Great Michigan Read

Beginning in December 2025, the Village will host a variety of programs related to Curtis Chin's book, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Whether you’ve read the book or not, you’re welcome to join us for any or all of the following programs designed to take us Beyond the Book! Scroll down to find out more.

The Book:

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin

Nineteen eighties Detroit was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone—from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples—could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal. Here was where, beneath a bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese; where he navigated the divided city’s spiraling misfortunes; and where—between helpings of almond boneless chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, and some of his own, less-savory culinary concoctions—he realized just how much he had to offer to the world, to his beloved family, and to himself.

Served up by the cofounder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and structured around the very menu that graced the tables of Chung’s, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is both a memoir and an invitation: to step inside one boy’s childhood oasis, scoot into a vinyl booth, and grow up with him—and perhaps even share something off the secret menu.

The Programs:

FREE Book Discussions

Thursday January 29, 4:30pm-5:30pm
Tuesday February 24, 7:00pm-8:00pm

Join Troy Historic Village and Troy Public Library this winter inside Niles-Barnard House at the Village for a warm beverage, a friendly trivia competition, and lively group discussion on Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Book discussions are held inside the Niles-Barnard House at the Village. These programs fill up quickly, so make sure to register as soon as possible! Parking is located right next to the building, and we have bathrooms inside the building. We will send an email with arrival instructions once the event date gets closer.

More to programs to be announced including Guest Presentations...

2025-26 Great Michigan Read Sponsors

This event is part of the Great Michigan Read program. The 2025–26 Great Michigan Read is presented by Michigan Humanities. Additional support is provided by national, statewide, and local partners, including the Library of Michigan and MSU Federal Credit Union.