Che Yeun, author of Tailbone, in conversation with Steve Almond
| Dates: | Thursday, April 9, 2026 - Thursday, April 9, 2026 |
| Hours: | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM |
| Ages: | Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | Free |
| Category: | Arts & Culture |
Che Yeun, author of Tailbone, in conversation with Steve AlmondPorter Square Books is excited to welcome Che Yeun for the release of Tailbone.
Steve Almond will join Yeun in conversation.
This event will take place at our CAMBRIDGE store.
We offer validated parking in the lot on Roseland St. behind Lesley's University Hall.
See parking details below.
RSVP to let us know you're coming and to receive event updates!*
*Please note that you will not receive a confirmation email.
However, we will send a reminder email one day before the event.
Please check your spam folder if you do not see the pre-event email reminder.
Better yet, add events@portersquarebooks.com to your safe sender list to avoid PSB event emails going to spam!
ABOUT TAILBONE
A fierce and gorgeous debut novel about a teenager who runs away from her abusive home to live in a boarding house for single women as a global financial crash threatens the people of Seoul.
Set in Seoul in 2008, Tailbone follows the story of an unnamed teenage girl who, after years of struggling with her alcoholic father's abuse, and what she sees as her mother's cowardice, decides to run away.
At a boarding house for single women, the narrator is pulled into the orbit of one of the other girls living there: an older girl named Juju, whose beauty and hardscrabble determination greatly impress the narrator.
But when a global financial crisis reaches Korea, fears of a wider economic collapse bring the city to a standstill.
Everything the girls have come to rely on for survival-mainly, the patronage of wealthy men-is put at risk.
Everyone begins to struggle, especially Juju, who has long been dependent on one particular benefactor, a man who is all too aware of his power over her.
As businesses close and winter sets in, the narrator is forced to reckon with not only her deepening fear for Juju's future, but also her own uncertain path.
Will she stay on the run or go back home to her heartbroken mother?
In a city where everything rots from greed and desperation, what can a helpless woman like Juju teach her about survival?
Will their hope for each other ignite courage or destruction?
A poignant tale about survival, the impact of colonial and familial violence, class, privilege, and womanhood, Tailbone is a powerful and thrilling novel from a blazing new talent.
PRAISE FOR TAILBONE
“A gripping coming of age tale as savage as it is astounding, Tailbone seduces one first with voice, then swells and electrifies from within the storied walls of the Seoul boarding house in which anything is possible.
Tailbone introduces Che Yeun as one of the absolute greats, an extraordinary stylist and singular storyteller of our time.” —T Kira Madden, author of WHIDBEY and LONG LIVE THE TRIBE OF FATHERLESS GIRLS
“With sharp and arresting prose, Che Yeun's Tailbone fearlessly examines a South Korea on the brink of economic collapse.
A haunting, unforgettable story about survival in all its forms.” —Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of FOUR TREASURES OF THE SKY and SUPERFAN
“Che Yeun's debut novel marks the arrival of a bold, assured voice.
Unflinching and devastating, Tailbone is a novel best read in one sitting so that it can be immediately reread.
Rich in metaphor and social realism, Yeun's Seoul-set tale is also relentlessly propulsive.
This story of a young woman's personal awakening is destined to become a literary classic.” —Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of THE AMERICAN DAUGHTERS and WE CAST A SHADOW
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Che Yeun’s short fiction can be found in Granta, AGNI, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Kenyon Review Online, and elsewhere.
Her work has received grants from Hedgebrook, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and the David T.K.
Wong Fellowship.
After completing her PhD in History of Science at Harvard University, she is currently a professor of History of Science & Technology at Texas A&M University.
She was born in Seoul, Korea.
Steve Almond is the author of a dozen books, including “Which Brings Me to You,' which was made into a movie that is streaming on Hulu right now.
His second novel, “All the Secrets of the World” has been optioned by 20th Century Fox and will probably be made into a movie in 2097 by the army of AI Robots who will rule us by then.
Fun!
His fiction has appeared in the Best American Short Stories, Best American Mysteries, and Best American Erotica, and he's received an NEA grant.
His latest book, 'Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow' is about the joys and struggles of writing.
PARKING
Porter Square Books: Cambridge Edition offers validated parking in the lot on Roseland St.
behind Lesley's University Hall.
Roseland Street is accessible by Beacon Street and Mass Ave.
When you arrive at the lot, use the screen on the kiosk to get a ticket.
When you're ready to leave, ask for a validation barcode at the cash register.
(No purchase necessary.) Parking is free on weekends and weekday evenings from 6PM-7AM.
From 7AM-6PM on weekdays the first 45 minutes are free.
On your way out, scan your ticket at one of the kiosks located in the building and choose 'validation.' Then scan the barcode your received from us.
If you have an additional charge, you will be prompted to pay after scanning your barcode.
Date:
Thu, 4/9/2026
Time:
7:00pm
Place:
Cambridge Edition
1815 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140-1413
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
portersquarebooks.com/event/2026-04-09/che-yeun-author-tailbone-conversation-steve-almond
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
1851 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02140 map
Phone: 617-491-2220
Porter Square Books
1815 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140-1413
| TIPS | ↑ top |
- Validated Parking in the Lesley University parking lot.
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