Structure

Hsu divides his memoir, Stay True, into nine chapters, each separated by photographs of his time at the University of California, Berkeley. The photographs act as grounding devices that illustrate and literalize the events of the memoir. Although the chapters primarily proceed in a linear order, Hsu disrupts this pattern with his opening chapter, which details a trip that he took with Ken and several other friends. Chapter 2 serves as an exploration of Hsu’s familial background; the chapter recounts Hsu’s parents’ respective experiences as new immigrants in the United States. The bulk of the memoir then describes Hsu’s time at UC, Berkeley, with a strong emphasis on his friendship with Ken. After Ken’s death, however, Hsu focuses on small, minute moments that capture the ability of grief to disturb one’s experience of time. In the final chapter, Hsu offers a different form...