Ahead of the publication of my debut, Staring into the Sun, in May, I hope you enjoy this excerpt from the third chapter, “An Upright Man.” It’s about my great-grandfather, Henri Wu.

Staring into the Sun can be pre-ordered in the US with Ten16 Press and it’s already available for purchase in the UK. The audio book is read by Kate Hammer, Anthony Postman, and myself and it’s produced by Mercury Calling.

🗓️ Book tour dates

Friday-Sunday, April 17-19 — Outland Publishing Fair, Peckham, London

Friday, May 1 — Season’s Cafe, Amersham, UK (let me know if you want an invite)

Tues, May 5 — Queen’s Park Books, London (let me know if you want an invite)

Mon, May 11 — Brown Club of the UK, Castiglione, London (for Brown University and Phillips Exeter Academy alumni)

Weds, May 27 — Brewery Arts Center, Carson City, NV

Thurs, May 28 — The Radical Cat, Reno, NV

Sat, May 30 — Shoong Family Chinese Cultural Center, Oakland

Sun, May 31 — The Pearl, Locke, CA with the kind support of the Locke Foundation and the 1882 Foundation

Weds, June 3 — Museum of Chinese in America, New York

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📙 Where to find my writing

Staring into the Sun will be published by Ten16 Press in May 2026 in paperback and ebook. The audio book is read by Kate Hammer, Anthony Postman, and myself and it is produced by Mercury Calling.

The book can be pre-ordered in the US with Ten16 Press and it’s already available for purchase in the UK.

"Things My Dad Told Me" in Tomorrow There Will Be Sun, The Hope Prize anthology published by Simon & Schuster Australia.Buy in US | Buy in UK

“Gold Mountain Diggers” in Issue 10 of Livina Press.Buy in US | Buy in UK

“His Bones” in Transformations, the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize anthology.Buy in US | Buy in UK

Find out more about me and my writing, including press coverage, on my website: madelynpostman.com.

Most book links go to my Bookshop.org page, where sales are win-win-win, benefiting the authors, local bookstores, and my own writing—unlike using A-you-know-who.

You can listen to The Spark on your favorite podcast platform. On Substack, you can listen to the podcast and subscribe to the newsletter. Please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it would mean the world to me. And please share it with your reading and writing friends!

Music and mixing by anthony@mercurycalling.audio.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit madelynpostman.substack.com

21 Excerpt of "An Upright Man"