Stay True

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art, by the New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu “This book is exquisite and excruciating and I will be thinking about it for years and years to come.” —Rachel Kushner, New York Times bestselling author of The Flamethrowers and The Mars Room In the eyes of eighteen-year-old Hua Hsu, the problem with Ken—with his passion for Dave Matthews, Abercrombie & Fitch, and his fraternity—is that he is exactly like everyone else. Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the United States for generations, is mainstream; for Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, who makes ’zines and haunts Bay Area record shops, Ken represents all that he defines himself in opposition to. The only thing Hua and Ken have in common is that, however they engage with it, American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for either of them. But despite his first impressions, Hua and Ken become friends, a friendship built on late-night conversations over cigarettes, long drives along the California coast, and the successes and humiliations of everyday college life. And then violently, senselessly, Ken is gone, killed in a carjacking, not even three years after the day they first meet. Determined to hold on to all that was left of one of his closest friends—his memories—Hua turned to writing. Stay True is the book he’s been working on ever since. A coming-of-age story that details both the ordinary and extraordinary, Stay True is a bracing memoir about growing up, and about moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging.

A collection of short stories by various authors, including Andrea Davis Pinkney, M.E. Kerr, and Anne Mazer, about adolescent girls coming of age.

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art, by the New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu “This book is exquisite and excruciating and I will be thinking about it for years and years to come.” —Rachel Kushner, New York Times bestselling author of The Flamethrowers and The Mars Room In the eyes of eighteen-year-old Hua Hsu, the problem with Ken—with his passion for Dave Matthews, Abercrombie & Fitch, and his fraternity—is that he is exactly like everyone else. Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the United States for generations, is mainstream; for Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, who makes ’zines and haunts Bay Area record shops, Ken represents all that he defines himself in opposition to. The only thing Hua and Ken have in common is that, however they engage with it, American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for either of them. But despite his first impressions, Hua and Ken become friends, a friendship built on late-night conversations over cigarettes, long drives along the California coast, and the successes and humiliations of everyday college life. And then violently, senselessly, Ken is gone, killed in a carjacking, not even three years after the day they first meet. Determined to hold on to all that was left of one of his closest friends—his memories—Hua turned to writing. Stay True is the book he’s been working on ever since. A coming-of-age story that details both the ordinary and extraordinary, Stay True is a bracing memoir about growing up, and about moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging.

Always Stay True is a true journey through a relatively sexist work environment that favored a predominantly male presence. It defined me as a woman of strength, at times a woman of weaknesses, but overall a woman who came out on the other side a better version of myself in my working capacity. There has been no greater journey and no greater reward. Navigating disparity was an ultimate challenge to which sometimes I wanted to give in. Quit fighting the good fight, and walk away. Unwavering persistence never wavered and outweighed the unfortunate circumstances created by such a select untouchable few.

Drag Race Holland winner shares way to the top in tell all memoires: 'Stay true to who you are', the extraordinary life story of Vanessa van Cartier. In Stay true to who you are top artist Vanessa van Cartier shares her dramatic life story. Hundreds of thousands of viewers witnessed her victory on Drag Race Holland at the end of 2021, but few know how long and painful her path to the top actually was. In her book, van Cartier hopes to offer support and encouragement to those in a similar situation, telling fans and other readers: always believe in yourself. Step by step Vanessa has found her way. In her book she talks about drag, prostitution, her transition, discrimination, depression and suicidal thoughts. In addition she tells readers how she found the love of her life and how she persevered and healed by surrounding herself with positive and exceptional people who encourage and support her. ‘Vanessa's story and heart and words will move you and teach you what true kindness and courage looks like. I’m so happy to have Vanessa in my life and with this book you can as well’ – Sam Smith The book contains a lot of additional background information on the topics of bullying and sexual orientation, HIV and AIDS, child abuse, cross-dressing and drag, transgender people and depression. Topics that Vanessa herself had to deal with.

Living in & Trusting Christ completely was what God wanted me to do, so that He could show a dying World His Strength through my weaknesses. Having had several falls in the last few years, I was becoming less able to care for myself, needing Gods help to make it through the day. Laying a desperate plea in my heart to tell others of His total Care for them, if they would turn all they were & had over to Jesus, & let Him Lead them down the Right Path He made just for them. He truly did give me Songs in my darkest hours of pain & suffering.

BONUS: This edition contains a Staying True discussion guide. In this candid and compelling memoir, the first lady of South Carolina reveals the private ordeal behind her very public betrayal—and offers inspiration for anyone struggling to keep faith during life’s most trying times. She’s been a successful investment banker, a mother of four, and the campaign manager for one of American politics’ rising stars—her husband, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, once widely hailed as a possible candidate for president in 2012. Yet to most Americans, Jenny Sanford is best known for the one role she refused to play—that of conventional political spouse standing silently by while her husband went before the media and confessed his infidelity. Instead, she stayed true—to herself, to her faith, and to her highest ideals of parenthood and public service. She chose to let Mark Sanford deal with the embarrassment and political fallout from his own actions while focusing her own efforts privately on raising their children to be men of character, even in the face of the lies their father has told. In Staying True, Jenny Sanford recalls her shock and anguish upon discovering that her husband was having an affair with a woman in Argentina, and the further pain when she learned—just a day ahead of most Americans—that he had not ended the affair when she believed he had. She reveals the source of her determination to be honest and forthright instead of the victim in the tabloid passion play that gripped the nation in June 2009. But her story neither begins nor ends with Mark Sanford’s astounding fall from grace. Writing with uncommon candor from a deep well of spiritual strength, Sanford shares personal stories and life lessons from before and after she stepped into the public realm. She recounts the many stresses—as well as the myriad joys—that she experienced on a daily basis while living in the governmental spotlight. (Just try keeping four young boys out of mischief in the governor’s mansion!) And she describes the many ways that the seductions of power can drive apart even the most committed couples. At every step along her journey, Jenny Sanford has made choices: She gave up her career, moved far from her home state of Illinois, even changed her religious practices. Every choice was a glad concession to harmonious married life and, in some cases, to the support of her husband’s political aspirations. But the one thing she never gave up was her sense of self, her inner moral compass. Her remarkable poise and decency make her a role model for men and women alike. Her story will empower anyone who has fought to maintain independence and integrity—within a marriage or elsewhere in life.

Get the Summary of Hua Hsu's Stay True in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. "Stay True" by Hua Hsu is a memoir that intertwines Hsu's college experiences, his friendship with Ken, and the immigrant narrative. Hsu reminisces about his college days at Berkeley, filled with late-night drives, music, and the search for identity. He reflects on the paradox of time, the significance of photographs, and the bond with his father maintained through faxes. Hsu's parents' immigration story is set against the backdrop of historical events like the Opium Wars and the Immigration Act of 1965, illustrating their journey from Taiwan to America and their adaptation to a new culture...