May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Hannon Library’s faculty and staff members have curated books and e-books written by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders covering various genres and topics, including titles written specifically about Asian Americans’ and Pacific Islanders’ heritages and experiences.
We’ve highlighted 20 books below, but you can check out our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages for more recommendations all month long.
1. Asianfail: Narratives of Disenchantment and the Model Minority by Eleanor Ty
According to the Journal of Asian American Studies, “Eleanor Ty’s book Asianfail is a valuable and timely contribution to Asian American and Asian Canadian studies, providing a novel way of understanding the new generation of Asian North Americans through their narratives.”
Hannon Library provides access to the e-book version of Asianfail. Check it out here.
2. Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
Avni Doshi’s debut novel, Burnt Sugar, was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize and has recently been added to the longlist for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Check out the print version here.
3. Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang
According to The Washington Post, Alexandra Chang’s debut novel “brims with the predicaments of our current moment: institutional racism, xenophobia, white privilege, microaggressions, institutional sexism, the tech gender gap, social media activism, neoliberal hypocrisy, coastal myopia and millennial resentment, to name a few.”
Check out the print version here.
4. DMZ Colony by Don Mee Choi
Don Mee Choi’s DMZ Colony recently won the 2020 National Book Award for Poetry.
Check out the print version here.
5. Experiences of Japanese American Women During and After World War II: Living in Internment Camps and Rebuilding Life Afterwards by Precious Yamaguchi
Published by Lexington Books in 2015 and written by SOU’s very own Dr. Precious Yamaguchi, you can find this title on the second floor of Hannon Library.
Check out the print version here.
6. Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
In 2019, Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations was named one of the year’s best books by The New York Times Book Review.
Check out the print version here.
7. How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
How Much of These Hill Is Gold was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It also won the 2020-2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in the Adult Fiction category.
Check out the print version here.
8. How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Find How to Pronounce Knife in the Featured Fiction section of Hannon Library. This novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen Open Book Award. In addition, it won the 2020 Giller Prize.
Check out the print version here.
9. Inscrutable Belongings: Queer Asian North American Fiction by Stephen Hong Sohn
Inscrutable Belongings won the 2020 Asian American Studies Book Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities and Cultural Studies: Literary Studies.
Hannon Library provides access to the e-book version of Inscrutable Belongings: Queer Asian North American Fiction. Check it out here.
10. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Charles Yu’s second novel, Interior Chinatown, won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. You can find it in Hannon Library’s Featured Fiction section.
Check out the print version here.
11. Interpreter of Maladies: Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies: Stories won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2000. Our web & discovery librarian, Thomas Dodson, said, “This collection of stories contains one of my favorites, ‘A Temporary Matter,’ about a couple falling out of love in the midst of a power outage.”
Check out the print version here.
12. Kanaka ʻōiwi Methodologies: Moʻolelo and Metaphor edited by Katrina-Ann R. Kapāʻanaokalāokeola Nākoa Oliveira and Erin Kahunawaikaʻala Wright
According to the University of Hawaii Press, Kanaka ‘Ōiwi Methodologies: Mo’olelo and Metaphor examines “Native Hawaiian Critical Race Theory, Hawaiian traditions and protocol in environmental research, using mele(song) for program evaluation, and more.”
Check out the print version here.
13. Leave the World Behind: A Novel by Rumaan Alam
This novel by Rumaan Alam was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2020.
Place a hold on the print version here.
14. The Leavers by Lisa Ko
The Leavers was the winner of the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
Check out the print version here.
15. My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee
According to The New York Times Book Review, Chang-Rae Lee’s novel, My Year Abroad, is “a manifesto to happiness—the one found when you stop running from who you are.”
Check out the print version here.
16. No-No Boy by John Okada
According to The Atlantic, John Okada’s only published novel, No-No Boy, “may be read as a test of character, questioning the rigid binary of loyalty—yes or no—and teaching us that what makes us human and complex, what constitutes character, are all the questions and cares that exist between yes and no: ethical and political choices, our best intentions, our social and cultural being, beliefs, courage, fears, failures, and compassion.”
Hannon Library provides access to both the e-book and print versions of No-No Boy. Access it online here, or check out the print version here.
17. Obit: Poems by Victoria Chang
Victoria Chang’s Obit: Poems was longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award in Poetry.
Hannon Library provides access the e-book version of Obit: Poems. Check it out here.
18. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Pachinko was considered by The New York Times to be one of the 10 Best Books of 2017. In addition, this novel by Min Jin Lee was recommended by our campus engagement & research services librarian, Melissa Anderson.
Check out the print version here.
19. The Politics of Privacy in Contemporary Native, Latinx, and Asian American Metafictions by Colleen G. Eils
The Politics of Privacy in Contemporary Native, Latinx, and Asian American Metafictions, was recommended by our collection development librarian, Emily Miller-Francisco.
Check out the print version here.
20. Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel
Where We Once Belonged, the debut novel by Samoan poet and novelist Sia Figiel, won the Commonwealth Writer’s Best First Book Prize for the Southeast Asia/South Pacific region.
Check out the print version here.
Meet Our Open Access and Government Information Librarian
Library NewsShe will also lead the coordination of our Federal Depository Library Program and our Oregon state depository collection. Holly has experience in promoting government resources and looks forward to helping students integrate these resources into their research. Holly holds degrees from Emporia State University (Portland Cohort) and Northern Illinois University. She is currently enrolled in the Certificate in OER Librarianship Program from the Open Education Network, in which she is gaining additional skills in open education and will strive to apply that knowledge to SOU’s specific culture and goals.
Having attended library school in Oregon, Holly is very excited to be back in Oregon and to live closer to her mother and sister, who reside in the PNW. She and her husband enjoy hiking, traveling, and standup paddleboarding, making them very eager to explore Southern Oregon. To get in touch with Holly, you can reach her at gabrielh@sou.edu.
Reading Recommendations: New to Hannon Library
Library NewsAs the end of the term draws near, borrow one of these new novels to cap off your spring reading.
1. All the Devils Are Here: A Novel by Louise Penny
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
2. The Bad Muslim Discount: A Novel by Syed M. Masood
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
3. The Cold Millions: A Novel by Jess Walter
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
4. Detransition, Baby: A Novel by Torrey Peters
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
5. Fake Accounts: A Novel by Lauren Oyler
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
6. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
7. Milk Fed: A Novel by Melissa Broder
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
8. My Year Abroad: A Novel by Chang-Rae Lee
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
9. The Nightworkers: A Novel by Brian Selfon
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
10. The Removed: A Novel by Brandon Hobson
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
11. The Searcher: A Novel by Tana French
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
12. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
13. We Run the Tides: A Novel by Vendela Vida
Place a hold for in-library pick up.
Open Oregon Educational Resources Opportunities for Faculty
Library NewsCalling all Faculty! If you are interested in textbook affordability for students, check out these opportunities through Open Oregon Educational Resources.
Submit an Open Education Resources Grant Proposal
Open Oregon Educational Resources is seeking grant proposals that implement high-impact, culturally relevant/inclusive, collaborative projects supporting open education and reduced textbook costs in lower-division courses.
For more information about grant proposals, including the six accepted categories for course redesign, eligibility requirements, rubric criteria and grant evaluation committees, visit https://openoregon.org/2021-oer-grants/.
Completed application forms are due July 9, 2021, and you can preview the application questions here. If you submit a proposal, make sure to check your email over the summer so that you’ll be available to answer follow-up questions and find out if you’re receiving funding. The grant committee will notify applicants by August 6, 2021. Project timelines may vary, but faculty must complete projects by June 1, 2023.
Register for the Equity and Open Education Faculty Cohort
If you’re interested in making your course materials relevant and accessible for all of your students, consider joining the statewide two-part Equity and Open Education Faculty Cohort.
Participants will earn a $200 stipend upon completion of “Part One – Explore” and will have the option to attend “Part Two – Implement” for an additional $300 stipend.
To indicate that you’re interested in joining the Equity and Open Education Faculty Cohort, submit this registration form by Monday, June 14. Enrollment in the cohort will be capped at 60 instructors. Please note that submitting a registration form does not guarantee enrollment. If more than 60 instructors register for the cohort, Open Oregon Educational Resources will consider each registrant’s availability for 90-minute weekly mini-group discussions, the credit status of courses taught, representation from all 24 colleges/universities, and past registration attempts.
Part One of the cohort will take place over four weeks from August 2 through 27 and will cover the following topics in the context of how to improve course materials and serve students more equitably:
Part Two of the cohort will take place over four weeks from August 30 through September 24. It will provide instructors with the opportunity to implement some of the approaches learned in Part One by redesigning and sharing a unit of their materials. You can view examples of redesigned course components from Summer 2020 and Winter 2021.
The Equity and Open Education Faculty Cohort model was developed at Portland Community College by faculty librarian Jen Klaudinyi. Review a previous course site to browse the course content and read participant takeaways to see what other faculty thought about the course.
For additional information, visit https://openoregon.org/events/event/equity-and-open-education-faculty-cohort-registration-2/.
Receive a Stipend to Teach a College Success Course in Spanish with a Translation of Blueprint for Success
A free, Open Educational Resource, Blueprint for Success in College and Career is a student’s classroom and career success guide. This text, designed to show how to be successful in college and in career preparation, focuses on study skills, time management, career exploration, health, and financial literacy.
Contact Amy Hofer, Coordinator of Statewide Open Education Library Services, if you’re interested in receiving a $750 stipend to teach a college success course in Spanish with a translation of the Textbook Excellence Award Winner, Blueprint for Success and its ancillaries. Materials will be ready to pilot in Fall 2022.
Create or Adapt Open Educational Resources With an Equity Lens for Major Transfer Map Courses in HDFS and Sociology
Funding is available for faculty who’d like to create open educational resources (OERs) with an equity lens. Contact Amy Hofer, Coordinator of Statewide Open Education Library Services, if you’re interested in authoring, adapting, peer-reviewing, piloting, or sharing advice about HDFS and Sociology course materials.
20 Titles to Borrow for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Library NewsMay is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Hannon Library’s faculty and staff members have curated books and e-books written by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders covering various genres and topics, including titles written specifically about Asian Americans’ and Pacific Islanders’ heritages and experiences.
We’ve highlighted 20 books below, but you can check out our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages for more recommendations all month long.
1. Asianfail: Narratives of Disenchantment and the Model Minority by Eleanor Ty
According to the Journal of Asian American Studies, “Eleanor Ty’s book Asianfail is a valuable and timely contribution to Asian American and Asian Canadian studies, providing a novel way of understanding the new generation of Asian North Americans through their narratives.”
Hannon Library provides access to the e-book version of Asianfail. Check it out here.
2. Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
Avni Doshi’s debut novel, Burnt Sugar, was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize and has recently been added to the longlist for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Check out the print version here.
3. Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang
According to The Washington Post, Alexandra Chang’s debut novel “brims with the predicaments of our current moment: institutional racism, xenophobia, white privilege, microaggressions, institutional sexism, the tech gender gap, social media activism, neoliberal hypocrisy, coastal myopia and millennial resentment, to name a few.”
Check out the print version here.
4. DMZ Colony by Don Mee Choi
Don Mee Choi’s DMZ Colony recently won the 2020 National Book Award for Poetry.
Check out the print version here.
5. Experiences of Japanese American Women During and After World War II: Living in Internment Camps and Rebuilding Life Afterwards by Precious Yamaguchi
Published by Lexington Books in 2015 and written by SOU’s very own Dr. Precious Yamaguchi, you can find this title on the second floor of Hannon Library.
Check out the print version here.
6. Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
In 2019, Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations was named one of the year’s best books by The New York Times Book Review.
Check out the print version here.
7. How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
How Much of These Hill Is Gold was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It also won the 2020-2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in the Adult Fiction category.
Check out the print version here.
8. How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Find How to Pronounce Knife in the Featured Fiction section of Hannon Library. This novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen Open Book Award. In addition, it won the 2020 Giller Prize.
Check out the print version here.
9. Inscrutable Belongings: Queer Asian North American Fiction by Stephen Hong Sohn
Inscrutable Belongings won the 2020 Asian American Studies Book Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities and Cultural Studies: Literary Studies.
Hannon Library provides access to the e-book version of Inscrutable Belongings: Queer Asian North American Fiction. Check it out here.
10. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Charles Yu’s second novel, Interior Chinatown, won the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. You can find it in Hannon Library’s Featured Fiction section.
Check out the print version here.
11. Interpreter of Maladies: Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies: Stories won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2000. Our web & discovery librarian, Thomas Dodson, said, “This collection of stories contains one of my favorites, ‘A Temporary Matter,’ about a couple falling out of love in the midst of a power outage.”
Check out the print version here.
12. Kanaka ʻōiwi Methodologies: Moʻolelo and Metaphor edited by Katrina-Ann R. Kapāʻanaokalāokeola Nākoa Oliveira and Erin Kahunawaikaʻala Wright
According to the University of Hawaii Press, Kanaka ‘Ōiwi Methodologies: Mo’olelo and Metaphor examines “Native Hawaiian Critical Race Theory, Hawaiian traditions and protocol in environmental research, using mele(song) for program evaluation, and more.”
Check out the print version here.
13. Leave the World Behind: A Novel by Rumaan Alam
This novel by Rumaan Alam was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2020.
Place a hold on the print version here.
14. The Leavers by Lisa Ko
The Leavers was the winner of the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
Check out the print version here.
15. My Year Abroad by Chang-Rae Lee
According to The New York Times Book Review, Chang-Rae Lee’s novel, My Year Abroad, is “a manifesto to happiness—the one found when you stop running from who you are.”
Check out the print version here.
16. No-No Boy by John Okada
According to The Atlantic, John Okada’s only published novel, No-No Boy, “may be read as a test of character, questioning the rigid binary of loyalty—yes or no—and teaching us that what makes us human and complex, what constitutes character, are all the questions and cares that exist between yes and no: ethical and political choices, our best intentions, our social and cultural being, beliefs, courage, fears, failures, and compassion.”
Hannon Library provides access to both the e-book and print versions of No-No Boy. Access it online here, or check out the print version here.
17. Obit: Poems by Victoria Chang
Victoria Chang’s Obit: Poems was longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award in Poetry.
Hannon Library provides access the e-book version of Obit: Poems. Check it out here.
18. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Pachinko was considered by The New York Times to be one of the 10 Best Books of 2017. In addition, this novel by Min Jin Lee was recommended by our campus engagement & research services librarian, Melissa Anderson.
Check out the print version here.
19. The Politics of Privacy in Contemporary Native, Latinx, and Asian American Metafictions by Colleen G. Eils
The Politics of Privacy in Contemporary Native, Latinx, and Asian American Metafictions, was recommended by our collection development librarian, Emily Miller-Francisco.
Check out the print version here.
20. Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel
Where We Once Belonged, the debut novel by Samoan poet and novelist Sia Figiel, won the Commonwealth Writer’s Best First Book Prize for the Southeast Asia/South Pacific region.
Check out the print version here.
Friends of Hannon Library Annual Members Meeting: April 29
Library NewsAll Friends of Hannon Library members are invited to join the Board of the Friends of Hannon Library for the Annual Members Meeting on April 29 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Register for the webinar here.
The Members Meeting will include a greeting from Sophia Bogle, president of the Board of the Friends of Hannon Library, and a summary of what the Friends worked on during the pandemic. Also on the agenda is an overview of next year’s Speaker Series, Cultural Connection, and votes on new bylaws and the new standing rule. The meeting will also include a report from Dale Vidmar, Hannon Library’s Interim University Librarian, and a vote to elect board members. There will be time for questions at the end of the meeting.
For any questions regarding the meeting or interest in becoming a board member, please contact Sophia Bogle at sophiaswbogle@gmail.com.
Once you register for the webinar, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to access the event. If you have not done so already, you may want to download Zoom before the event at 6:00 p.m. on April 29. If you have questions about using Zoom, please contact libraryevents@sou.edu.