num_pages: 310
description: A sparkling bildungsroman about friendship and betrayal art and race. In 1988 Eric Cho an aspiring writer arrives at Macalester College. On his first day he meets a beautiful fledgling painter Jessica Tsai and another would-be novelist the larger-than-life Joshua Yoon. Brilliant bawdy generous and manipulative Joshua alters the course of their lives rallying them together when they face an adolescent act of racism. As adults in Cambridge Massachusetts the three friends reunite as the 3AC the Asian American Artists Collective - together negotiating the demands of art love commerce and idealism until another racially tinged controversy hits the headlines this time with far greater consequences. Long after the 3AC has disbanded Eric reflects on these events as he tries to make sense of Joshua's recent suicide. With wit humor and compassion The Collective explores the dream of becoming an artist and questions whether the reality is worth the sacrifice.
language: English
title: The Collective
publisher: W. W. Norton & Company