Please join us on Thursday, February 21st at at 4 p.m. in the Homer Babbidge Instruction room 1102 as we welcome Frank Abe, Greg Robinson, and Floyd Cheung who will discuss their book, "John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Work of No-No Boy"
No-No Boy, John Okada’s only published novel, centers on a Japanese American who refuses to fight for the country that incarcerated him and his people in World War II and, upon release from federal prison after the war, is cast out by his divided community. In 1957, the novel faced a similar rejection until it was rediscovered and reissued in 1976 to become a celebrated classic of American literature. As a result of Okada’s untimely death at age forty-seven, the author’s life and other works have remained obscure.
This compelling collection offers the first full-length examination of Okada’s development as an artist, placing recently discovered writing by Okada alongside essays that reassess his lasting legacy. Meticulously researched biographical details, insight from friends and relatives, and a trove of intimate photographs illuminate Okada’s early life in Seattle, military service, and careers as a public librarian and a technical writer in the aerospace industry. This volume is an essential companion to No-No Boy.
This event is co-sponsored by the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, and the Asian American Cultural Center.
For more information, contact: Jason Chang at jason.o.chang@uconn.edu