The University of California, Berkeley

Hsu’s memoir Stay True revolves around his time as a college student at the University of California, Berkeley. Hsu was “desperate to go there because of the enormous slices of pizza, the left-wing bookstore tucked inside the parking garage, the weirdos yelling about free speech or abortion on the quad” (35). At UC Berkeley, Hsu felt the bounds of his worldview expand. He surrounded himself with friends who—like him—showed a strong interest in alternative music and art. Importantly, he befriended Ken during his freshman year; Hsu’s friendship with Ken, as well as Ken’s eventual murder, serves as the narrative fulcrum of the memoir. As his time at UC Berkeley progressed, Hsu became increasingly more involved with political movements on campus. He attended protests and began incorporating progressive messaging into his zines. Hsu’s courses (in particular his political science...