The Aurora Public Library District (APLD) is joining libraries across the State to be host to bestselling author Michelle Zauner, the indie rock star of Japanese Breakfast fame, who will discuss her memoir, Crying in H Mart, and her music career. The event will be held virtually Thursday, June 30, at 7 p.m..
Crying in H Mart, Zauner’s first book, is the story of family, food, grief, and endurance. Zauner’s beloved bestselling memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity was a New York Times notable book of the year. Zauner is the author of a viral essay in The New Yorker that shares the same title as her book.
As a musician, Grammy-nominated, Zauner has won acclaim from major music outlets around the world. She is best known as a singer and guitarist who creates dreamy, shoe gaze-inspired indie pop under the name Japanese Breakfast. Her releases include Psychopomp, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, and Jubilee, which was nominated for two Grammy awards. Eola Road Branch manager, Krista Danis, is looking forward to the event. “Japanese Breakfast is a regular on my YouTube Music playlist and I love Michelle Zauner,” Daniis said. “Her music addresses complex issues with a positive pop energy that is both uplifting and thought-provoking, which is hard to pull off! I am so excited to have a rock star at the Library whose work intersects so well with our emphasis on creativity and equity.”
Jessica Hopper, Chicago-based music critic and author, will join Zauner in conversation. In a career spanning more than 20 years, Hopper has earned acclaim as a provocative music journalist. She has written for publications to include, GQ, Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, and Elle.. She was formerly the editorial director at MTV News, and an editor at Pitchfork. Hopper is the author of several books, including The Girls Guide To Rocking, named a Notable Book for Young Readers by the American Library Association.
An Evening with Michelle Zauner is presented by Illinois Libraries Present, a new statewide collaboration among public libraries offering high-quality events. The collaboration is designed to bring virtual events with bestselling, esteemed, and diverse authors to library patrons across the state. Illinois Libraries Present is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
One-hundred-ninety-two Illinois libraries have joined Illinois Libraries Present. Working together allows libraries to bring speakers to their communities that might otherwise not be possible due to budget constraints or production capabilities. And that’s just the point of Illinois Libraries Present.
An evening with Michelle Zauner will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 30. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, visit www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/events.For more information, visit us online or call the library at 630-264-4117.
Andrea Tiberi is the communications coordinator for the Aurora Public Library District.