Curtis Chin: Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant

From filmmaker and co-founder of the Asian American Writers' Workshop, Curtis Chin's memoir about coming of age and coming out traces the author's journey through 1980's Detroit as he navigated rising xenophobia, the AIDS epidemic, and the Reagan Revolution to find his voice as a writer and activist — all set against the backdrop of his family's popular Chinese restaurant. The book, which features plenty of Chinese food and Motown vibes, will be published by Little, Brown in the fall of 2023. Publisher's Weekly has named it one of the Top 10 memoirs this fall.

A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the non-profits’ first Executive Director. He went on to write for network and cable television before transitioning to social justice documentaries. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in sixteen countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" will be published by Little, Brown in Fall 2023 and was named by Time Magazine as one of the 36 most anticipated books for the fall. He's currently writing projects for PBS and Warner Bros. His essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023.