Charles Yu, author of “Interior Chinatown.”
A deeply personal, moving, humorous novel about race, stereotypes and, ultimately, the limitations of the American Dream, will engross West Virginia University students, faculty and staff as this year’s WVU Campus Read.
Charles Yu’s “Interior Chinatown” uses both humor and the form of the screenplay for a cop show to introduce us to Willis Wu, a young American man and the son of Chinese immigrants, who yearns to achieve fulfillment in a country that refuses to let him be anything more than a stereotype.
“We're very excited to present ‘Interior Chinatown’ to our campus community for its capacity to resonate deeply with our students, faculty and staff around themes of identity and inclusion,” said Renée Nicholson, director of the WVU Humanities Center, which oversees the Campus Read.
“Using the familiar tropes of television, the book allows us to experience both humor and heartbreak to tackle subjects such as race and racial relations, the failure of the American Dream, and the ways in which Asian Americans can feel invisible within the larger American culture,” Nicholson added. “We look forward to engaging, meaningful discussions with the WVU community around a broad range of topics from the novel’s unusual, inventive structure, to finding empathy for others. This novel also invites us to consider such things as our experience of Hollywood, of representation and of cultural stereotypes.”
The Campus Read fosters an exchange of ideas, thoughtful dialogue and new connections as fellow Mountaineers join together to discuss important ideas about human experiences. It offers an opportunity to engage the campus, particularly first-year students, in a year-long discussion about the themes of a single book.
Throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, there will also be opportunities for faculty and staff to incorporate the book into courses and programs at all levels systemwide.
Campus Read resources, including suggested classroom activities, readings, discussion guides, videos and more are available on the Campus Read website.
Events centered around “Interior Chinatown” will take place during the fall and spring semesters. All events will be open to the public and will be posted on the website as they are announced. Faculty, staff and student organizations are encouraged to incorporate the Campus Read into their events and coursework, as well. To partner with the Campus Read on a tie-in event, or to share classroom activities based on the book, contact Renée Nicholson at renee.nicholson@mail.wvu.edu.
Since the Campus Read’s inception, the WVU community is encouraged to offer suggestions on what books should be considered for future Campus Read selections. Nominations may be submitted on the Campus Read website.
A selection committee of students, faculty and staff narrowed the list from those suggested. The committee reviewed books in a variety of genres and summarized the merits of each as a potential Campus Read in a report to the Provost’s Office, which makes the final determination.
Faculty, staff and students are welcome to join the Campus Read Selection and Program Committees. Contact HumanitiesCenter@mail.wvu.edu for information.
-WVU-
kf/01/26/22
CONTACT: Renée Nicholson
Director, WVU Humanities Center
304-293-2514; Renee.Nicholson@mail.wvu.edu
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