In The Sentence and the Stage, Mike Liu takes readers behind the curtain of classrooms, corporate boardrooms, and diplomatic missions to explore how English becomes more than just a language—it becomes a performance, a mask, a battlefield.

Across a decade of firsthand case studies, Liu reveals the hidden pressures faced by non-native English speakers navigating high-stakes environments. From a student who broke down over a grammar test to a CEO who couldn't explain his own PowerPoint slides, these stories reveal what happens when language, identity, and power collide.

Blending memoir, sociolinguistics, and cultural critique, this collection offers a rare glimpse into the unspoken truths behind English learning in Asia. With lyrical prose and piercing insight, Liu redefines what it means to be "fluent"—and what it costs.

This is not a teaching manual. It's a map drawn in red ink—of where we falter, where we perform, and where we finally speak.