Jersey Collective Reads MEET ME TONIGHT IN ATLANTIC CITY by Jane Wong
Welcome to Jersey Collective Reads, our monthly book club where we highlight a New Jersey book. Read on to learn more, for details for this month’s virtual event, and for a section of New Jersey literary news. Oh, and we have an in-person event to share as well as news about Courtney’s debut novel!
Our September selection
Our pick for September is MEET ME TONIGHT IN ATLANTIC CITY: A MEMOIR by Jane Wong!
About the book & why we picked it
From the publisher: “In her debut memoir, Jane Wong tells a new story about Atlantic City, one that resists a single identity, a single story as she writes about making do with what you have—and what you don't. What does it mean, she asks, to be both tender and angry? What is strength without vulnerability—and humor? Filled with beauty found in unexpected places, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City is a resounding love song of the Asian American working class, a portrait of how we become who we are, and a story of lyric wisdom to hold and to share.”
Courtney says: “I was immediately compelled by MEET ME TONIGHT IN ATLANTIC CITY just by looking at it—the beautiful cover, the genre (memoir, my favorite), the Springsteen reference title. But it’s everything beneath the surface that makes me confident this book will stay with me long after I finish reading—the 1980s Atlantic City Chinese restaurant setting, the poetic approach to complicated family dynamics, and the nuanced examination of a crumbling American Dream. I could not be more excited to ease into local summer by the Shore with this book as my companion (and to discuss with Jane + our JCR community!)”
Kerri says: “I read more memoirs than anything else. I also read a lot of books about New Jersey, read a lot of books published by Tin House, have a penchant for memoirs written by poets, and have sang along with the titular song in my car more times than I can count. So you can probably imagine the sound that came out of my mouth when I heard about this book. A perfect combination of all my interests? Sign me up. My hopes were high, and Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City delivered everything I could have wanted and more. It’s a beautifully written memoir that’s also a love letter to a mother, and a book about anger, difficult fathers, identity, food, and so so much more.”
From the reviews: “My favorite aphorism about New Jersey is that only the strong survive it. I see that place here in all its chaotic splendor and that strength in the carving marks on each finely cut image. This is a perfect and glimmering book that could only have been forged in Jane Wong’s bloody and beautiful heart.” ― Elissa Washuta, author of White Magic
Attend our chat with Jane Wong!
Register to join us for a fun discussion on Zoom on Thursday, September 14 at 7:00 PM EST. The meeting will be recorded and shared on our YouTube channel.
If you want to read the book beforehand, be sure to buy your copy from Bookshop, your favorite independent bookseller, or request a copy from your local library.
If you don’t have time to read the book before our event but want to come a little prepared, you can learn more about Jane and the book from the following:
Read this interview with Jane in the Los Angeles Review of Books
Or this one, in The Rumpus
Listen to Jane as a guest on the podcast I’m a Writer But
Upcoming Events
Local Author Book Expo
Saturday, October 7 from 1:00-4:00 PM
at the Monmouth County Library HQ Branch in Manalapan
Kerri is looking forward to setting up at this local author book fair with plenty of fresh copies of New Jersey Fan Club! Come say hi!
Summer Recap
In July, we had a great conversation with Beach Badge zine editor William Patrick Tandy, as well as a whole slew of the zine’s contributors!
We had a great time talking about everyone’s pieces for the zine and about making a regional publication. If you missed it, we recorded it and you can watch (or listen) to it here:
You can check out all of our past events here!
In August, Kerri was thrilled to moderate a conversation with Stacey Mei Yan Fong at Asbury Book Cooperative as part of Stacey’s tour for her debut cookbook, 50 Pies, 50 States. The bookstore was PACKED and so many people went home with a copy of Stacey’s book, which is really so special. It was great to meet/see everyone who came out—hope you enjoy baking your way through the book!
New Jersey Literary News
The biggest piece of New Jersey-related literary news we have to share this month is that the debut novel of our very own Courtney Preiss, Welcome Home Caroline Kline, has a cover reveal and is available to preorder now!
Be sure to preorder a copy, and request it from your local library while you’re at it. And sign up for Courtney’s newsletter here:
Note from Kerri: According to my Kindle, I’m 31% of the way through my advanced copy of Welcome Home Caroline Kline, and I’m glad I still have a lot left to read! The writing is beautiful and funny and smart, and I was expecting no less considering what I know about Courtney and her reading habits. I’m completely engrossed in the story and have been carrying my Kindle around so I can jump back in whenever I have a spare minute. It’s also very Jersey. Already there has been a reference to Rook Coffee, the Stone Pony, and (I assume) D’Jais. You’re going to love it.
It’s always lovely to see a new bookstore open up instead of reading a doom-and-gloom article about one closing! The Collective Bookstore recently opened its doors on Bloomfield Ave in Verona, right across from Verona Park. I (Kerri) have been in a few times and it’s a really lovely store with a good curated selection of books and bookish gift items.
On a similar note, the Paramus Barnes & Noble, which closed last spring after 30 years in the same location, recently announced where it will reopen.
If you’re in the Atlantic City area, Hayday Coffee has both a book club and a writing club.
If you’re near Boonton, check out their book swap!
And if you’re in Monmouth County and want to read in the company of others and then meet new book-ish friends (or not), check out the Silent Book Club of Monmouth County.
And finally, a teaser for you: be sure to keep an eye on our Instagram! Kerri recently ordered a bit of Jersey and reading-themed merch that will be available soon (and there’s also going to be a special offer where you can get it for free for a limited time)!
Looking ahead!
We’ve mostly been announcing our selections month-by-month, but we have actually scheduled them further out than that, so to give you some time, we figured we’d start sharing earlier when we can!
For October, we’ll be reading BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison, and you can register for our virtual event with Rachel on Tuesday, October 17 at 7:00 PM EST here!
About Jersey Collective Reads
Jersey Collective Reads promotes homegrown books and authors. We feature a mix of fiction and non-fiction, new releases and backlist titles, on a variety of subjects, from presses big and small.
We feature one selection a month–sometimes a book and other times essays, longform journalism pieces, or short stories–and host a virtual event with the author.
You won’t have to read the books ahead of time to enjoy the events (but of course you’re encouraged to)! We host Zoom-based events to keep it accessible to all, no matter where you’re based. We will also host some in-person casual meetups and outings throughout the year so you can connect with other New Jersey book-lovers in person.
Team Members
Courtney Preiss, an Asbury Park-based writer and creative director. Her debut novel WELCOME HOME, CAROLINE KLINE is about baseball and recovery on the Jersey Shore, and is forthcoming from Putnam/Penguin Random House next year. You can find her on Twitter + Instagram @cocogolightly.
Kerri Sullivan, founder of Jersey Collective as well as editor of New Jersey Fan Club (Rutgers University Press 2022) and public librarian. Her Instagram is @ksulphoto.