Author's Corner, Ira Sukrungruang: What is the Role of Intimacy and Touch in a Relationship? What is Life Like Post-divorce?
Ira Sukrungruang , an American Book Award Winner is back with This Jade World (University of Nebraska Press, 10/21), a new memoir soon to be featured in the @chicagotribune that seeks to confront Asian stereotypes and redefine the “divorce memoir” genre. Edited by Tobias Wolff and part of UNP’s esteemed American Lives Series, Ira recounts his experience as a Thai American as he returns to his ancestral roots while dealing with the dissolution of his marriage.
Ira married young to an older poet, and on their twelfth anniversary, he received a letter asking for a divorce, which sent him into a despairing spiral. How would he define himself when he was suddenly without the person who helped mold him into the person he is? Returning to the bustling marketplaces of Chiang Mai and Bangkok, the ancient temples and lush greenery of Thailand, Ira seeks to obliterate the stereotype of the “sexless” Asian man as he recounts a year of mishap, exploration and experimentation, self-discovery — and eventually, healing.
🎬 We discuss the power of vulnerability when telling your story and healing, intersection between Thai culture and gender, and being a BTS ARMY!
📚 To learn more about Ira and purchase his books: http://www.buddhistboy.com/
📗 To order This Jade World
