Tired of cliched narratives of diasporic homecomings? Longing for an honest and irreverent story of coming, going, and never quite arriving? Don’t miss the chance to hear R. Zamora Linmark read from his newest novel Leche–a witty, lyrical tale of a young man’s return to the place of his birth and sequel to Linmark’s critically acclaimedRolling The R’s.

It was 1978 when Vince De Los Reyes left the Philippines for Hawaii. Thirteen years later, he lands in Manila and finds himself reckoning with his balikbayan (U.S.-based Filipino) status, the realities of postcolonialism, childhood memories, a rebellious nun named Sister Marie, transnational identities, and the daughter of the country’s president.

Incorporating prose (in English, Hawaiian Pidgin, and Tagalog), photographs, dictionary entries, postcards written to his friends in Hawaii, and lists of facetious tourist tips (“Don’t use Spanish on them because their Spanish is not your Spanish”), Linmark skillfully weaves the sights and sounds of present-day Manila with flashbacks of Vince’s seemingly claustrophobic life in Honolulu. Longlisted for the 2009 Man Asian Literary Award, Leche was praised by Publishers Weekly: “As quirky and funny as its oddball characters, Linmark’s latest is a unique, colorful portrait of cross-cultural experience and a view into the complexities of modern-day Philippines through the prism of an ex-pat’s self-discovery and quasi-homecoming.” Join Linmark in conversation with Gayatri Gopinath at the AAWW to celebrate the NYC-launch of Leche.

Poet, novelist, and playwright R. Zamora Linmark is the author of the best-selling novelRolling the R’s (Kaya Press) and three collections of poetry, Prime Time Apparitions,The Evolution of a Sigh, and the forthcomingDrive By Vigils, all from Hanging Loose Press. His stage adaptation of Rolling the R’spremiered in Honolulu in 2008 and was a critical and commercial success. Linmark divides his time between Honolulu and Manila.

Gayatri Gopinath is the author of Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Culture (Duke University Press), which has been called, “a landmark piece of scholarship.” An Associate Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis and Director of Gender and Sexuality Studies at New York University, her research interests include Queer Studies, Postcolonial Studies, and Feminist Theory.

$5 suggested donation. This event is open to the public.