Stay True

Starred review from June 6, 2022
New Yorker staff writer Hsu braids music, art, and philosophy in his extraordinary debut. As a second-generation Taiwanese American coming of age in 1990s Cupertino, Calif., Hsu traversed an evolving cultural climate with rebellious gusto, finding creative expression in zines and developing, as he writes, a “worldview defined by music.” At UC Berkeley Hsu met Ken, an extroverted, “mainstream” frat-brother whose only similarity to Hsu was that he was Asian American. Yet despite their differences, an unlikely friendship bloomed. In lyrical prose punctuated with photos, Hsu recalls smoke-filled conversations—from the philosophy of Heidegger to the failures of past relationships—trolling chat rooms and writing a movie script with Ken as they navigated a world teeming with politics and art, and basked in the uncertainty of a future both fearsome and enthralling. That future came to a harrowing end when Ken was murdered, leaving Hsu to fend for himself while unraveling the tragedy. As he recounts sinking into songs “of heartbreak and resurrection,” Hsu parses the grief of losing his friend and eloquently captures the power of friendship and unanswerable questions spurred in the wake of senseless violence. The result is at once a lucid snapshot of life in the nineties, an incredible story of reckoning, and a moving elegy to a fallen friend.

March 1, 2023

Hsu (A Floating Chinaman: Fantasy and Failure Across the Pacific) developed a close bond with classmate Ken Ishida while at Berkeley, despite his initial impression that Ken was too "mainstream." Hsu staked out a spot for himself in the social order that included dressing in thrifted clothing with a specific style, listening to music that was not particularly popular, and producing his own zines. Ken was Japanese American, and his family had lived in the United States for generations. In contrast, Hsu's parents came from Taiwan, and he spent time there after his father relocated for work. Hsu and Ken bonded over typical college shared experiences and became close. Then Ken was murdered in a carjacking, and Hsu's grief takes the focus. Reading his own work, Hsu gives a raw and soul-baring narration that immerses listeners in his suffering, guilt, and pain. This is a story that calls for the author to narrate, and listeners are fortunate that he is so good at it. VERDICT A deeply emotional memoir and an elegant tribute to an enduring friendship that was brutally cut short. Hsu's narration shines just ahead of his brilliant writing. Recommended for public libraries.--Christa Van Herreweghe

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