AFTERPARTIES by Anthony Veasna So

AFTERPARTIES is the first and last short story collection from Anthony Veasna So, one of the most inspiring young voices in literature, whose life was taken too soon in 2020. With an incredible emotional range that moves from the funny to the affectionate, each story invites us into the lives of Cambodian Americans making their way in California. While each character’s arc is unique, their experience is a collective one—starting over in the shadow of the Khmer Rouge genocide, confronting their history and building their futures.

From badminton matchups to weddings, from grocery stores to their most heartbreaking moments, Veasna So gives us an intimate look into a community of Americans who have been largely left out of our literary tradition. In the process, he illuminates the universal immigrant experience and introduces us to a group of characters that feel both familiar and original. AFTERPARTIES was the 2022 winner of the Ferro-Grumley award for LGBTQ literature—and while its tragic that we won’t hear more from its author directly, we can only hope his work inspires much more like it to come.

- Recommended by Stephen