R.F. Kuang discusses Taipei Story

R.F. Kuang, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of *Katabasis* and *Yellowface*, presents *Taipei Story*, a humorous and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel. The event explores grief, language, culture shock, family history, diaspora, and the complicated meaning of home.

The novel follows Lily Chen, a Chinese American college freshman spending the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program. Hoping to reconnect with a culture she inherited but never fully understood, Lily instead struggles with demanding classes, an aggravating roommate, gossiping classmates, and the feeling that she is a foreigner in a place she expected to feel familiar. After her grandfather dies, she begins searching for a deeper understanding of herself, her family, and home. The conversation will consider the novel’s questions about whether returning to one’s ancestral culture can fulfill expectations, whether language can bridge emotional distance, and what happens when family history remains hidden.

Kuang will be joined by Amy Qin, a New York Times national correspondent who covers Asian American communities across the United States and has lived in Beijing, Taipei, and Hong Kong.

When: September 9, 2026

Showtime: 7:00 p.m. ET

Doors: 6:00 p.m.

Tickets: In-person admission is sold out. Virtual tickets cost $12, or $40 for a virtual ticket with a signed book. Additional fees apply.

Seating: General admission for the in-person event.

Lineup: R.F. Kuang in conversation with Amy Qin.

Books: All books are pre-signed by Kuang. A limited number of tickets include access to a post-event signing where attendees may have their names added to their books.

Venue: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, with both in-person and virtual access.