Please join us with authors Tanaya Kollipara, Ellis Goodman, and Debbie Roppolo.
Tanaya Kollipara, author of “Stigma: Breaking the Asian American Silence on Mental Health” – Suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans ages fifteen to twenty-four. But most would never guess this due to mainstream representations, which portray Asian American and Pacific Islander groups as “model minorities” in health, wealth, and mannerisms. Stigma: Breaking the Asian American Silence on Mental Health is both a narrative account and an informative look into the world of AAPI mental health. Exposing harmful narratives, while uplifting their voices and experiences, Tanaya Kollipara sets out to bring to light how the Asian/Pacific Islander identity impacts the stigma experienced and barriers faced by those with mental illness. Weaving together stories with research and professional advice, Stigma dispels the myths and reveals the truths about mental health and mental illness within the AAPI community. Tanaya shows what happens when fear and cultural stigmas obstruct your ability to care for yourself— and, more importantly, what’s waiting on the other side, when you take that step towards mental wellness.
Ellis Goodman, author of “Bookends: Short Stories from a Long Life” – A collection of ten international stories covering a period of sixty years from the mid-twentieth century that explore human behavior in the face of remarkably unexpected circumstances. The subjects of each story find themselves faced with obstacles ranging from bearing witness to murder to the complications of greed and class superiority. Every day, normal events can quickly turn to loss, love, grief, or even relief, but it is our responses to such changes that allow us to embrace the humanity within us all.
Debbie Roppolo, author of “If a Chicken Could Shop” – If chickens could shop, would they buy a cute top? Perhaps they’d be content with a broom or a mop. Step into imagination and take a shopping trip with a chicken. Learn interesting facts as your imagination strolls through the pages of the book and wonder “What IF a chicken could shop?”