In his debut novel, Lost Men, (Shaye Areheart Books, 2007) Brian Leung explores cultural identity, the meaning of family, and the pressures of fate as characters confront their complex pasts. Westen Chan vividly remembers the day he lost both his parents – his mother to a car accident, and his father, who, unable to come to terms with the death of Westen’s mother, leaves him to live with his aunt and uncle. Westen struggles to understand his identity, his place in the world, and why his father, after so many years, has sent him a letter inviting him on a trip to China – a promise that was made to Westen when he was a child.

The book launch will include a reading followed by booksigning and a reception with music by New York based alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, who will present excerpts from his most recent album Codebook with longtime collaborator bassist Carlo de Rosa.

This event is co-sponsored with Artists & Audiences Exchange, a NYFA public program.

Brian Leung’s story collection, World Famous Love Acts, won the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and the Asian American Literary Award, was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, and was chosen as an Editor’s Pick in Entertainment Weekly. His work has appeared in Story, Crazyhorse, Indiana Review, Grain, Gulf Coast, Kinesis, Mid-American Review, Salt Hill, Gulf Stream, and numerous other periodicals. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Indiana University and lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where he is an assistant professor at the University of Louisville. Lost Men is his first novel.

Guggenheim fellow Rudresh Mahanthappa is one of the most innovative young musicians and composers in jazz today. Named a Rising Star of the alto saxophone by the Downbeat International Critics Poll for the past four years, Rudresh has incorporated the culture of his Indian ancestry to create a truly groundbreaking artistic vision. He is a 2006 Artist Fellowship recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

$5 donation is suggested.