Dear Archive community,
Since its inception, I have intended the Archive to function as a crossroads for scholars, artists, and preservationists to meet and collaborate. To that end, I'm pleased to announce the inaugural paired course in Asian American studies that does just that: Reading the Asian American West with scholar Surabhi Balachander and writer Nina McConigley.
Pairing these two on the Asian American West was an obvious one: I've had the pleasure of getting to know Nina as a fellow faculty member at the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and I've long been an admirer of Surabhi's public humanities work through her Bookstagram. It was actually delightful to learn that they're already friends.
Surabhi Balachander grew up in Indiana, was a longtime staff member at Stanford University's Bill Lane Center for the American West, and now teaches at Oregon State University. Surabhi’s research and teaching interests bridge comparative ethnic studies and the environmental humanities in 20th and 21st century American literature. Her current book project seeks to define rural identity in American literature from 1920-2020, the U.S.'s first century as a majority-urban nation, and shows that rural America, in contrast to popular stereotypes, is best understood as multiethnic and cosmopolitan.
Nina McConigley was born in Singapore and raised in Wyoming. Her short-story collection Cowboys and East Indians won the PEN Open Book Award and a High Plains Book Award. She was the Walter Jackson Bate fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowship. The Denver Center for Performing Arts commissioned her play based on Cowboys and East Indians, which will have its world premiere in 2026. She teaches at Colorado State University, and her novel and essay collection are forthcoming in 2026.
This course samples literature in a variety of genres (short story, children's literature, poetry, memoir, graphic novel) that explores Asian American experiences across the American West. We'll consider ways Asian American authors have engaged with the rich histories and diverse geographies of the region, as well as dominant imaginaries of it (the Wild West or the rugged frontier). Authors may include Hisaye Yamamoto, Paisley Rekdal, Oliver de la Paz, Mira Jacob, and Linda Sue Park. Expect a small amount of reading in preparation for each session. During class, we'll discuss our chosen texts and the larger contexts they bring up, as well as engage in a related creative writing experiment together.
I have been consistently inspired by not only the instructors but the students who show up to Archive classes. You are artists, activists, engineers, directors, and, most of all, readers. Stay tuned for more announcements as I fill out the Summer 2025 and Winter 2026 course terms, and more!
Warm wishes,
Yanyi
Director, Asian American Literary Archive
Reading the Asian American West
This course samples literature in a variety of genres (short story, children's literature, poetry, memoir, graphic novel) that explores Asian American experiences across the American West.
About This Course
Course Info
Instructor(s): Surabhi Balachander and Nina McConigley
Term: Summer 2025
Dates: July 10, 2025–August 14, 2025 (6 sessions)
Times: Thursdays, 7:30–9:30 P.M. ET / 4:30-6:30 P.M. PT (2 hours once a week)
Enrollment: 18 students
Enrollment Closes: July 3, 2025, 11:59 P.M. PT
Description
This course samples literature in a variety of genres (short story, children's literature, poetry, memoir, graphic novel) that explores Asian American experiences across the American West. We'll consider ways Asian American authors have engaged with the rich histories and diverse geographies of the region, as well as dominant imaginaries of it (the Wild West or the rugged frontier). Authors may include Hisaye Yamamoto, Paisley Rekdal, Oliver de la Paz, Mira Jacob, and Linda Sue Park. Expect a small amount of reading in preparation for each session. During class, we'll discuss our chosen texts and the larger contexts they bring up, as well as engage in a related creative writing experiment together.
Platforms
Google Drive: Participants will receive all readings over Google Drive.
Zoom: All class sessions will be held on Zoom.
Vimeo: Recordings of the sessions over Zoom will also be found through password-protected Vimeo links and will be available for up to one month after the last session.
Class Cap & Enrollment
The class has a capacity of 18 students, as this is a discussion-based course. Two full scholarships are available to folks where paying the enrollment fee is a financial burden.
If you are interested in a scholarship, please fill out this short scholarship form. Scholarship applications are due by June 23 and participants will be notified by June 30.
Who Is This For?
All with an interest in the Asian American West are welcome!
About the Instructor(s)
Surabhi Balachander grew up in Indiana, was a longtime staff member at Stanford University's Bill Lane Center for the American West, and now teaches at Oregon State University. Surabhi’s research and teaching interests bridge comparative ethnic studies and the environmental humanities in 20th and 21st century American literature. Her current book project seeks to define rural identity in American literature from 1920-2020, the U.S.'s first century as a majority-urban nation, and shows that rural America, in contrast to popular stereotypes, is best understood as multiethnic and cosmopolitan.
Nina McConigley was born in Singapore and raised in Wyoming. Her short-story collection Cowboys and East Indians won the PEN Open Book Award and a High Plains Book Award. She was the Walter Jackson Bate fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowship. The Denver Center for Performing Arts commissioned her play based on Cowboys and East Indians, which will have its world premiere in 2026. She teaches at Colorado State University, and her novel and essay collection are forthcoming in 2026.
Price
$349 USD
