June Theme:
Cultural Identity & Mother-Daughter Relationships
Currently Reading
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.
As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band--and meeting the man who would become her husband--her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.
Currently Watching
Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed by Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan
Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a middle-aged Chinese American immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan); two decades earlier, they eloped to the United States and had a daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). In the present day, the laundromat is being audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Waymond is trying to serve Evelyn divorce papers in an attempt to get her attention so they can talk about their marriage; Evelyn's stern and demanding father (referred to as Gong Gong (James Hong), Cantonese for 'grandfather') is visiting for her Chinese New Year party; and Joy is dealing with depression and has a strained relationship with her mother, which also includes Evelyn's reluctance to accept Joy's lesbian relationship with her non-Chinese girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel).
In an effort not to give too much away, this film explores themes of mother-daughter relationships, the immigrant experience, and time travel. A perfect cinematic companion to Crying in H Mart & For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).
Currently Listening
For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) by Japanese Breakfast
For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is the fourth studio album released by indie-pop band Japanese Breakfast. Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart, is also the lead singer of Japanese Breakfast.
This album explores themes of melancholy, intimacy, and romance. This record was released a few years after the publication of Crying in H Mart.