that thinks about allyship between BIPOC people\, featured on Anomaly. A two-time Asian Women Giving Circle grantee for her workshop\, “No Name Mind: Stories of Mental Health from Asian America\,” she currently teaches at Barnard College and the Manhattanville University MFA in writing program. She is a proud co-founder of the comedy troupe Not Your Biwi Improv.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-talk-mud-on-the-moon-by-nita-noveno/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/10.01.26NitaNoveno-copy.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T200000
DTSTAMP:20260915T012237Z
CREATED:20260915T011224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T012237Z
UID:10003378-1791054000-1791057600@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Talk | Korean Cocktails by Haera Shin
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nDiscover the rich heritage of Korea’s treasured traditional spirits and the bold new cocktails redefining their future. \nIn Korean Cocktails\, beverage director Haera Shin invites you into the vibrant world of Korea’s treasured traditional alcohols\, known collectively as sool. From soju\, the country’s best-known spirit\, to makgeolli rice wine\, these time-honored drinks carry centuries of craft and culture—and are now being reimagined by a new generation of makers and mixologists around the globe. \nFeaturing 76 inventive recipes\, Shin teams up with some of the most exciting bartenders in New York\, Los Angeles\, Seoul\, and Singapore to showcase the delicious diversity of sool alongside the complex flavors of the Korean pantry. The refreshing Hechi Highball highlights omija\, Korea’s five-flavor berry. The rich\, creamy Dalgona transforms the viral coffee sensation into an indulgent cocktail\, and the Nabak Soju captures the spice and funk of homemade kimchi. Alongside these originals\, you’ll find bold riffs on classics like the fiery K-Margarita\, nutty Sesame Manhattan\, and bright\, herbaceous Perilla Mojito\, plus large-format and zero-proof drinks to ensure there’s something for every occasion. Complete with striking color photographs and recipes for cordials\, syrups\, and infusions\, Korean Cocktails is a vibrant tribute to Korea’s drinking culture and a must-have for the modern bar. \n\nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nHaera Shin (@hairyshins) is the author of the upcoming cocktail book Korean Cocktails: From Traditional Spirits to Modern Drinks. Her cocktail book is a reflection of both her personal journey growing up as a Korean and her professional path in the beverage industry. She has served as the beverage director for the Momofuku restaurant group for the past seven years and prior to that\, as bar manager at acclaimed Japanese izakaya Zuma in New York City.  Now based in New Orleans\, she oversees the bar program at The Columns and is preparing to open her first bar next year. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nJoanna Lin is a multidisciplinary creative\, photographer\, and founder of STUDIO.JO\, a boutique creative studio specializing in storytelling for the bar and hospitality industry. With a career rooted in hospitality\, Joanna has led creative direction for award-winning bars including Employees Only\, Martiny’s\, and Shinji’s\, while collaborating with global spirits portfolios including Diageo\, Bacardi\, Suntory Global Spirits\, Pernod Ricard\, Campari\, Michter’s\, and more. Through her travel and lifestyle platform\, “Ready Set Jo” (@joanna.lin)\, she documents the people\, places\, and stories shaping cocktail culture around the world. A longtime observer and storyteller within the bar community\, Joanna brings a genuine curiosity about the craft\, culture\, and people behind every drink to conversations both behind and beyond the bar.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-talk-korean-cocktails-by-haera-shin/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/HaeraShin-copy.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T123000
DTSTAMP:20260915T012136Z
CREATED:20260915T012136Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T012136Z
UID:10003379-1791113400-1791117000@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Meet & Greet | Sophia Lee Can Fly by Marie Tang
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nBubbly\, bobbly\, and bold Sophia Lee is always doing the opposite of what her grandparents want her to do! When she tries something new and a little bit scary\, Sophia learns that the support of her loved ones might just be what gives her courage. \nSophia Lee is messy where her grandparents are tidy. She’s rambunctious where her grandparents are calm. She’s always looking for an adventure where her grandparents are careful. When the circus comes to town\, Sophia decides that her next adventure will be to become a trapeze artist! Gong Gong and Po Po aren’t so sure-Sophia doesn’t eat enough vegetables! She might get hurt! So Sophia shows Gong Gong and Po Po just how tough she is and convinces them to let her try. But once Sophia gets to the trapeze school and sees just how tall the ladder is\, doubt begins to creep in. With a little encouragement\, Sophia is able to find her courage and learn what it takes to fly. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nCosmopolitan life defines Marie Tang in many ways. Born in Hong Kong\, raised in New York City\, and a resident of Shanghai for over a decade (before moving back to the States in 2020)\, she draws much of her inspiration from the unique characters and neon lights of the\n“Big City.” While teaching literacy to kindergarteners\, she recognized the correlation between reading aloud to children and future reading ability. She is dedicated to spreading this message to parents and caregivers. Marie proudly tells tales of grit\, tenacity\, compassion\, and Asian culture. She is the author of Yuna’s Cardboard Castles (Beaming Books)\, Baba’s Peach Tree (Random House Studio)\, and Sophia Lee Can Fly (Disney Hyperion) the first in a two-book series. Yuna’s Cardboard Castles was named a Virginia Readers’ Choice Book for 2025–2026. Her forthcoming books include The Big Jump (Random House Studio)\, arriving in summer 2027\, and the recently announced Belly Takes the Bus (Random House Studio).
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/meet-greet-sophia-lee-can-fly-by-marie-tang/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MarieTang-copy.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T200000
DTSTAMP:20260825T032652Z
CREATED:20260817T043447Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T032652Z
UID:10003102-1791313200-1791316800@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch | Bad Words by Ríoghnach Robinson
DESCRIPTION:Where: New Design H.S.\, 350 Grand St.\, New York (Enter on Ludlow St.)\n\nDoors Open: 6:30PM\nEvent Starts: 7:00PM  \nABOUT THE BOOK \nA sharp and deeply felt debut about art\, ambition\, and the connections that both inspire and undo us. \nParker Navarro’s debut novel was meant to define his career – until critic Selina Chan’s blistering review made it the flop of the decade. Four years later\, his new book is his shot at redemption; for Selina\, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can’t refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud\, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring\, a quieter dialogue begins – one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success\, sincerity\, and each other. \nBoth incisive and tender\, Bad Words lays bare the costs of creation – the pull between ambition and integrity\, the vulnerability of being seen\, and the unexpected closeness that can grow in the space between critique and care. \nWhen words can make or break us\, how do you stay true to what matters most? \n“The rare kind of book I can’t believe doesn’t already exist . . . [a] clear\, clever voice and incisive social commentary elevate the book’s irresistible will-they-won’t-they romance to a once-in-a-lifetime read about truth\, art\, vulnerability\, and all the sticky places they intersect. BAD WORDS LEFT ME BUZZING.” – EMILY HENRY\, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Great Big Beautiful Life \n“A genre-redefining romance that sets a thrilling new standard… Easily one of my favourites of the year\, if not the decade.” – Carley Fortune\, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Perfect Storm \n“Full of blistering barbs\, incisive takedowns and searing gazes\, Bad Words is smart and propulsive.” – Mary H.K. Choi\, New York Times bestselling author of Pool House \n“Full of wit\, warmth\, and deliciously sharp observations on books and the people who love them… I didn’t want it to end.” – Stacey Yu\, author of Kitten \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nRíoghnach (pronounced ree-uh-nock) Robinson grew up in North Carolina\, studied economics at Kenyon College\, and now lives in New York City. Her books for young readers\, including Lambda Award finalist Come Home to My Heart\, are published under the pen name Riley Redgate. She has also written for WEBTOON and The Onion\, America’s Finest News Source. You can find her on Instagram at @rioghnachrobinson. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nAnna Maria Volkova lives and works in New York City. Personal family histories from within the former Soviet Union and the Middle East inform her writing\, as do her professional experiences. Raised in the Pacific Northwest\, she studied history and political science. Games is her debut novel.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-launch-bad-words-by-rioghnach-robinson/
LOCATION:New Design High School\, 350 Grand Street\, 6th Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Rioghnach-Robinson-copy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T200000
DTSTAMP:20260825T032940Z
CREATED:20260817T044248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T032940Z
UID:10003103-1791399600-1791403200@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch | The Girl Who Became King by Melissa King
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nFrom award-winning chef\, author\, television personality\, and activist Melissa King comes an intimate\, captivating memoir about family\, food\, and finding her voice as a queer Chinese American chef \nEmbracing my love of food has empowered me to embrace every layer of who I am: my Chinese heritage\, my American upbringing\, and all the parts of me that felt too much and not enough. When I chose myself\, I set her free. Just me. The girl who became king. \nAs a kid\, Melissa King lived for the moment she would come from elementary school\, grab her prized Chinese meat cleaver\, and prepare dinner for her family. She already knew cooking was her future\, but she didn’t know how hard she’d have to fight to make that dream a reality. \nGrowing up\, King felt like she was stuck in a box that was only getting smaller. Her Shanghainese and Cantonese immigrant parents had certain expectations—none of which included going to culinary school or falling in love with women. American culture also dictated that kitchens were a man’s world. But trying to live by these rules felt like no life at all. \nDetermined to forge her own path\, she fought her way into the demanding world of Michelin-starred kitchens\, while discovering a home in the queer community. When she entered Top Chef as a reluctant contestant\, inspired by her grandmother’s advice to follow her heart\, she began embracing the flavors\, culture\, and parts of herself she had once forgotten. This journey of self-discovery through food leads her back to her parents\, where love creates room for their strengths and imperfections. \nIn this heartfelt memoir\, Melissa King shows that empowerment comes from embracing all the different ingredients that make up who you are\, and models the hard-won courage it takes to believe in yourself against the odds. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nMelissa King is a James Beard Award-winning chef\, author\, and television personality. She is the author of the cookbook Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen\, which won the 2026 James Beard Award. She is the winner and fan favorite of Bravo’s Top Chef: All Stars L.A. and holds the record for the most challenge wins in the show’s history. Known for her modern California Chinese cuisine\, she is a leading voice shaping conversations through food\, cultural storytelling\, and advocacy.  A queer Shanghainese Cantonese American\, she grew up in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel Valley. Her work has since taken her beyond the kitchen into television\, fashion\, and culture\, including hosting Tasting Wild for National Geographic\, curating the 2022 Met Gala menu\, and being featured in global campaigns for Levi’s and GAP. She lives in San Francisco.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-launch-the-girl-who-became-king-by-melissa-king/
LOCATION:New Design High School\, 350 Grand Street\, 6th Floor\, New York\, NY\, 10002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://potluckasianamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Melissa-King-copy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261008T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261008T190000
DTSTAMP:20260915T012603Z
CREATED:20260915T012603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T012603Z
UID:10003380-1791482400-1791486000@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Talk | The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \n\nIn this dazzling debut\, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore. \nBefore Arin\, Genevieve Yang was an only child. Living with her parents and grandmother in a single-room flat in working-class Bedok\, Genevieve is saddled with an unexpected sibling when Arin appears\, the shameful legacy of a grandfather long believed to be dead. As the two girls grow closer\, they must navigate the intensity of life in a place where the urgent insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice. Knowing that failure is not an option\, the sisters learn to depend entirely on one another as they spurn outside friendships\, leisure\, and any semblance of a social life in pursuit of academic perfection and passage to a better future. \nWhen a stinging betrayal violently estranges Genevieve and Arin\, Genevieve must weigh the value of ambition versus familial love\, home versus the outside world\, and allegiance to herself versus allegiance to the people who made her who she is. In the story of a family and its contention with the roiling changes of our rapidly modernizing\, winner-take-all world\, The Original Daughter is a major literary debut\, rife with emotional clarity and searing social insight. \n\nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nJemimah Wei was born and raised in Singapore and splits her time between Singapore and the United States. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree\, is a winner of the William Van Dyke Short Story Prize\, and formerly held the Wallace Stegner Fellowship and Felipe P. De Alba Fellowship at Stanford University and Columbia University\, respectively. Her highly anticipated debut novel\, The Original Daughter\, debuted at #1 on The Straits Times bestseller list and is a Good Morning America Book Club pick and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. The Original Daughter is a Country Award Winner of the Chommanard International Women’s Literary Award\, was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award\, and was named a Best Book of Spring by TIME\, Harper’s Bazaar\, Elle\, Vogue\, and more. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nVanessa Chan is the Malaysian author of the internationally bestselling novel THE STORM WE MADE\, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick\, BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick\, New York Times Editors’ Choice\, and named best book of the year by NPR\, Amazon\, Elle\, Goodreads\, and more — about the unlikeliest of spies — a discontent mother and wife in 1930s British Malaya who\, in becoming a spy for the Japanese\, unwittingly ushers in the most violent war her country has ever seen. The Storm We Made has been translated into more than twenty languages worldwide.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-talk-the-original-daughter-by-jemimah-wei/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
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DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T200000
DTSTAMP:20260915T013228Z
CREATED:20260915T013035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T013228Z
UID:10003381-1792090800-1792094400@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch | Taiwanese? by Eric Sze
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \n\n75 recipes tell the story of Taiwanese cuisine\, with essays\, itineraries\, and stunning photography that explore Taiwan’s vibrant food culture. \n\n\nAn exhilarating exploration of Taiwanese food in all its complexity and deliciousness\, with over 70 recipes.     \nEric Sze\, a chef and restaurateur in New York City\, explores what makes Taiwanese food so multi-faceted and idiosyncratic with co-author Elyse Inamine. He travels back to Taiwan to unpack the dishes he grew up eating in Taipei\, like Lu Rou Fan and Oyster Omelet\, as well as gives an inside look at the method and madness behind the recipes he’s made in restaurants\, at pop-ups\, and at home in New York City\, like Beef Noodle Soup Ragù and Mochi Gnocchi with Chili Oil Pumpkin Puree. \n\nA new take on Taiwanese cuisine: Eric combines his deep knowledge of Taiwanese cuisine with his experimental approach to cooking\, creating dishes that he calls “authentically inauthentic.”\nPersonal storytelling: Follow Eric’s journey from a food-obsessed kid in Taipei to his evolution into a chef and restaurateur in New York City. \nArmchair travel: Discover the best bowls of Lu Rou Fan in Taipei and beyond\, as well as essays and itineraries that transport you to the island’s incredible food scene.\nStunning visuals: Photography by Alex Lau captures the kinetic energy of Taiwan’s beer houses and bustling markets and Eric’s pop-ups and restaurants in New York.\n\nTaiwanese? is a rowdy celebration of the richness and depth of Taiwanese food\, in all its contradictions and complexities. \n\nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nEric Sze is the chef and co-owner of Wen-wen and 886 in New York City. Born and raised in Taipei\, Eric taught himself how to cook—and in turn learned about where he comes from\, where it’s going\, and how all that forms him. In 2021\, he was recognized as an Eater New Guard and later received two stars for Wenwen from the New York Times. Now Eric is publishing his first cookbook (this one!)\, and you can follow him through @esze.e on TikTok\, Instagram\, and YouTube as he continues to explore and examine Taiwanese food.\nHeadshot by Alex Lau. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nElyse Inamine is a writer and editor in New York City. Previously\, she was the restaurant editor Bon Appétit\, where she first collaborated with Eric on a hot pot primer that was nominated for a James Beard media award. These days\, Elyse writes for the New York Times\, TASTE\, Food & Wine\, and Bon Appétit\, and is working on a couple more cookbooks (you can follow her on Instagram at @elyseinamine). Once she found out about this cookbook\, she immediately texted Eric to ask if he had a co-author—and the rest is history.\nHeadshot by Heami Lee.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-launch-taiwanese-by-eric-sze/
LOCATION:Chatham Square Library – NYPL\, 33 East Broadway\, New York\, NY\, 10002
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261020T180000
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DTSTAMP:20260915T013722Z
CREATED:20260915T013722Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T013722Z
UID:10003382-1792519200-1792522800@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch | Needlemouth by K-Ming Chang
DESCRIPTION:ABOUT THE BOOK \nFrom the award-winning author of Bestiary\, three cousins are forced to complete an impossible and violent task set by a vengeful demon. \nCousins Cindy\, Yangyang\, and Mandy’s hot\, tedious summer unfolds in their grandmother’s hauntingly familiar house. Mandy\, the eldest\, seeks connection online and exchanges emails with a stranger. Yangyang\, the youngest\, retreats into her own imagination in search of meaning. But every morning Cindy wakes with strange objects in her mouth: a button\, a berry\, a coin. \nOne night\, a starved figure with a mouth the size of a needle-tip appears at Cindy’s bedside. She is hunger-afflicted\, a demon with no descendants to feed from: she is Needlemouth. Part vampire\, part hungry ghost\, Needlemouth forces the girls into a grim task to end a man’s life. \nCindy\, Yangyang\, and Mindy are plunged in and out of the demon realm\, where they are called to break out of the indifference and numbness of their claustrophobic worlds\, and where they are met with the most rageful and resistant parts of themselves. In a quest to satisfy the demon’s hunger\, they unravel their shared grief and reckon with the cyclical violence that shaped their family. For readers of Akwaeke Emezi and Carmen Maria Machado\, K-Ming Chang has crafted a reimagined coming of age novel that asks: what does it mean to become the monster instead of slaying it? \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nK-Ming Chang is a Lambda Literary Award winner\, a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree\, a Kundiman Fellow\, and an O. Henry Prize Winner. She is the author of the novel BESTIARY (One World/Random House\, 2020)\, which was shortlisted for the Faulkner Award and longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize\, the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award\, and the Otherwise Award. In 2021\, her chapbook BONE HOUSE was published by Bull City Press. Her story collection GODS OF WANT (One World/Random House) won a Lambda Literary Award\, and her books have been translated into Spanish\, Chinese\, Korean\, German\, Turkish\, and other languages. Her most recent books are ORGAN MEATS (One World\, 2023) and a novella titled CECILIA (Coffee House Press\, 2024). In 2026\, she will be making her YA debut with STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE\, a romance forthcoming from Holiday House\, and her second YA project\, a novel-in-verse titled GIRL GODS\, will be forthcoming from Kokila (Penguin Random House) in 2027. Her writing is most frequently described as “not for everybody” and occasionally described as “for the freaks.” \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nAlice Evelyn Yang is a Chinese American writer from Norfolk\, Virginia based in New York. Her debut novel\, A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing\, is out now from William Morrow and DeadInk Books. Her shorter work is published in Michigan Quarterly Review\, Apogee\, The Rumpus\, and AAWW’s The Margins\, among others. She is the recipient of the 2022-23 Jesmyn Ward Prize from MQR. Her work explores themes of environmental racism\, immigration\, intergenerational trauma\, and critical fabulation. She is at work on a second novel.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/book-launch-needlemouth-by-k-ming-chang/
LOCATION:Yu and Me Books\, 44 Mulberry St.\, New York\, NY\, 10013\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261209T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261209T210000
DTSTAMP:20260825T032839Z
CREATED:20260817T045206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T032839Z
UID:10003104-1796842800-1796850000@potluckasianamerica.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Min Jin Lee | Fundraiser for New Life Community Development
DESCRIPTION:This event is benefiting New Life Community Development Corporation\, a 501c3 nonprofit serving low income individuals in Elmhurst and Corona. \nDoors open at 6:30! \nJoin Min Jin Lee in conversation with Lucy Yu in the bestselling author’s very own hometown of Elmhurst\, NY\, to celebrate the arrival of her latest novel American Hagwon\, and to fundraise for an Elmhurst-based non-profit. \nTicket price will include a signed copy and a donation to New Life Community Development Corporation\, a 501c3 organization serving low income individuals in Elmhurst and Corona with a food pantry\, health center\, financial literacy\, and social emotional wellness programming. \n10% of each purchased copy of American Hagwon will also be donated towards New Life Community Development Corporation. \nABOUT THE BOOK \nThe National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Pachinko returns with a breathtaking contemporary epic: a masterpiece by turns sweeping and intimate\, that reckons with ambition and moderation\, lust and loyalty\, personal dreams and familial duty. \nMin Jin Lee brings grand ambition\, fierce heart\, and the tenderest hope to a novel I didn’t want to end.” —Roxane Gay\, bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger \nIn schools and churches\, hotel rooms and nail salons\, law firms and fried-fish shops; in cramped\, dingy apartments and luxury\, gated communities\, the men\, women\, and children in American Hagwon struggle to find satisfaction and meaning in a world that seems to grow less forgiving with each passing year. Once comfortably middle class in Korea\, John and Helen Koh and their three children—Bo\, DH\, and Mido—find their lives upended\, first by a shocking betrayal by John’s oldest friend\, then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. \nDesperately striving to regain their footing\, they leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in Southern California—where new vistas of opportunity open up for the children as their parents\, strangers in a strange land\, must adjust to a new life in which their experience and education mean little\, and they set their sights on whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures. The Kohs\, their friends\, relatives\, and even their foes move in and out of each other’s lives as they navigate new courses across the years\, always nursing the almost all-consuming faith that education will lead the next generation to success and security. \nIn American Hagwon\, Min Jin Lee has crafted an unforgettable\, panoramic novel where the smallest of gestures can have enormous repercussions\, where the bonds of family and of memory twist and fray but rarely break\, and where willful self-sacrifice—for the benefit of loved ones and even strangers—is a kind of prayer. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nMin Jin Lee was born in Seoul\, South Korea and immigrated to Queens\, New York with her family when she was seven years old. She is a writer whose award-winning fiction explores the intersection of race\, ethnicity\, immigration\, class\, religion\, gender\, and identity of a diasporic people. \nLee’s debut novel Free Food for Millionaires (2007) was a Top 10 Books of the Year for The Times of London\, NPR’s Fresh Air\, USA Today\, and a national bestseller. Pachinko\, her second novel\, is an epic story which follows a Korean family who migrates to Japan; it is the first novel written for an adult\, English-speaking audience about the Korean-Japanese people. Pachinko was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction\, runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize\, winner of the Medici Book Club Prize\, a New York Times 10 Best Books of 2017\, and is one of Kirkus Review’s Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far). A New York Times Bestseller\, Pachinko was also a Top 10 Books of the Year for the BBC\, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation\, and the New York Public Library. Pachinko was a selection for “Now Read This\,” the joint book club of PBS NewsHour and The New York Times. It was on over 75 best books of the year lists\, including NPR\, PBS\, and CNN. Pachinko has been translated into over 35 languages and is an international bestseller. President Barack Obama selected Pachinko for his recommended reading list\, calling it\, “a powerful story about resilience and compassion.” In 2024 Pachinko (#15) was named one of the New York Times Book Review’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. \nIN CONVERSATION WITH \nLucy Yu is a writer and multi-disciplinary artist living in Brooklyn\, New York. She is also the owner of Yu & Me Books in Manhattan’s Chinatown\, the first queer Asian American bookstore in New York City. Yu & Me Books specializes in immigrant stories\, writers of color\, and historically marginalized experiences. \nAbout the New Life Community Development Corporation \nFounded in 1994 by members of New Life Fellowship Church\, New Life Community Development Corporation seeks to serve the poor and marginalized in Elmhurst and Corona\, NY. New Life CDC envisions a neighborhood where every neighbor has the financial\, emotional\, and social resources to thrive\, and every neighbor is valued and recognized as worthy\, capable\, and deserving of investment and support. Annually\, New Life CDC serves over 1\,400 children\, youth\, adults\, and senior neighbors through culturally and linguistically accessible programs and services. New Life CDC’s programs provide relief\, cultivate restoration\, deepen relationships and model reinvestment with neighbors across the spectrum of poverty\, including those experiencing food or housing insecurity\, uninsured community members\, undocumented day laborers living on the streets\, survivors of domestic violence\, and working class families. Its core programs include a food and clothing pantry\, health center\, financial empowerment programs\, and social emotional wellness programs for low-income families at local schools and shelters.
URL:https://potluckasianamerica.org/event/an-evening-with-min-jin-lee-fundraiser-for-new-life-community-development/
LOCATION:New Life Community Development Corporation\, 82-10 Queens Boulevard\, Elmhurst\, NY\, 11373\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book,Discussion,Fundraiser
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