Writers Who Read: Real Americans - Rachel Khong

September's hybrid meeting--IN PERSON at the Boulder Library Main Branch second floor Arapahoe Room & ONLINE (see link when you register)--is Real Americans by Rachel Khong (USA, 2024) on Sunday starting at 2:30 pm (for 2 hours).

What does stealing a lotus seed in 1966 have to do with Lily Chen, a 22-year-old media intern in NYC at the dawn of the 21st century? Quite a lot, it turns out. The stories of Lily, her son, and her mother explore themes of class privilege, race, gender, and the ethics of genetic engineering. What do we inherit from our parents biologically, emotionally, and culturally, and who gets to be a "real American?"

We are Writers Who Read. We use Literary Forensics to dissect a recent novel (published within the past 18 months) with the goal of uncovering how the author has utilized their skills for effect. Storytelling is an art, but it's not a mystery. Every writer must address the following:

• Structure, Timeline, Pacing, Suspense, Omission
• Point of View, including Voice, Character, Place
• Language, Tense, Imagery, Metaphor, Symbols
• Motivation: Making a story pop - generating a thrill
• Why this story? And why now? Industry considerations

We ask that all attendees read the entire book in advance of the meeting, and come bearing their discoveries of how the author has addressed each of the five points above.

More information about other Writers Who Read meetings and our WwR Podcast can be found at: https://WritersWhoRead.com