EVENT DETAIL
Where are all the Asian Beach Reads?
Date
September 29, 2018
Time
1PM
Location
CityLit Stage
This lively session curated by Aesthetic Distance’s Eliza Romero with Dr. Tamara Bhalla, Sunny J. Reed, Vanessa Ulrich, Chris Jesu Lee and Keith Chow who discuss the dearth of Asian American "beach reads." Why are there so few of them? Why is Asian-American literature so weighty and serious? The idea is to unravel through conversation the reason for the dearth of lighthearted, fun and fluffy reads in Asian American literature. Are the stories only appreciated if they’re tragic, weighty stories? According to Romero, beach reads are considered middlebrow literature but they shouldn't be dismissed. Middlebrow entertainment is the most important genre in creating a cultural baseline. It's why Asian beach reads are so necessary.
