A Conversation with Eric C. Wat, author of DADDY ISSUES

Bel Canto Books is delighted to host a conversation with Eric C. Wat, author of DADDY ISSUES: STORIES.

Kindly RSVP so we can plan accordingly. Please stay home if you feel sick.

This event will be held indoors at KUBO LB (3976 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach CA).

EVENT SCHEDULE

3:45pm - Event check-in begins

4:00pm - Welcome & event start

4:15-5:00pm - Author reading, conversation, and Q&A

5:00pm-6:00pm - Book signing & shopping time

6:00pm - Event ends

ABOUT THE BOOK

Winner of the Barbara DiBernard Prize in FictionDaddy Issues is a collection of moving and complex—yet simply and directly told—stories of queer Asian American experiences in Los Angeles. In many of these stories, the protagonists are artists and writers and other creative thinkers living on the fringe of survival, attempting to align a life of the imagination with the practical considerations of career, income, and family: a gay father who hasn’t come out to his young son; a social worker, numbed by the destitution of his clients, who finds himself lost in self-destruction; a trans man who returns home to a father with dementia to help his family pack as they are pushed out by gentrification; a husband who can only stand aside as his wife heals from a miscarriage; and a broke writer who learns to love his stories again.The stories in Daddy Issues offer different contemplations on solitude—the good and the bad of it. Ultimately, this collection by Eric C. Wat is full of hope, and it shows how we can find the connections we need once we allow ourselves to become vulnerable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric C. Wat is the author of four books, including his Los Angeles Times-bestselling debut novel SWIM (2019). His last book, Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles won the outstanding award in History from the Association of Asian American Studies in 2023. His second novel manuscript Drive was a finalist of the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing contest in 2022. Eric has a long history of working with nonprofit community-based organizations, and he continues to support many progressive organizations through his consulting and volunteer practice.

ABOUT BEL CANTO BOOKS

Founded by Jhoanna Belfer, a Filipina-American poet and former hospitality executive, Bel Canto Books offers a curated selection of fiction, nonfiction and children's books, organized around a theme of the month, in particular celebrating books by women and people of color. Learn more at belcantobooks.net.

ABOUT KUBO LB

KUBO LB is a creative community space for Filipinx, BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Women led small businesses. KUBO LB is a space to support and educate small businesses through retail, business workshops and more. Learn more at kubolb.com.

DADDY ISSUES: STORIES by Eric C. Wat

Host or Publisher Bel Canto Books - Long Beach, CA