Book Event: Nina Sharma with Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

IN-STORE EVENT:
Wednesday, May 8, 7:30pm
Nina Sharma presents The Way You Make Me Feel
In conversation with Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

Co-hosted by the Asian American Writers Coalition

Wine reception to follow

Nina Sharma presents The Way You Make Me Feel, a hilarious and moving memoir in essays about love and allyship told through one Asian and Black interracial relationship. Nina Sharma meets Quincy while hitching a ride to a friend’s Fourth of July barbecue. Seeing a copy of Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior in his backseat, she is immediately intrigued, and so begins their love story. In a series of sensual and sparkling essays, Sharma reckons with caste, race, colorism, and mental health, moving from her seemingly idyllic suburban childhood through her early sweeping romance with Quincy in the so-called postracial Obama years and onward to their marriage. As an adult, she confronts the complexities of American racism and the paradox of her family’s disappointment when she starts dating a Black man. And as she and Quincy decide whether to start a family, they imagine a universe in which Vice President Kamala Harris could possibly be their time-traveling daughter. Written with a keen critical eye and seamlessly weaving in history, pop culture, and politics, The Way You Make Me Feel reaffirms the idea that allyship is an act of true love. Nina discusses her work with acclaimed author Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, along with a reading and book signing.

Greenlight is excited to partner with AAWW for this event. For over 30 years, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop has been dedicated to publishing and amplifying Asian American literary culture. Operating from a radically inclusive ethos, we are driven every day to think expansively about who is a writer, but also of who is Asian American. Through a robust and diverse lineup of programming, AAWW serves as a vital sanctuary space for writers and readers alike. As one of the only national organizations cultivating and curating the next generation of Asian American storytellers, AAWW works to mobilize the literary community toward a more just future.