Books and Boba

#298 - Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu


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On this episode, we discuss our November 2024 book club pick,  Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, an award winning novel about a guy living in cop show version of Chinatown who dreams of becoming a "Kung Fu Guy" but is stuck playing generic Asian guy roles, a metaphor for not only how Hollywood treats its Asian actors, but for the model minority myth as well.

To help us discuss this book, we've invited our friends Ada Tseng and Brian Hu from the Saturday School Podcast who provide their perspectives as longtime Asian American pop culture journalists and scholars.

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors

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The Books & Boba December 2024 Book Club Pick is Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo and translated by Jamie Chang

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't miss Chinese Republicans, a new play from Alex Lin

Coming to the Roundabout Theatre Company this winter, Chinese Republicans is a biting new satirical drama from Alex Lin, directed by Chay Yew, following three high-powered businesswomen who meet for lunch every month to discuss their latest career triumphs, as they’ve done for decades. But the group is jolted when Katie, a bright-eyed 24-year-old new to the workforce, joins to navigate the world of corporate finance. As each of the women attempts to steer Katie towards what they’re certain is best, they’re forced to grapple with how much they already have and are willing to sacrifice to climb the corporate ladder.

Tickets for Chinese Republicans on sale now!

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