If you haven’t already registered for the upcoming tenth Great Michigan Read featuring Curtis Chin’s memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, now is the time! Registration opened in late August, and we have been spreading the word about all that’s ahead for 2025–26.

About this year’s program

The Great Michigan Read is one of Michigan Humanities’ signature programs, and has been in motion as a statewide reading and conversation program since 2007. We work with partners across the state to distribute free copies of the selected book and supplementary educational materials to support local programming, and to provide grant and author event opportunities.

About the book:

From publisher Little, Brown: "Nineteen eighties Detroit was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone—from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples—could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal. Here was where, beneath a bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese; where he navigated the divided city’s spiraling misfortunes; and where—between helpings of almond boneless chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, and some of his own, less-savory culinary concoctions—he realized just how much he had to offer to the world, to his beloved family, and to himself. Served up by the cofounder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and structured around the very menu that graced the tables of Chung’s, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is both a memoir and an invitation: to step inside one boy’s childhood oasis, scoot into a vinyl booth, and grow up with him—and perhaps even share something off the secret menu."

Important dates:

Late Summer 2025: Registration opens

September 18, 2025: Fall grant application for partner programming opens

Late October 2025: Books and resources distributed to lending partners; fall author tour with Curtis Chin

April & May 2026: Spring author tour with Curtis Chin

Late summer 2026: Program concludes

Information session & Frequently Asked Questions:

Last week, I hosted an information session that you can view here as a recording.

I answered a wide range of great questions about this year’s new partnership structure and timeline, and also received messages afterward about the program’s audience and resources. Here are a few FAQs:

How can I be a Great Michigan Read partner? There are two ways to be a 2025–26 GMR partner organization:

Lending organizations will receive a book kit at the time of program launch in October. Each kit will come in a GMR tote bag and include copies of Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, conversation starters, promotional materials, and a partner guide with links to digital resources. The materials will be yours to use for programming and distribute throughout the program period—late October 2025 through late August 2026. During that time frame, kits should largely be available for check-out by local participating partners. We are leaning on our lending partners to help us make the most of the printed books we have access to this year and build community awareness for the program.
If you are interested in reading Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant in your local community and prefer not to serve as a lending partner, we invite you to register as a participating partner. Participating partners will not receive book kits directly from Michigan Humanities. Once lending partner locations are established, you will receive information about locations in your part of the state where you can check out a book kit. It is our goal to establish lending partnerships in every county to ensure continued statewide access to the GMR program.

Do I need to pay for the books? No, we will distribute copies of the book to lending partners free of charge.
Will I receive grant funds after I register for the program? No funds are granted through the Great Michigan Read partner registration process. However, applications for the fall portion of our Great Michigan Read Action Grants will open on Sept. 18. You can find additional details on the Great Michigan Read website.
What is the age range for the Great Michigan Read? Since our Great Michigan Read books vary in their content and genre, it is difficult to define a universal age group. The program isn’t an early literacy or children’s reading program, so past audiences have included high school students and older. Specifically for this year, we can note that Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant describes some violent acts and sexual experiences, and Curtis includes his insight into and memories of anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes, homophobia, and challenging cultural norms.
Will there be e-books/audiobooks available like previous years? At this time, we cannot provide free e-book and audiobook access, but we will stay in touch with partners as we continue to pursue additional funding to support digital versions of Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.
How do I host Curtis Chin in my community? When you register as a partner, you can indicate interest in co-hosting Curtis as part of our Great Michigan Read author tours this fall and upcoming spring. If you’d like to work on scheduling an event with Curtis independent of those tours, you can find booking information on Curtis’ website.
How have federal cuts impacted Michigan Humanities? As many of you likely know, Michigan Humanities’ NEH funding was cut by DOGE in April. Due to this termination of critical funds, several of our grant opportunities and programs have been paused. Thanks to ongoing private support, the 2025–26 Great Michigan Read program is moving forward. You can learn more about recent Michigan Humanities developments on our resource page and read further information about national funding news via this article from the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

What’s next?

Lending partner interest:

If you are interested in registering as a lending partner, please complete our online Google form by Sept. 30, 2025. After reviewing your information, I will be in touch to share instructions and an access code for registration, which is due by Oct. 10, 2025. PLEASE NOTE: The lending partner registration form is not publicly viewable in our online portal and requires the access code I will send. Please do not fill out the participating partner form. Remember, if you are serving as a lending partner, the materials will be your organization’s to use and distribute throughout the program period. Kits should be publicly available for a minimum of approximately eight months during that time frame so that any nearby GMR participating partner can access the resources.

Participating partner registration:

If you are interested in registering as a participating partner, please follow the instructions below. Participating partner registration is available now through summer 2026.

Login or create a new user account on the Michigan Humanities grant and program portal, located here.
From your user dashboard, click “APPLY” to see the available program options.
Click on “APPLY” in the Great Michigan Read Participating Partner block, then fill out the required details.
After you have submitted the form, you will receive an automated “registration received” email.

Remember, participating partners will not receive book kits directly from Michigan Humanities. Once lending partner locations are established this fall, you will receive information about locations in your part of the state where you can check out a book kit. It is our goal to establish lending partnerships in every county to ensure continued statewide access to the program.

Author tour opportunities:

An opportunity to share your interest in co-hosting Curtis Chin for a fall or spring author event is included in both partner registration types. Register soon to indicate your interest; review will begin this month for fall events.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me via email or phone (517-372-7770, ext. 294). We look forward to working with you this year!

Katie

Katie Wittenauer (she/her)

Director of Programs | kwittenauer@mihumanities.org | LinkedIn

Connecting, Sharing, Growing

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Michigan Humanities

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Okemos, MI 48864

517-372-7770, ext. 294

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Mission: Bringing people together through stories, histories, cultures, and conversations.