An Iranian American poet living in the Mid-west, a Vietnamese American service worker living in Connecticut, and a mixed- race writer trying to survive financially in Los Angeles, all invite us to share their worlds as they navigate the complexities and challenges of being seen as an outsider in American society. We will be reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akba, The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, and Colored Television by Danzy Senna (in that order). All three novels have been highly acclaimed and are worthy of our time and attention.