Tired of cliched narratives of diasporic homecomings? Longing for an honest and irreverent story of coming, going, and never quite arriving? Don’t miss the chance to hear R. Zamora Linmark read from his newest novel Leche–a witty, lyrical tale of a young man’s return to the place of his birth and sequel to Linmark’s critically acclaimed Rolling The R’s.

It was 1978 when Vince De Los Reyes left the Philippines for Hawaii. Thirtee…n years later, he lands in Manila and finds himself reckoning with his balikbayan (U.S.-based Filipino) status, the realities of postcolonialism, childhood memories, a rebellious nun named Sister Marie, transnational identities, and the daughter of the country’s president.

Incorporating prose (in English, Hawaiian Pidgin, and Tagalog), photographs, dictionary entries, postcards written to his friends in Hawaii, and lists of facetious tourist tips (“Don’t use Spanish on them because their Spanish is not your Spanish”), Linmark skillfully weaves the sights and sounds of present-day Manila with flashbacks of Vince’s seemingly claustrophobic life in Honolulu. Longlisted for the 2009 Man Asian Literary Award, Leche was praised by Publishers Weekly: “As quirky and funny as its oddball characters, Linmark’s latest is a unique, colorful portrait of cross-cultural experience and a view into the complexities of modern-day Philippines through the prism of an ex-pat’s self-discovery and quasi-homecoming.” Join Linmark in conversation with Gayatri Gopinath at the AAWW to celebrate the NYC-launch of Leche.

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