Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Alien Nation

36 True Tales of Immigration

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A collection of 36 extraordinary stories originally told on stage, featuring work by writers, entertainers, thinkers, and community leaders. Spanning comedy and tragedy, Alien Nation brilliantly illuminates what it’s like to be an immigrant in America.


America would not be America without its immigrants. This anthology, adapted from storytelling event “This Alien Nation,” captures firsthand the past and present of immigration in all its humor, pain, and weirdness. Contributors—some well-known, others regular (and fascinating) people—share moments from their lives, reminding us that immigration is not just a word dropped in the news (simplified to something you are “for” or “against”), but a world—rich with unique voices, perspectives, and experiences.

Travel from the Central Park playground where “tattle-tales” among nannies inspire Christine Lewis’s activism to an Alexandrian garden half a century ago courtesy of writer André Aciman. Visit a refugee camp in Gaza as described by actress and comedian Maysoon Zayid, and follow Intersex activist Tatenda Ngwaru as she flees Zimbabwe with dreams of meeting Oprah. Witness efforts from comedian Aparna Nancherla's mother to make Aparna less shy, and Orange is the New Black's Laura Gómez makes an unlikely connection in a bed-and-breakfast. 

Compelling and inspirational, Alien Nation is a celebration of immigration and an exploration of culture shock, isolation and community, loneliness and hope, heartbreak and promise—it’s a poignant reminder of our shared humanity at a time we need it greatly, and a thoughtful, entertaining tribute to cultural diversity.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 12, 2021
      In this celebratory essay collection, Stefanovic (Miss Ex-Yugoslavia), host of the N.Y.C. storytelling series “This Alien Nation,” spotlights the “deep and complex” stories of immigrants in America. “Immigration is throbbing with talent and potential,” Stefanovic writes, and organizes the pieces originally seen in the series into seven thematic sections. In “The Nostalgia Bug,” André Aciman writes of being a “stranger among... new people,” while in “The Great Divide,” actor Laura Gómez recounts watching Fox news in an upstate New York town. “The Scream” sees Polish musician Danusia Trevino immigrating to the U.S. to escape marriage and Europe’s “beige elegance.” In “True Identity,” Tatenda Ngwaru, an intersex activist from Zimbabwe, is shocked by the ignorance she encounters upon arriving in the U.S., and in “What It Takes to Make a Dream Come True,” Hass Agili recalls fleeing Libya and finding solace in New York City on Pride weekend. Most stories survive the transition from stage to page surprisingly well, though some entries, mainly those from comedians, feel like they’d play better live. Still, this is a moving look at what the American dream means today. Agent: Marya Spence, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading