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OCJCR Book Club – June 9

June 9, 2023 | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Register at https://tinyurl.com/OCJCRBookClub.
(Books must be purchased separately)

If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi: Stories

by Neel Patel

THE BOOK

THE FACILITATOR

Sam Kolodezh

ABOUT THE BOOK

In eleven sharp, surprising stories, Neel Patel gives voice to our most deeply held stereotypes and then slowly undermines them. His characters, almost all of who are first-generation Indian Americans, subvert our expectations that they will sit quietly by. We meet two brothers caught in an elaborate web of envy and loathing; a young gay man who becomes involved with an older man whose secret he could never guess; three women who almost gleefully throw off the pleasant agreeability society asks of them; and, in the final pair of linked stories, a young couple struggling against the devastating force of community gossip.

If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi
 examines the collisions of old world and new world, small town and big city, traditional beliefs (like arranged marriage) and modern rituals (like Facebook stalking). Ranging across the country, Patel’s stories — empathetic, provocative, twisting, and wryly funny — introduce a bold new literary voice, one that feels more timely than ever.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Dr. Sam Kolodezh is a lecturer at UCSD and NYU LA. He received his Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama from the joint program at UCI and UCSD. He specializes in cultural theory, Shakespeare, and adaptation. He is the son of Jewish Ukrainian refugees, a lover of stories across mediums, an avid traveler, and an explorer of in-betweens. As the Jewish half of a HinJew marriage, he is committed to interfaith and intercultural dialogue. He has worked as a scholar and artist in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neel Patel is the author of the story collection, If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi, and the novel, Tell Me How to Be. His work has appeared in Elle India, The Paris Review, on Buzzfeed, and as an Audible Original. He lives in Los Angeles, where he writes for
television and film.


You can purchase this book now
on Amazon

Please check out the entire Book Club Series here

 

OCJCR’s Book Club Series is partially funded by a grant from

Details

Date:
June 9, 2023
Time:
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Organizers

Orange County Jewish Coalition for Refugees
Jewish Federation of Orange County