Writer Curtis Chin joins us to talk about his award-winning memoir. Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant explores Chin’s coming of age in 1980s Detroit, his relationship with his family, and the process of embracing his identity as a gay Chinese American man. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.

 

This event takes place in the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art auditorium from 12:30-2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. It is produced in partnership with UNLV’s Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies, and the Neon Pacific Initiative.

Curtis Chin is a writer, director, producer, and activist. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. Chin has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press, and the Boston Globe, as well as for comedy shows on network television. He is a co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City and served as the non-profit’s first Executive Director. His essay in Bon Appetit was selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023 and his documentary short, Dear Corky, premiered on American Masters (PBS). He is currently working on a new docuseries on the history of Chinese restaurants in America. Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant was named a Stonewall Honor Book and a 2024 Michigan Notable Book. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.