November’s Book Pick and Discussion Post: Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong
Editor’s note: Hi everyone, it’s your host, @LibraryOFDreaming. I want to apologize for the lack of updates here on ChronicallyIconicBookClub.com. I’ve been going through some intense health issues and I just haven’t had the capability to update the website. I’m hoping to get back in the groove but in the meantime the best way to keep up with all our book club’s news is to follow me over on Instagram. I’m going to do some housekeeping around here to catch you all up on some old updates. Happy Reading!
[ID: A bright yellow book with an illustration of a red tiger on it. The book sits on a white shelf in front of a stack of red vintage books with the spines showing. Scrabble tiles spelling out “Nov Read” sit on the books. It’s surrounded by a bouquet of red carnations to the right, book page confetti, and a yellow butterfly in the upper left corner. A few loose pages and an old fashioned pen sit in front of the book.]
In November of 2022 we selected YEAR OF THE TIGER by Alice Wong as our monthly read.
Summary: From the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, and the editor of the acclaimed anthology Disability Visibility, a genre-bending memoir in essays offers a glimpse into an activist's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability rights.
In Chinese culture, the tiger is deeply revered for its beauty and ferocity and symbolizes power, bravery, and protection. That same fighting spirit resides in Alice Wong.
Alice uses her unique voice and talent to share a raw and multifaceted impressionistic collage of her life as an Asian American disability rights activist, community builder, and media maker. From her love of good food and pop culture to her unwavering commitment to speaking out against the often complex and overlooked ways inequities and injustices play out in an ableist society, Alice tells her story and creates a space to hear from other disability activists through enriching conversations. From a world-class activist and storyteller, Alice's Year of the Tiger offers humor and wisdom, and encourages us to do better.
The majority of our members really enjoyed this memoir. Alice’s particular brand of humor, empathy, and encouragement was very enjoyable. Somehow, while being realistic about ableism and the realities of our world, she manages to inspire disabled folks to keep living and keep fighting for their rights.
Several people noted that the memoir is particularly geared toward the disability community. She doesn’t spend time giving a Disability 101 or anything like that. We all kind of wished Alice had included even more details in her work.
The sci-fi or futuristic elements provided a fun point of discussion but in some cases it went over our heads. (Personally I’d totally read a fiction book by Alice!)
I (@LibraryOfDreaming) am still musing on this book weeks later and it’s really changed my perspective on things I took for granted like independence, autonomy, and the progress of disability history.
Discussion Questions:
What did you think of this book? How many stars did you rate it?
What was your favorite part (or essay or chapter) of the book?
What was your least favorite part?
This book mixes interviews, essays, artwork, and more. Did this combo work for you?
Alice talks about herself and her disabled body as an oracle. What did you think of that concept/idea?
Alice defines access in some pretty incredible ways (I.e. access is love). Had you ever thought about access in this way or did it spark something new in your mind?
Alice talks a lot about her writing process and the way procrastination actually fuels her. What did you think of her writing advice?
Alice describes the changes and trauma her disabled body has gone through using elements of nature and cyborg characteristics. Did this change the way you thought about disabled bodies?
Was there anything you felt like was missing from this memoir that you wish Alice had included?
What did you think of the final sections of the memoir and the elements of futurism?