2024-25 Common Read Writing Contest

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner: Due by January 3, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. 

Select one prompt to respond to:

Food as a Symbol

Examine the significance of food in "Crying in H Mart." Reflect on the role of food in your own life. How does food serve as a connection to your cultural heritage or family memories? Provide specific examples from the text and your personal experiences to support your analysis. Consider, including your favorite recipe and explain its significance to your cultural heritage or family traditions and/or adding a picture of the foods in your life.

Resilience and Growth

Explore the theme of resilience in "Crying in H Mart." Reflect on a time when you demonstrated resilience in the face of personal challenges. What moments in your life have shaped your identities and/or transformation? How do these moments compare to Zauner's journey in the book?

Identity, Cultural Heritage, and Representation

Analyze how Michelle Zauner navigates her Korean-American identity and addresses cultural representation in "Crying in H Mart." How does her portrayal of these experiences contribute to the broader conversation about cultural identity? In what ways do your personal experiences with cultural identity and representation relate to those explored in the book? 

Entry Rules 

1. Read Crying in H Mart
2. Submit your essay – 3 pages maximum in 12-point Arial or Helvetica type, double-spaced. Include your name, major, Bronco ID, and CPP email. 
3. Your entry must be submitted online by January 3, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Submit your work below or on our form.