James Wei-Yuan Wong - Favorite books!

Just Above My Head (1979) - James Baldwin

The first book I read when I moved to New York City. I figured that it would be only fitting to start this book, it's set in Harlem, and because it was on my shelf for a few years! So I took some time to get to explore the area and it was really cool getting to see the real places mentioned in the book like Apollo Theater. James Baldwin is such a raw writer and I love love love his prose. I highly recommend this book, but also advise caution because the subject material is intense at times, but it's vulnerable and real.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (2019)

I read this book my freshman year of college, and I really loved the writing in this book. I'm a big fan of poetic prose and Ocean Vuong really hit the mark with this one! There were many things that I personally related to it as an Asian queer person living in America and the struggles and victories of being first generation. I also love how creative the perspective is, the main character Little Dog narrates the entirety of the novel as a letter to his mother who can't read English.

Putting it Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created "Sunday in the Park with George" (2021)

This book is SO interesting, and I really enjoyed getting to read about the processes that go into building a show from workshops to Broadway. My final project in college was directing the last 15 minutes of this show, so I went from "Lesson #8" to "Move On" into "Sunday (Finale)." It was my first directing experience and it was so fun and challenging in the best ways possible. I got to have a bunch of my friends involved, and I felt super inspired at every rehearsal. I didn't understand the show when I was in high school. I thought that the music didn't make sense, and it felt too avant-garde for me. I remember reading through this book and the libretto and holding back tears in Sugarhouse Coffee (one of my favorite cafes in Salt Lake City). High school me was so silly! This show is a masterpiece.