Did you know that SBU has the largest Chinese cookbook collection in the world? Part of Special Collections, the Jacqueline M. Newman Chinese Cookbook Collection includes 5,000 rare and unique titles and provides a valuable record of the Chinese Diaspora that has carried its rich cuisine to every corner of the globe.
As part of SBU’s inaugural “One Book, One Community” shared reading initiative, this online guided discussion will center on Charles Yu’s book Interior Chinatown, a 2020 National Book Award winner, in the context of the Chinese cookbook collection. In Yu’s novel, “Generic Asian Man” works at “Golden Palace, formerly Jade Palace, formerly Palace of Good Fortune” – a restaurant that serves “fluffy white rice and choice of soup, egg drop or hot and sour.” Yu references Chinese food stereotypes as a setting and backdrop for his larger story about lives and experiences of those struggling to be seen in American society.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a curated selection of Chinese cookbooks from the Newman Collection and participate in conversations about the rich history, imagery, and ingredients found in the collection – and consider how these works can help us to understand the cultural and historical pasts as portrayed in Yu’s book.
Registration
Please register for the event via Zoom.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
If you have a disability and are requesting accommodations in order to fully participate in this event, please email libraryevents@stonybrook.edu or call 631-632-7100.