The Cosmos Book Club is a gathering of self-identifying Asian females and gender non-binary people to read, talk about, and support Asian diaspora literary works by ladies and gender non-binary authors. The team fulfills every single other thirty days to take part in thoughtful talks around identification, politics, and life experiences. Through researching and discussion we try to enhance our comprehension of complex problems and reinforce the other person in the neighborhood.
Growing up in the usa school that is public, we seldom encountered tales that reflected our experiences or compared to our families. The books we had been taught to appreciate were primarily lent through the Western canon. We knew there was more available to you for all of us and had been determined to co-create a book that is community-led to learn, share and celebrate it.
By reading and analyzing works of Asian ladies and gender non-binary authors, we seek to enhance our comprehension of complex problems, nourish our well-being, and reaffirm the other person. We welcome all who would like to be a part of these significant conversations.
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The Cosmos Book Club #10: Miracle Creek with Angie Kim
The Cosmos Book Club is reading Miracle Creek for our tenth gathering on Wednesday, November 6. As of this written guide club we are accompanied by writer Angie Kim for a Q&A after our group talks.
Into the small city of Miracle Creek, Virginia, a hyperbaric air chamber operated by the immigrant household is placed on fire. The murder trial that unfolds in Miracle Creek is completely gripping, begging visitors to ask themselves—how far would they’re going to safeguard their family? Could you keep their secrets or expose their lies, as soon as the effects can additionally influence your personal future? In this first novel, previous test attorney Angie Kim expertly paints the strain in the courtroom combined with the fraught complexities of life for immigrants.
Partner with all the written Book Club!
Will you be a food, drink, or sponsor that is venue really wants to achieve a residential area of Asian millennial and Gen-Z visitors and authors? A writer or publisher who would like to straight reach an involved and active market? Speak to us at hello@jointhecosmos.com.
Past partners: Penguin Random Home, Minimal The Books, Asian American Writers’ Workshop, Boba Guys, and Yooeating
Previous authors: Jia Tolentino, Crystal Hana Kim, Lisa Ko, Sona Charaipotra, Nicole Chung and much more!
Last Book Clubs
The Cosmos Book Club no. 9: Trick Mirror by Jia TolentinoSEPTEMBER 18, 2019
For the ninth book club, a loaded home of thirty women divided into four teams for conversation of Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion before a romantic Q&A with writer Jia Tolentino.
During our conversation we grappled with all the energy the web holds and reminisced in regards to the better times during the internet (remember Neopets? ), most of the methods we attempt to optimize become perfect ladies through “beauty work”, therefore the look for spirituality may it be through faith, medications, or somewhere in the middle. Mostly we attempted our better to distinguish exactly what we think we would like versus just just what our society and culture dictates we ought to wish, just like Jia does through the essay collection.
Afterwards, Carolyn hosted a Q&A with Jia to inquire about her concerning the need for authenticity (“someone yesterday explained my brand that is personal was and I became like, bang me, ” Jia interjected), the essential difference between good critique and viewpoint, while the internet content she finds solace in (National Parks and jellyfish cams). When inquired about just how she fields haters and trolls, she emphasized truly wanting to be described as a person that is good fretting about one’s self-image and being liked on the web.
The Cosmos Book Club #8: Severance by Ling MaAUGUST 5, 2019
Severance ended up being so fantastically not the same as past publications we have look over, from the apocalyptic/sci-fi plot points to author Ling Ma’s many recommendations to consumer items and brands.
During our conversation we seriously considered just exactly how Candace’s absence of a home that is permanent her resistant to Shen Fever. Most of us had been astonished by most of the intricacies and horrors of guide manufacturing, made more ironic because of the publications being Bibles and just how also manufacturing of a celebrated holy text is greatly affected by capitalism. Overall we distributed to one another funny anecdotes and existential ideas, definitely not reaching tangible responses into the difficult life concerns but once you understand while we figure it out that we can laugh about and relate to each other through community.
The Cosmos Book Club # 7: in the event that you keep me personally by Crystal Hana KimAPRIL 8, 2019
At our book that is seventh club we welcomed twenty five females towards the AAWW room for meals, conversation, and a Q&A and book signing with Crystal Hana Kim, composer of in the event that you keep me personally.
We began the evening with meals from Yooeating, a food that is korean-american up featuring brand new assumes on Korean house cooking. The menu had been encouraged because of the protagonist Haemi’s favorite meals into the novel—gosari, sweet potato combined with rice, anchovies, pig’s feet, and home-brewed makgeolli.
After introductions, we split into three little teams for guide conversation. During our discussion we mused over whether we might select Kyunghwan or Jisoo (or neither), the selling point of bad men, Korea’s obsession with very very first loves, as well as the notion that is gendered of” figures. We additionally respected the methods for which war can influence us, including exactly how Haemi holds onto her familiar hanboks as a indication of convenience amid the unpredictability of war.
We welcomed Crystal right after and jumped right into a Q&A session to ask our many pushing questions. We discovered that me originally started as linked stories during Crystal’s MFA program if you leave. Crystal shared anecdotes she learned all about her household included in research, emphasizing the resilience one develops during wartime. Whenever asked on maintaining a sustainable process that is creative she recommended finding a task which you love and have confidence in, even when no one else does.
Community Book SwapMARCH 24, 2019
For the very first community guide swap, we collected in Carolyletter’s house through the afternoon and snacked on dumplings, cupcakes, lard bread, cheese, donuts, wine & a whole lot more.
Attendees brought over seventy books of literary fiction, memoirs, essays, business/psychology, technology fiction, dream and much more. A few of the very first publications to go had been efficiency Store girl by Sayaka Murata and Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyememi. We saw a few of our Cosmos that is previous Book reads too, including Anything You Can Ever understand by Nicole Chung and one thousand Beginnings define mail order bride and Endings!
After numerous rounds of selecting her top guide choose, each girl were left with at the least three publications to get hold of, excited to read through their brand new picks.
The Cosmos Book Club no. 6: the most effective We Could Do by Thi BuiFEBRUARY 19, 2019
At our sixth gathering, facilitator Rosa brought forth outstanding icebreaker concept to draw away a scene within our future graphic novel memoirs. As people trickled in, we each surely got to work busting out our most readily useful stick figure drawing abilities to depict scenes from our youth on index cards, snacking on ch? gio along with lemon dessert and strawberries generously brought by our people. After completing our artwork, we each introduced ourselves along side our individual tales.
Our conversation veered profoundly in to the personal—from sharing driving a car we hold in having and children that are raising the resentments we hold toward our moms and dads. The very best we’re able to Do dives deeply into Thi’s genealogy and family history and fears that are own also it was cathartic for people to truly have the room and time for you to explore the exact same.