Booksmith and Kearny Street Workshop are thrilled to host Ryan Lee Wong for his powerful and very funny debut novel, Which Side Are You On, which asks the question: How can we live with integrity and pleasure in this world of police brutality and racism? Ryan will be in conversation with Gods of Want and Bestiary author K-Ming Chang. Join us!

PLEASE NOTE: Advance sales for this event have ended, but we will have a few seats available at the door. Questions? Write [email protected].

Please note:

• Safety: ID and proof of full vaccination, including booster, will be required at the door. Masks will be required throughout the duration of the event, capacity will be limited to allow indoor distancing, and we'll have extra ventilation in place. 
• Because we’re limiting capacity, we can't guarantee we'll have space for walk-ins. The best way to ensure you’ll get a seat is to order the Book + Seat ticket through this link; you can also RSVP for a free seat right here while supplies last.
• We are happy to offer *signed copies* of Which Side Are You On: order a Book + Seat ticket bundle if you'd like to pick up a signed copy at the event, or order here if you just want a signed copy.
• Order copies of K-Ming Chang's books here.
• If we feel it is not safe to gather, as the event gets closer, we will pivot to a virtual event and your registration will remain valid.
• Questions? Write [email protected].

About the book

Twenty-one-year-old Reed wants to drop out of college and devote himself to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Reed’s mother, alarmed at this turn, reluctantly tells him about her own activism. She recalls how she worked to quell Black-Korean violence in Los Angeles, all while they seek comfort in that city, from a Korean barbecue restaurant to a yoga class to a nightclub. Reed’s austere personal ethics rub against his mother’s sense of fun; his idealism against her pragmatism. The stories she tells challenge his understanding of who he is.

Inspired by his deep roots in activism, Ryan Lee Wong offers an extraordinary debut novel for readers of Anthony Veasna So, Rachel Kushner, and Michelle Zauner, a book that is as hilarious as it is profound, paying homage to the hard work of activism and a mother’s love, wit, and wisdom.

About the authors

Ryan Lee Wong was born and raised in Los Angeles, lived for two years at Ancestral Heart Zen Temple, and currently lives in Brooklyn, where he is the administrative director of Brooklyn Zen Center. Previously, he served as program director for the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and managing director of Kundiman. He has organized exhibitions and written extensively on the Asian American movements of the 1970s. He holds an MFA in fiction from Rutgers University–Newark. Which Side Are You On is his first book. Author photo by Beowulf Sheehan.

K-Ming Chang is a Kundiman fellow, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree. She is the author of the New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice novel Bestiary (One World/Random House, 2020), which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. In 2021, her chapbook Bone House was published by Bull City Press. Her most recent book is Gods of Want (One World/Random House, 2022). Her next book is a novel titled Organ Meats. She lives in California.

About Kearny Street Workshop

The longest standing multidisciplinary Asian Pacific American arts organization, Kearny Street Workshop offers classes and workshops, salons, and student presentations, as well as professionally curated and produced exhibitions, performances, readings, and screenings. KSW makes artists out of community members and community members out of artists. For the past 50 years, KSW has nurtured the creative spirit, offered an important platform for new voices to be heard, and connected artists with community. Find out more at their website and be sure to check out their annual interdisciplinary arts festival APAture, to be held October 8-30.

Please note:

• Safety: ID and proof of full vaccination, including booster, will be required at the door. Masks will be required throughout the duration of the event, capacity will be limited to allow indoor distancing, and we'll have extra ventilation in place. 
• Because we’re limiting capacity, we can't guarantee we'll have space for walk-ins. The best way to ensure you’ll get a seat is to order the Book + Seat ticket through this link; you can also RSVP for a free seat right here while supplies last.
• We are happy to offer *signed copies* of Which Side Are You On: order a Book + Seat ticket bundle if you'd like to pick up a signed copy at the event, or order here if you just want a signed copy.
• Order copies of K-Ming Chang's books here.
• If we feel it is not safe to gather, as the event gets closer, we will pivot to a virtual event and your registration will remain valid.
• Questions? Write [email protected].