Ann Arbor-based Author Lillian Li will facilitate a discussion with Eddie Huang about his new novel, “Come Undone,” on June 26. But this kind of event is nothing new to Li. She spent four years working at Literati as a bookseller and has spent around a decade moderating conversations with authors amongst the Ann Arbor community.
“In many ways, this is just like any other kind of live performance, live event, the people in the room are the only ones who are going to get to experience and hear from an author this way, and I think, especially if you’ve never been to event before, I highly recommend this one, because Eddie Huang is just an iconic persona,” Li said. “He’s responsible for so much of not just Asian American culture, but American culture. I would just love to learn a little bit more about how he feels about his impact, and how [he] thinks about the future of what he wants to do.”
Huang is the bestselling author of “Fresh Off The Boat,” which he also adapted into an award-winning TV show. He has written and directed films, owns the iconic Taiwanese-Chinese restaurant Baohaus in New York City and hosted his own talk show “Huang’s World” for Vice. Li cites Huang as an influence for her first book “Number One Chinese Restaurant.”
Ann Arbor is often known as a “bookish community,” which is why Li feels that author events through local bookstores and organizations continue to thrive within the city’s culture.
“I think I’ve heard from just about every author that’s come through that they feel so welcomed by Ann Arbor’s audiences, that they really show up, are really engaged in the conversation and have great questions themselves at the end,” Li said. “I think people are always in Ann Arbor looking for more ways to get more culture into their lives, [and] hear from a lot of different kinds of artists.”
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David Vogel serves as the event director for Literati, primarily facilitating author events, book clubs and other community-focused initiatives. To support Literati’s vast consumer base a general interest bookstore, Vogel works to get a variety of authors for the Ann Arbor community to experience.
“For author events, I hope that people come and get to spend time with either an author that was already their favorite, or learning about a new author, and they get something that is exclusive to us, something that you can’t get just by reading the book or listening to the other interviews that author has given,” Vogel said.
The event with Eddie Huang is a ticketed event as attendees will receive a copy of his book, be able to ask questions to Huang and Li at the event and can get their book signed.
“If you choose to spend your money with us, you will get a unique experience that is tailored to you, unlike any other, and it will leave you wanting more,” Vogel said. “You will want to come back again and again. We, as an independent business, appreciate the support. […] And it’s a way to create community, you know, like even if you’re not familiar with the book, I guarantee the author will give recommendations that you know you later want to buy that book, you want to get interested in the work that they do.”
Both Vogel and Li recognize that each author event is a unique experience for an attendee, and she works to foster an environment that creates excitement around literary and cultural conversations.
“I always hope that they leave the conversation feeling that they have learned more about the author, more about the book, in a way that enriches their reading experience and gets them really excited to read the book,” Li said. “I also hope that they come away feeling lucky that we have such a robust event program for literary events in Ann Arbor. […] I hope people feel excited to be in a place that has committed so much to bringing authors out here, and I hope they show up to more events, because as long as the audiences keep showing up, I think authors are going to keep showing up here as well.”
Learn more and buy tickets for Literati Presents: Eddie Huang on June 26 from 6:30-7:30 pm.
