Henry Chow and other stories

Chosen by Ricepaper magazine and the Asian Canadian Writers' Collective, these stories by emerging and established writers such as Evelyn Lau and Governor General Award winner Paul Yee reflect the experiences and sentiments of North-American Asian teenagers.

Teachers and librarians can offer this book to students to help them learn more about the short story format. Significant too, is that each author in this collection is Asian, amplifying youth voices from different parts of these cultures. Students can each read a story independently and then share what they read by retelling the story to others. Students can then make comparisons between the characters’ experiences and their own lives.

Henry Chow is a collection of short stories chosen by Ricepaper magazine and the Asian Canadian Writers Workshop, from both established and emerging writers. All the stories, except Paul Yee’s “The Dark Room”, feature teenage protagonists of Asian descent who not only contend with the tensions inherent in moving towards adulthood, but also with insensitive and racist attitudes (including their own inappropriate attitudes towards other people), and with the effects of cultural heritage and physical difference on acceptance into their community. This collection will engage many adolescent readers, even though they may not be familiar with specific cultural references and historical circumstances. The universal theme of growing up is explored through romance, racial differences, social marginalization, economic difficulties, supernatural elements and cultural disorientation in language appropriate for the targeted age group.

Caution: Evelyn Lau’s “Working the Corner”, a story about teen prostitution, includes non-standard language, references to drug use, oral sex, and joking about orally castrating clients.