Amy Tan in conversation with George McCalman

What stories shape the writers who shape us?

Please join us for a special evening at Arion Press with bestselling author Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) as she shares the five books that have most changed her life as a writer, a reader, and a person.

Presented as the first installment of the 2026 Kirkpatrick Speaker Series at Arion Press, this conversation will weave personal stories and literary insights through Amy's reading life. The evening will be hosted by artist and writer George McCalman.

Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Bayfront Theater. A reception with drinks and light bites will follow in the Arion Press Gallery.

The Kirkpatrick Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of Taylor Kirkpatrick.

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Born in the U.S. to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan rejected her mother’s expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist. She chose to write fiction instead. Her novels are The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Saving Fish from Drowning, and The Valley of Amazement, all New York Times bestsellers. Her other works include a memoir,The Opposite of Fate, a book about writing titled Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir, and The Backyard Bird Chronicles. She is also the author of two children’s books, along with numerous articles for magazines, including the New Yorker, Harper’s Bazaar, and National Geographic. Her work has been translated into 35 languages. Amy Tan has been nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the International Orange Prize. She is also the recipient of the Commonwealth Gold Award, the 2005 Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service, the 2021 Carl Sandburg Literary Award, and other honors. In March 2022, she was voted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She serves on the boards of the American Bird Conservancy, The National Poetry Series and The Community of Writers.

George McCalman is an artist and author based in San Francisco. McCalman’s background in the editorial world has been a foundation of his storytelling, and his decision to cultivate his fine art practice alongside brand work reframed his perspective and synthesized the importance of design. His ‘Observed’ and ‘First Person’ columns for the San Francisco Chronicle document Bay Area culture. His first book Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and Unseen, was published in Sept 2022 to accolades by The New Yorker, NPR, The New York Times, and Fast Company. The book was a recipient of the 2023 NAACP award for Outstanding Literary Work. He is the recent recipient of a James Beard Award for the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award 2025. His exhibition 'A March Through Time' will debut at Pier 29 in the summer of 2026.

Photo by Kim Newmoney

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