CALENDAR
sogyny, erasure and repressed desire, as San desperately searches for both autonomy and attachment in the unforgiving reality of contemporary Korean society. Crowdcast registration: crowdcast.io/e/kyung-sook-shin Rachel Ignotofsky discusses “The History of the Computer: People, Inventions, and Technology That Changed Our World” 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 Packed with accessible information, fun facts and discussion starters, this art-filled book takes readers from the ancient world to the modern day, focusing on important inventions, from the earliest known counting systems to the sophisticated algorithms behind AI. Crowdcast registration: crowdcast.io/e/rachel-ignotofsky
In-person events Vroman’s in-person events are no longer ticketed but are free and open to the public. Masks are strongly encouraged for those attending the events. All in-person events will all be held at Vroman’s, located at 695 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, unless noted otherwise. For more information, vromansbookstore.com.
Vroman’s
Live
Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for May
T
By Arroyo Staff
he renowned bookstore Vroman’s is hosting more top-notch virtual programs throughout May. The Vroman’s Live events are held virtually and in person. Register through vromansbookstore.com. Anyone with questions is asked to email email@vromansbookstore.com. Vroman’s Virtual events will be presented through Crowdcast. Registration link below.
Kyung-Sook Shin, in conversation with Crystal Hana Kim, discusses “Violets” 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4 San is 22 and alone when she happens upon a job at a flower shop in Seoul’s bustling city center. Haunted by childhood rejection, she stumbles through life. She barely registers to others, especially by the ruthless standards of 1990s South Korea. During course of one hazy, volatile summer, San meets a curious cast of characters: the nonspeaking shop owner, a brash co-worker, quiet farmers and aggressive customers. Fueled by a quiet desperation to jump-start her life, she plunges headfirst into obsession with a passing magazine photographer. In “Violets,” best-selling author Kyung-Sook Shin explores mi-
Booker Prize-winning author Douglas Stuart discusses his latest, “Young Mungo” 7 p.m. Monday, May 2, at All Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena. Masks required. Douglas Stuart’s debut novel, “Shuggie Bain,” was awarded the 2020 Booker Prize and the Sue Kaufman Prize and was a finalist for the United States’ National Book Award. His second novel, “Young Mungo,” the product of five years of writing, began when “Shuggie Bain” was between drafts and uncertain if it would even see publication. Recipient of four starred pre-publication reviews, “Young Mungo” is a vivid portrayal of working-class life and a deeply moving and highly suspenseful story of the dangerous first love of two young men: Mungo and James. Born under different stars — Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic — they should be sworn enemies if they’re to be seen as men at all. Their environment is a hyper-masculine and sectarian one, for gangs of young men and the violence they might dole out dominate the Glaswegian estate where they live. And yet against all odds Mungo and James become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds. As they fall in love, they dream of finding somewhere they belong, while Mungo works hard to hide his true self from all those around him, especially from his older brother Hamish, a local gang leader with a brutal reputation to uphold. But the threat of discovery is constant and the punishment unspeakable. And when several months later Mungo’s mother sends him on a fishing trip to a loch in Western Scotland, together with two strange men whose drunken banter belies murky pasts, he will need to summon all his inner strength and courage to try to get back to a place of safety, a place where he and James might still have a future. Tickets include a copy of “Young Mungo,” which will be handed out at check-in.
42 | ARROYO | 05.22
42-Vromans.indd 42
4/29/22 4:21 PM
