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After months of sparring over tariffs, the Trump Administration says it has reached a deal with China on trade negotiations, but many businesses and consumers are still feeling uncertain about the economy. The deal imposes 55% tariffs on most Chinese imports, down from President Trump's earlier 145% tariffs that would have made it prohibitively expensive for many U.S. businesses to import goods from China, our second-largest trading partner. The back-and-forth trade policies have left businesses ranging from souvenir shop owners in Chinatown to big box stores unsure how to plan for the future. We'll talk about what the current tariff deals look like and what they could mean for jobs, prices and inflation. Guests: Kevin Truong, business editor, The San Francisco Standard Sid Malladi, CEO and founder, Nuvo David Goldman, executive editor, CNN Business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nesse episódio entrevistamos o casal Victoria Farina e Bruno Miguel (@Tailandiando), que conhecem tudo sobre o país e dividem conosco as suas melhores histórias, dicas e curiosidades. Embarque conosco em uma viagem pela Terra dos Sorrisos e conheça uma Tailândia que vai muito além de suas praias paradisíacas.Canais Tailandiando: Instragram: @tailandiandoSite: www.tailandiando.comPodcast: PodThai Email: oi@tailandiando.comFestivais e datas mencionados no episódio: Festival Songkran, em abrilFestinal das Lanternas, em novembroFull Moon Party, todos os meses Outros Festivais interessantes:Festival das Flores de Chiang MaiDia Nacional do Muay ThaiAno Novo Chinês na Tailândia (maior Chinatown fora da China)Bo Sang Umbrella & Sankampaeng Artesanato Festival.Festival Vegetariano Phuket.Show de drones Vijit Chao Phraya
From rice to rubber, manufacturing to tourism, Thailand is one of Southeast Asia's most important export-driven economies. And its trading partners include China and the US. But the country's been struggling to bounce back from the effects of the Covid pandemic. Ever since US President Donald Trump first introduced tariffs against China in 2018, Thailand's also found itself having to tread carefully between the demands of the two economic superpowers. We hear from food producers, exporters and ordinary working people, about the choices ahead. Will Thailand now have to decide between Washington and Beijing if it is to survive a global trade war? If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Ed Butler(Image: Bangkok's Chinatown. A neighbourhood packed with market stalls, gold shops, and restaurants. Credit: Getty Images)
In this show we look at the final Poe adaptation done by Roger Corman, The Tomb of Ligeia, starring Vincent Prince and Elizabeth Shepherd and scripted by Robert Towne who would go on to pen classics such as Chinatown!
The Transamerica Pyramid, located in downtown San Francisco, is a skyline staple. But when it was proposed, people hated the idea of a towering symbol of capitalism so close to neighborhoods like North Beach and Chinatown. Turns out the block where the pyramid stands has a long and storied history. We dig into all that, as well as how public perception of the pyramid's place in the skyline has changed over the past 50 years. Additional Resources: The Transamerica Pyramid at 50: From 'Architectural Butchery' to Icon Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Gabriela Glueck and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Olivia Allen-Price, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and everyone on Team KQED.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul testified before Congress Thursday about New York's immigration policies. Plus, a group of New Yorkers is suing the state, alleging it hasn't done enough to protect their food assistance benefits from being stolen. Also, state lawmakers are stalled on a bill that would require speed limiters be put in the cars of some of New York's most reckless drivers. And finally, a popular Chinatown bar became a destination last summer, now it's receiving community backlash.
Plus - The latest updates in the New York City Mayoral Race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Belleville är ett område som sträcker sig över fyra distrik i Paris. Byggnaderna är prydda med färgglad graffiti, toner från gatumusikanter sträcker sig över kvarteren, och den ljuvliga lukten av kinamat från Chinatown hänger i luften. Belleville betyder “vacker stad” på franska.Den 4 april 2017 ska stämningen i Belleville komma att förändras. Stämningen i Paris, i hela Frankrike. En judisk kvinna kastas ut från sin balkong och faller mot sin död.Manusförfattare: Elsa SandinHör alla avsnitt av denna säsong redan nu i podplay-appen eller på podplay.seKällor:Le FigaroSveriges RadioBBCLibération Times of Israel Marianne (tidning baserad i Paris, marianne.net)
Walking pedagogiesIn this walk, Dr. Manrutt Wongkaew leads Carole Morrison and Gemma Riggs on an autobiographical walk from the now closed LCF building at John Princes St though Saville Row to Soho and China Town. We hear about Manrutt's experiences as a tailor in Saville Row and how he embraces colour in his own fashion styling as a rebellion against conformity. Manrutt shares his stories of community in Soho that have informed his practice as a lecturer and his approach that allows students to bring their authentic selves to the learning environment. Walking pedagogies is a series of audio dialogues exploring pedagogy through conversation and walking. Recorded in specific locations, we hear conversations between two people as they walk and discuss a subject that is meaningful to them and their environment. We hear environmental sounds and chance encounters may come up. These are embraced in this process.The approach is intentionally embodied. It allows two people to engage in a dialogue in motion, autonomous but being able to move, engage and respond to each other and the environment. The process aims to flatten any hierarchies inherent in a sit-down interview context and create a more informal, dynamic and relational framework. It also takes conversation about practice outside of the institution and allow for permeation of wider contexts and politics, particularly into the context of London, home of UAL. It allows for geography and the environment to become part of the conversation and to stimulate thoughts, memories and ideas.
//The Wire//2300Z June 10, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: RIOTS CONTINUE TO SPREAD GLOBALLY. 17x COORDINATED IED BLASTS REPORTED IN COLOMBIA. MASS SHOOTING STRIKES AUSTRIA. STABBING ATTACKS CONTINUE IN SPAIN. UNREST AND RIOTING CONTINUES IN NORTHERN IRELAND.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Colombia: Overnight an IED was detonated at the Police Headquarters in Buenaventura, with no injuries being reported. This morning, 16x more IED blasts were reported throughout the nation. These blasts mostly took the form of Vehicle-Borne IEDs (VBIEDs), striking the city of Cali as well as some minor outlying areas.AC: These attacks are significant due to the level of coordination required to conduct these attacks at scale. So far, the casualty count is minimal, with most of the IEDs detonating after being parked at fixed sites such as police stations.Austria: A school shooting was reported at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school Graz, resulting in 10x fatalities and over a dozen wounded. The suspect eliminated themselves after conducting the attack, and has not yet been identified by authorities.Spain: A city sanitation worker was stabbed in Cambrils yesterday. This comes after three men were arrested for stabbing another man in the same city two weeks ago.Northern Ireland: Riots broke out over the weekend following a series of high-profile assaults in Ballymena. What started out as peaceful protest transitioned into small-scale riots once darkness fell on Monday, with minor pockets of violence and arson continuing today.AC: As one might expect, details on this case are hard to verify as no mainstream media is providing details pertaining to the incident that started all of this. However, at face value this appears to be similar to the Rotheram Grooming Scandal that came to light in the U.K. last year. Locals in Northern Ireland state that two Romanian immigrants assaulted several young girls over the weekend, which resulted in the tipping point being reached in Ballymena. Locals set fire to the homes of the suspects, and have destroyed much of the migrant housing in the local area.Far East: Two Chinese PLAN aircraft carriers were observed operating in the waters off the coast of Iwo Jima overnight, marking the first time that both of China's aircraft carriers have been observed conducting joint exercises.-HomeFront-California: The Los Angeles Riots continue as before amid increasing National Guard deployment. 2/7 Marines began movement into the area yesterday, while the roughly 2,000 National Guard forces continue mobilization.Overnight, looting and rioting continued throughout the downtown LA area, with pockets of rioting emerging in Little Tokyo, the LA LIVE area, and Pershing Square. Most stores along Broadway were burglarized in the process by coordinated gangs of looters. Train service was halted for Little Tokyo, Chinatown, and Union Station due to unrest in and around the stations. Various ride-share and autonomous driving taxi companies have also begun to shut down services throughout Los Angeles, with Waymo vehicles being observed maneuvering out of the city early yesterday after several of their vehicles were set on fire.This afternoon, the rioting continued in the same locations as before, with the 101 being shut down due to protesters once again. Additionally, a possible small arms attack was conducted at the corner of Atlantic and Alondra in Compton. An unidentified male produced a firearm and pointed it at a police line down the street.AC: As this is a developing situation at the time of this report, many details are unclear. However, it's only a matter of time before small arms attacks take place, either directed at law enforcement or otherwise. Several gangs throughout the Los Angeles area have made statements indicating that they will defend their turf with
Lily Lam is a content creator and designer based in New York City. She creates content that speaks to underrepresented voices and is an influencer within the world of Magic: The Gathering. Today, we talk about gentrification in New York's Chinatown, cultural identity as Chinese-Americans, and the recent rise of Chinese soft power. Lily shares her thoughts on deep systemic problems in America and we discuss how American perceptions of China are shaped and how they're now changing. We talk about Lily's personal transgender experience, transitioning, its impact on her family, and finding inner peace in a new, yet familiar identity. We also talk about fashion and how it can be a useful tool in building personal confidence through individual style instead of chasing trends. This is a heartfelt discussion on identity, acceptance, and change. _____________________ If you enjoy this show don't forget to leave a rating! Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehonestdrink_/ RedNote: THD The Honest Drink WeChat: THD_Official Find us on: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, 小红书, Ximalaya, 小宇宙, 网易云音乐, Bilibili or anywhere else you get your podcasts.
The gang gets a hot tip that'll break the case this week, as they review the classic detective mystery, Chinatown (1974). Jack Nicholson gives life to an all-time character in JJ Gittes in this 1930's LA mystery thriller that is widely considered on the of the greatest films of all time. Is the movie good enough to wash Polanki's stank off of it? Tune in to find outVisit the YouTube channel Saturdays @ 12:30 PM Pacific to get in on the live stream, or just watch this episode rather than just listen!Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI1lVsk1xjMSBgZK82uAzgQThis Episode:https://youtu.be/MN70P3F_bLwhttp://www.MCFCpodcast.comhttps://www.twitch.tv/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.facebook.com/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.twitter.com/podcastMCFChttp://www.tiktok.com/middleclassfilmclasshttp://www.instagram.com/middleclassfilmclass Email: MCFCpodcast@gmail.comMerch store - https://middle-class-film-class.creator-spring.com/ Join the Patreon:www.patreon.con/middleclassfilmclass Patrons:JavierJoel ShinnemanLinda McCalisterHeather Sachs https://twitter.com/DorkOfAllDorksChris GeigerDylanMitch Burns Robert Stewart JasonAndrew Martin Dallas Terry Jack Fitzpatrick Mackenzie MinerAngry Otter (Michael)Joseph Navarro Pete Abeyta and Tyler Noe
New York City's Chinatown is cultural hub for the Asian community. It remains a popular tourist destination. However gentrification is slowly changing the landscape, but we found a movement where the next generation are staying grounded in this neighborhood and helping to transform their family's business.
A little performance art, a couple of classic Los Angeles locations, happy birthday to my mom, a unforgettable glowing suitcase, a classic Los Angeles evangelist, our imperfect memories, a Matthew Perry moment, one (and I mean one) moment of insight from Trump, a mea culpa to Jai Courtney, Paul Dano still sucks, and c'mon and join our convoy. Stuff mentioned: Nadya Tolokonnikova POLICE STATE (WAREHOUSE at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 https://www.moca.org/program/nadya-tolokonnikova-police-state), Bradbury Building (304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013), Double Indemnity (1945), Chinatown (1974), Wolf (1994), Blade Runner (1982), Newhart (1982-1990), Angels Flight Railway (351 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013), Hill Street Blues (1981-1987), Criss Cross (1949), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Generation X "Kiss Me Deadly" (1981), Generation X Kiss Me Deadly (1981), Pulp Fiction (1994), Repo Man (1984), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Highway Patrolman (1991), La La Land (2016), Perry Mason (2020-2023), Orphan Black (2013-2017), Angelus Temple (1100 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026), Claire Hoffman Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson (2025), Pavement Slanted and Enchanted (1992), Matt Bai The Unbearable lightness of Elon Musk (The Washington Post, June 1, 2025 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/01/musk-doge-defeat-washington-bureaucracy), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), Terminator Genisys (2015), Die Hard (1988), Dangerous Animals (2025), The Loved Ones (2009), The Devil's Candy (2015), Dead Calm (1989), and C.W. McCall "Convoy" (1975).
Shelly Thunder - Kuff (China Town Riddim)
Today we'll be talking about the continuing escalation on the Thai-Cambodian border, a Chinatown tuk tuk crackdown and a Russian rub and run, and a little later the first Vietnamese-American woman in spaaaaaaace.
Conviértete en miembro de este canal para disfrutar de ventajas:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrr-82T0bOWW3ZoHjSS9YTA/join¡No olvides seguirnos en Instagram y Tik Tok! -https://www.instagram.com/cineparatod...-https://www.tiktok.com/@cineparatodos...Redes personales:•Vick:-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zomvieck/-Twitter: https://x.com/ZomVick•Cinerds: -Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cinerds-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinerdsmx/-Twitter: https://x.com/Cinerdsmx-Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cinerds•Gerry:-Twitter: https://x.com/el_lyndon?s=2-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_lyndon?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==-Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/12ZBh-Lyndon YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Jerrylyndon?si=w...•Miguel: -Twitter: https://x.com/portalmike?s=21-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maps_2208?i...-Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/198Zf•Axel: -Twitter: https://x.com/axldario21?s=21-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axlchalico2...-Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/3Q9cn•Tocayo:-Twitter: https://x.com/gerry_movie?s=21-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerry021?igsh=Z3JzMDE2djhoc2Y0&utm_source=qr-Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/GLUZ(00:00): Bienvenida(01:29): Un poco de CINERDS(05:45): Jaws (1975)(06:09): Deep Red/Profondo Roso(10:22): The tingler(14:26): The Fight Club(16:07): Everything Everywhere all at once(17:52): Los olvidados(21:18): Big Fish(22:30): Ratatouille(25:08): Ladrón de bicicletas(27:25): Mulholland Drive(30:39): Balada triste de trompeta(32:45): Chinatown(33:29): Adaptation(37:27): Días de gracia(40:47): The Thing(44:45): The hunger(46:21): Drácula de Bram Stocker(49:06): Reservoir Dogs(50:51): Citizen Kane(55:15): Conclusiones(55:54): DespedidaLista oficial de películas mencionadas en ZoomF7: https://boxd.it/pxHDi#cineparatodos #ZoomF7 #podcast#CineParaTodos #ZoomF7
Annie Shi is the Beverage Director and partner at beloved NYC restaurants King and Jupiter. She defied her Chinese parents by leaving her Yale education and a career in finance to work in the restaurant biz. Annie balances work/life as a mom and restaurateur. She just had her second child, so, to make life easier, she is opening her own wine bar in Chinatown called Lei. Lei features low intervention wines from established and up and coming producers from around the world along with a tight Chinese menu. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Grape Nation by becoming a member!The Grape Nation is Powered by Simplecast.
Adam Roberts is back on the show, and we couldn't be happier to speak with him about his terrific debut novel, Food Person. You may know Adam from his pioneering food blog (now on Substack), The Amateur Gourmet, but we know him now as a fiction writer digging into the world we talk about often here on the show: food media, cookbooks, collaborations, and all the behind-the-scenes drama that can pop up therein. Adam has written an incredible universe in the novel, and we discuss how he wrote it and how cookbooks truly informed the writing process.And, at the top of the show, it's the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Chicago's Lao Peng You has an incredible house noodle soup, Overcompensating is our favorite new show, Betweener is an interesting energy drink alternative. Also: A visit to the new Mission Chinese in Manhattan's Chinatown, Lula Cafe remains a Chicago legend, Askinosie Chocolate is a favorite new chocolate company and puts the farmer front and center. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Recorded - 6/1/2025 On Episode 324 of the Almost Sideways Movie Podcast, we go to the streaming world for our featured review as we look at the MAX original film Mountainhead. We then count down the greatest birthday party scenes in TV and film. In place of our typical trivia segment, we instead do a "Come to the Stable" review, looking at a random film from the past none of us have seen. For this, we review the Chinatown sequel The Two Jakes. Here are the highlights:What We've Been Watching(8:20) "A Rumor of Angels" (Liotta) & "Thunderbolts*" - Todd Reviews(16:00) "Murderball" - Terry Oscar Anniversary Review & "The Book of Mormon" Stage Review(20:00) "Bring Her Back" & "Friendship" - Zach Reviews(28:30) "Mountainhead" - Featured Review(44:40) Power Rankings: Birthday Party Scenes in Movies & TV(1:18:50) Honorable Mentions & Guessing Adam's List(1:32:40) "The Two Jakes" - "Come to the Stable" Review(1:56:00) Quote of the DayFind AlmostSideways everywhere!almostsideways.comFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AlmostSidewayscom-130953353614569/AlmostSideways Twitter: @almostsidewaysTerry's Twitter: @almostsideterryZach's Twitter: @pro_zach36Todd: Too Cool for TwitterAdam's Twitter: @adamsidewaysApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/almostsideways-podcast/id1270959022Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/7oVcx7Y9U2Bj2dhTECzZ4m YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfEoLqGyjn9M5Mr8umWiktA/featured?view_as=subscriber
“Can a show truly be your favorite of the decade if you don't even recognize the classic films it's built on?”In this hilariously heated episode of The Ben and Skin Show, the crew dives deep into a critically acclaimed TV series that's got everyone buzzing—except for Ben's wife, who just wants to understand where this person came from. What starts as a celebration of long takes and meta-commentary quickly spirals into a generational standoff over classic cinema, streaming habits, and the eternal struggle of trying to get your friends to watch the movies you love.Join Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina “Lil Baby Cornbread” Ray as they:Debate the brilliance of a show that KT calls “the best thing on TV in the last ten years.”Unpack the show's hidden homages to iconic films like Chinatown—and why recognizing them makes it even better.Revisit the absurd genius of I Think You Should Leave, including the unforgettable “Carl Havoc” sketch and the hot dog choking scene.
Thanks for joining us for Monumental. We'd like to introduce you to another podcast called The Hustle from Feet In Two Worlds. The episode we're sharing today begins with a monument that represents a violent chapter from the American West…the Rock Springs Massacre.On September 2, 1885, white mobs in Rock Springs, Wyoming murdered 28 Chinese coal miners. They wounded 15 more, and then looted and burned Rock Springs' Chinatown. This episode reveals a forgotten history of private industry weaponizing white workers against Chinese workers — and the government failing to stop the violence. You'll hear from three descendants of the Massacre, as well as Chinese Americans in Rock Springs today.This is one of the stories you'll hear on The Hustle, a podcast series about how immigrants are navigating a changing economy, today and throughout history. To hear other episodes, and find out more about the series, go to fi2w.org.
A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Happy Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Even though the Trump Administration has eliminated recognizing cultural heritage months, we are still celebrating diversity and inclusion here at APEX Express and KPFA. We believe in lifting up people's voices and tonight on APEX Express the Powerleegirls are focusing on “Asian American Children's book authors”. Powerleegirl hosts Miko Lee and daughter Jalena Keane-Lee speak with: Michele Wong McSween, Gloria Huang, and Andrea Wang AAPINH Month Children's Books part 1 transcript Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express. Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:00:49] Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Even though the Trump administration has eliminated recognizing cultural heritage months, we are still celebrating diversity and inclusion. Here at Apex Express and KPFA, we believe in lifting up people's voices. And tonight on Apex Express, the PowerLeeGirls are focusing on Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirl hosts Miko Lee and daughter Jalena Keane-Lee. Speak with Michele Wong McSween, Gloria Huang and Andrea Wang. Thanks for joining us tonight on Apex Express. Enjoy the show. Miko Lee: [00:01:21] Welcome, Michele Wong McSween to Apex Express. Michele Wong McSween: [00:01:26] Thank you, Miko. It's nice to be here. Miko Lee: [00:01:28] I'm really happy to talk with you about your whole children's series, Gordon & Li Li, which is absolutely adorable. I wanna start very first with a personal question that I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Michele Wong McSween: [00:01:45] I would say my people are really my family starting with, my great, great grandparents who came here down to my grandparents, my parents, and onto my children because, to me family is. The reason why I created Gordon & Li Li in the first place, it was really to bridge that connection for my children. I didn't grow up feeling that connected with my culture because as a fourth generation Chinese American, I was really in the belief that I'm American. Why do I need to know anything about my culture? Why do I need to speak Chinese? I never learned. As a sidebar to that, I never learned to speak Chinese and it didn't really hit me until I had my own kids that I was really doing a disservice to not only my kids, but to myself. my people are my family. I do this for my kids. I do this to almost apologize to my parents for being so, Disrespectful to my amazing culture and I do it for the families who really want to connect and bridge that gap for their own children and for themselves. Miko Lee: [00:02:53] And what legacy do you carry with you? Michele Wong McSween: [00:02:55] Again, my family. My, great grandparents. Really. Started our family's legacy with the hard work and the prejudices and all the things that they endured so that we could have a better life. And I've always felt that it is my responsibility to teach my own kids about the sacrifices that were made and not to make them feel guilty, but to just make them appreciate that we are here. Because of the the blood, sweat, and tears that their ancestors did for them. And so we are, eternally grateful for that. I think it's important for us to continue that legacy of always doing our best, being kind and doing what we can do to further the experience of not just our family, but the people in our community that we connect with and to the greater world. Miko Lee: [00:03:43] when you were growing up, were your parents speaking with you in Chinese and did you hear about your great grandparents and their legacy? Was that part of your upbringing? Michele Wong McSween: [00:03:52] I heard about my great grandparents in the stories that my mom told us, but to be quite honest, I wasn't receptive to really digging deep in my cultural understanding of. my great-grandfather and what he went through. I know mom, I know he came over in 19 whatever. I know he brought over all these young sons from his village, but I really didn't fully take it in and. No, I didn't hear Chinese spoken in the house much. The only time my parents spoke it was to each other so that we didn't know what they were talking about. They had like this secret code, language. My experience with my language was not, That positive. we did attempt to go to Chinese school only to be teased by all the other kids because we didn't speak it. It didn't end up well. my mom ended up pulling us out and so no, we were really not connected all that much to the language. Miko Lee: [00:04:48] I can really relate to what you're saying. As a fifth generation Chinese American, and my parents their ancestors came from different provinces, so their dialects were so different that they even spoke to each other in English. 'cause they couldn't understand each other in Chinese. So it happens so often. Yeah. Yeah. And so I really relate to that. I'm wondering if there was an epiphany in your life or a time where you thought, oh, I. I wish I knew more of those stories about my ancestors or was there some catalyst for you that changed? Michele Wong McSween: [00:05:17] All of this really kind of happened when I moved to New York. I, you know, raised in Sacramento, went to college in the Bay Area, lived in San Francisco for a while with a job, and then I eventually moved to New York. And it wasn't until I came to New York and I met Asians or Chinese Americans like me that actually spoke Chinese and they knew about cool stuff to do in Chinatown. It really opened my eyes to this new cool world of the Chinese culture because I really experienced Chinatown for the first time when I moved to New York. And it was just so incredible to see all these people, living together in this community. And they all looked the same. But here's the thing, they all spoke Chinese, or the majority of them spoke Chinese. So when I went to Chinatown and they would look at me and speak to me in Chinese and I would give them this blank stare. They would just look at me like, oh my gosh, she doesn't even speak her own language. And it kind of made me feel bad. And this was really the first time that it dawned on me that, oh wow, I, I kind of feel like something's missing. And then it really hit me when I had my kids, because they're half Chinese and I thought, oh my gosh, wait a minute, if I'm their last connection to the Chinese culture and I don't speak the language. They have no chance of learning anything about their language they couldn't go that deep into their culture if I didn't learn about it. So that really sparked this whole, Gordon & Li Li journey of learning and discovering language and culture for my kids. Miko Lee: [00:06:51] Share more about that. How, what happened actually, what was the inspiration for creating the Children's book series? Michele Wong McSween: [00:06:58] It was really my children, I really felt that it was my responsibility to teach them about their culture and language and, if I didn't know the language, then I better learn it. So I enrolled all of us in different Mandarin courses. They had this, I found this really cute kids' Mandarin class. I went to adult Mandarin classes and I chose Mandarin because that was the approved official language in China. I am from Taishan, My parents spoke Taishanese, but I thought, well, if Mandarin's the official language, I should choose that one probably so that my kids will have at least a better chance at maybe some better jobs in the future or connecting with, the billion people that speak it. I thought Mandarin would be the way to go. When I started going to these classes and I just realized, wow, this is really hard, not just to learn the language, but to learn Mandarin Chinese, because we're not just talking about learning how to say the four different tones. We're talking about reading these characters that if you look at a Chinese character, you have absolutely no idea what it sounds like if you're, if you're learning Spanish or French or German, you can see the letters and kind of sound it out a little bit. But with Chinese characters. No chance. So I found it extremely difficult and I realized, wow, I really need to support my kids more because if I am going to be the one that's going to be bridging this connection for them, I need to learn more and I need to find some more resources to help us. when we would have bedtime story time, that whole routine. That was always the favorite time of my kids to be really, quiet and they would really absorb what I was saying, or we would talk about our days or just talk about funny things and I realized, wow, these books that they love and we have to read over and over and over again. this is the way that they're going to get the information. And I started searching high and low for these books. back in 2006, they didn't exist. and so I realized if they didn't exist and I really wanted them for my kids, then I needed to create them. That's the impetus, is there was nothing out there and I really wanted it so badly that I had to create it myself. Miko Lee: [00:09:09] Oh, I love that. And I understand you started out self-publishing. Can you talk a little bit about that journey? Michele Wong McSween: [00:09:15] I'm glad I didn't know what I know today because it was really hard. luckily I had, A friend who used to work for a toy company, it was all through connections. there was nothing really on Google about it. there was no Amazon print on demand. There were none of these companies that provide these services like today. So I just kept asking questions. Hey, do you know a toy manufacturer in China that maybe prints books? Do you know a company that could help me? get my books to the states. Do you know an illustrator that can help me illustrate my books? Because I had gone to fashion design school, but I had not learned to illustrate characters or things in a book. So asking questions and not being afraid to ask the questions was really how I was able to do it because, Without the help of friends and family, I wouldn't have been able to do this. I had all my friends look at my books, show them to their kids. I had my kids look at them, and I kind of just figured it out as I went along. Ultimately when I did publish my first book, I had so much support from my kids' schools. To read the books there, I had support from a local play space for kids that we would go to. I really leaned on my community to help me, get the books out there, or actually it was just one at the time. Two years later I self-published two more books. So I had three in total. no one tells you that when you self-publish a book, the easy part is actually creating it. The hard part is what comes after that, which is the pr, the marketing, the pounding, the pavement, knocking on the doors to ask people to buy your books, and that was really hard for me. I would just take my books in a bag and I would explain my story to people and I would show them my books. sometimes they would say, okay, I'll take one of each, or Okay, we'll try it out. and slowly but surely they would reorder from me. I just slowly, slowly built up, a whole Roster of bookstores and I kept doing events in New York. I started doing events in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and through that I gained some following, some fans and people would tell their friends about me. they would give them to their nieces they would give them to their cousin's kids, or, things like that. I knew that I had to do it because my ultimate goal was to have Scholastic be my publisher. That was my ultimate goal. Because they are the publisher that I grew up with, that I love that I connected with, that I was so excited to get their book club, little flyer. I would check off every book that I wanted. And my mom never said no. She always let me get every single book I wanted. I realize now that that's what really Created the love of books for me is just having access to them and, going to the libraries and seeing all these books on the bookshelves and being able to take them out and read them on the spot. And then if I loved them enough, I would check them out and take them home and read them over and over. So it was really, my experience, having that love for books that I thought, oh gosh, it would be a dream. To have Scholastic become my publisher. So after 10 long years of events and community outreach and selling to these bookstores, I finally thought, okay, I've sold, about 17,000, 18,000 books. Maybe, maybe now I can take my series to them. I also had created an app. Maybe I can take this to them and show them what I've done. Maybe they'll be interested in acquiring me. And I got an appointment with the editor and I pitched my books on my app and within a couple of days they offered to acquire my books, which was my dream come true. So anyway, that was a very long story for how self-publishing really is and how ultimately it really helped my dream come true. Miko Lee: [00:13:08] Now your books are on this Scholastic book, fair Circuit, right? Michele Wong McSween: [00:13:13] Yes, they are. Well, it's actually just one book. They took the three books, which were everyday Words. Count in Mandarin and learn animals in Mandarin. They took all three books and they put them in one big compilation book, which is called My First Mandarin Words with Gordon & Li Li. So it's a bigger book. It's a bigger board book. Still very, very sturdy and it's a great, starter book for any family because it has those three first themes that were the first themes that I taught my own boys, and I think. It just, it's very natural for kids to want to learn how to count. animals were, and my kids were animal lovers, so I knew that that's what would keep them interested in learning Mandarin because they actually loved the topic. So, yes, my first mandarin words with Gordon & Li Li does live on Scholastics big roster. Miko Lee: [00:14:01] Fun. Your dream come true. I love it. Yeah. Thanks. And you were speaking earlier about your background in fashion design. Has there been any impact of your fashion design background on your voice as a children's book author? Michele Wong McSween: [00:14:14] I don't know if my background as a fashion designer has had any impact on my voice. I think it's had an impact on how I imagined my books and how I color my books and how I designed them because of working with, you know, color palettes and, and putting together collections I can visually see and, can anticipate. Because I have that background, I can kind of anticipate what a customer might want. And also, you know, speaking with people at my events and seeing what kids gravitate to, that also helps. But I think there's so much more to being an author than just writing the books. You know, when I go to my events, I have a table display, I have setups, I have props, I have, I actually now have a, a small. Capsule of merchandise because I missed designing clothes. So I have a teeny collection of, you know, sweaters, hoodies, onesies, a tote bag, and plushies Miko Lee: [00:15:04] they're super cute by the way. Michele Wong McSween: [00:15:06] Oh, thank you. So, you know, fashion has come in in different ways and I think having that background has really helped. kind of become who they are Miko Lee: [00:15:17] Can you tell us about the latest book in the series, which is Gordon and Li Li All About Me. Can you tell a little bit about your latest? Michele Wong McSween: [00:15:25] Gordon & Li Li All About Me is really, it's, to me, it's. I think my most fun interactive book because it really gets kids and parents up and out of their chairs, out of their seats and moving around. And you know, as a parent, I always would think about the kind of books that my kids would gravitate towards. What would they want to read and what as a parent would I want to read with my kids? Because really reading is all about connection with your kids. That's what I loved about books is it gave me a way to connect with my kids. And so a book about body parts to me is just a really fun way to be animated and get up and move around and you can tickle and, and squeeze and shake it around and dance around. And, you know, having three boys, my house was just like a big energy ball. So I knew that this book would be a really fun one for families and I have two nieces and a nephew, and I now, they're my new target market testers, and they just loved it. They had so much fun pointing to their body parts and the book ends with head, shoulders, knees, and toes in English and in Mandarin. And so of course. Every kid knows head, shoulders, knees, and toes in English. So we sing that. We get up, we point to our pottered parts, we shake it around, we dance around. And then the fun part is teaching them head, shoulders, knees, and toes in Mandarin because they're already familiar with the song. It's not scary to learn something in Mandarin. It just kind of naturally happens. And so I think the All About Me book is just a really fun way to connect with kids. I've actually launched it at a couple of events already and the response to the book has been overwhelming. I was at the Brooklyn Children's Museum and even the president of the museum came and did the head shoulders. Knees and toes, songs with us. It was so much fun. Everybody was dancing around and having a great time. So I'm just really, really excited for people to pick up this book and really learn about the body. It's, you know, body positivity, it's body awareness, and it's just a great way to connect with your kids. Miko Lee: [00:17:31] So fun. I, I saw that you're recently at the Asian American Book Con. Can you talk a little bit about that experience? Michele Wong McSween: [00:17:38] Oh, that was great. That was the first of its kind and. I led the entire author segment of it. I would say individual authors. There were, there were, publishing companies that brought in their own authors, but I was responsible for bringing in the independent authors. And so I think we had about eight of us. There were Indian, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, and we all came together for this one really special day of celebrating our voices and lifting each other up. And there was so much energy and so much positivity in that event, and I. Actually was just thinking about reaching out to the organizers last year and seeing if we could maybe do, part two? So, I'm glad you brought that up. It was a really positive experience. Miko Lee: [00:18:27] So we're celebrating the end of Asian American Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian month. Can you tell us why this month is important to you? Michele Wong McSween: [00:18:36] When you have something designated and set aside as, this is the month that we're going to be celebrating Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander heritage all month long, I think it kind of perks up. People's ears and they think, oh wow, this is a great opportunity for me to see what's happening in my community. I think it just brings the awareness to. The broader community and ultimately the world. And I think when we learn about each other and each other's cultures, it brings us closer together and makes us realize that we're really not that different from each other. And I think when there are so many events happening now it peaks the interest of people in the neighborhood that might otherwise not know about it and it can, really bring us closer together as a community. Miko Lee: [00:19:27] Michelle Wong McSween, thank you so much for joining me on Apex Express. It's great to hear more about you and about your latest book Gordon & Li Li and the entire series. Thank you so much. Michele Wong McSween: [00:19:39] Thank you, Miko Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:19:40] Thank you all so much for joining us. I'm here with Gloria l Huang, author of Kaya of the Ocean. Thank you so much for joining us, Gloria. Gloria Huang: [00:19:48] Oh, thanks so much for having me here. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:19:50] So first off, one question that we're asking all of our guests on our show tonight is, who are your people? However you identify, you know, your community, your ancestors, and what legacy do you carry with you? Gloria Huang: [00:20:01] Oh, that's such a good question. So I am my heritage is Chinese. My parents were born in China and then grew up in Taiwan. And I myself was actually born in Canada. But then moved the states pretty young and and American Canadian dual citizen and now, but I, my heritage plays a lot into my. Kind of my worldview. It really shaped, how I grew up and how I saw things. And so it features very prominently in my writing and in my stories as you could probably tell from Kaya the ocean. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:20:34] Yes. And I love the book so much. It was such a Gloria Huang: [00:20:37] thank you, Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:20:38] amazing read. And I'm also half Chinese and love the ocean. Just love the beach so much and have always felt such a connection with the water. I don't wanna give away too much things about the book, but I was wondering if you could talk about your inspiration for writing it and a little bit about, setting and everything. Gloria Huang: [00:20:56] Of course. So the inspiration for the book actually started I came up with the idea when the world was first emerging from the pandemic and I was seeing a lot of people obviously experiencing a lot of anxiety, but a lot of children very close to me in my life. And they were experiencing it for the first time, which was can be so difficult. I remember when it happened to me and there's just this tendency to. Worry that there's something wrong with you or that you've done something and you feel so alone. And so I remember standing by the ocean one night actually and thinking that I'd really love to write a book about a girl who is struggling with. The anxiety just to be able to send a message to all these kids that there's nothing wrong with them. They're not alone and really all parts of who they are. Even the parts they might not love so much are important parts of these amazing, beautiful, complicated people. They are. So that was the inspiration for that part of the story, the setting. I was very inspired. As you mentioned, the ocean is a huge inspiration to me. It actually comes into my mind, a lot of my stories and someone pointed that out once and I was like, you're right, it does. And I think part of it is that I love the ocean. I love the beach. I love being there, but I'm also so in awe of this powerful thing that, you know, where we know so little about it. It is. There's so much mystery to it. It can look so beautiful on the surface and be so dangerous underneath. I love it as a metaphor. I love it as a part of nature. So I think that was a huge part of why I wanted to incorporate that, especially because I think it also plays well into the metaphor for how some people experience anxiety and you can be calm on the surface, but so much is happening underneath. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:22:29] Absolutely. Yeah. Those interplay with each other and are metaphors for each other in such a beautiful way, mirror the experience. Yeah. I wanted to talk a little bit more about anxiety and particular, as a young Asian American girl the cultural specificity of having anxiety as a young Asian American woman. Gloria Huang: [00:22:46] Yes I definitely think it's no coincidence. I think that anxiety often goes hand in hand with perfectionism and pressure and I, many people feel that kind of pressure, but certainly a young Asian girl especially with immigrant parents, will feel specific kind of pressure. And so I was really trying to portray that, Somebody once said to me, they were like, oh, I really like how Kaya on the surface seems so put together. She's, got really good grades. She works really hard at school. She's close to her parents, but there's all this going on underneath. And I actually think that's not unusual in terms of that experience for Asian American children of immigrants, and especially if you're female I was really trying to. Tease that out. And then in addition I think there's a tendency, and this might exist in other cultures as well, but in Asian culture, at least in my family history there's a tendency not to really want to talk about mental health. There was a, there's a joke in my family that my parents thought anything could be solved with good sleep and good nutrition, like anytime you had any problem. And I think that there is a, there's a. resistance to feeling like your child can be struggling in a way you can't help them. So I, really wanted to touch on that, part of the cultural pressures at play in kaya's life. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:23:59] And you did so beautifully and it was very relatable, as a anxious Asian girly. And also just, the discussion of big feelings and somehow, having inklings that you may be more powerful than you even realize, but the kind of like emotions that come with that too. Gloria Huang: [00:24:15] Yes. I think that's a huge part of it is that like when you experience these huge feelings they feel powerful, know, in a negative way. But what I was really trying to get at was, there is also power in accepting these parts of yourself and realizing that They can make up this powerful being that you are, even if you might not love them in that moment. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:24:34] Yeah. I felt very seen by the book and I, couldn't help but wonder wow, what would it have been like if I had read this when I was, 13 or 12 or kind of Closer to the age of the characters in the book. Gloria Huang: [00:24:45] Thank you so much for saying that it actually means a lot because a lot of my motivation when I do write these books is to write for people who are either of that age or, wish they had a book like that at that age, which is also how I feel a lot about books nowadays and oh, I, I'm so glad that exists. I wish that had been around when I was that age. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:25:03] Yes. Were there any books that really set an example for you that either you read, maybe when you were, in the young adult. Age range or that you've read now as an adult where you're like, okay, this is definitely the audience that I wanna be writing for. Gloria Huang: [00:25:17] Definitely. I actually love this question 'cause I'm a big reader and so I love talking about books . When I was a kid, middle grade books were my gateway into my love of reading. So I still remember a lot of my favorite books, but I would say a recent book, it's actually maybe not that recent now, it's maybe a couple years old, but a book that really. Had an effect on the middle grade book was when you trap a tiger by Tae Keller and it explores. The kind of Korean experience, but also through the prism of kind of understanding generational grief. And it was just so beautifully done and really made an impact on me. So that was one recently that I thought was really powerful. And, I was like, this is an important book. This is definitely a book I would've loved as a child. When I was younger and I was reading books, there were three books that meant a lot to me. One was called the true confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and it was like a swashbuckling adventure story starring a girl, which was, at that time not very common. And it was, it meant, it was so earth shattering to me to be able to see a female character in that role. So that was great. There's a book called. Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt. And it's an adventure story and it also stars. The main character is a very strong female character and Tuck everlasting, which I just think is a beautiful book. It's also female characters. Now I'm saying it out loud. They are all female main characters. And all about, existentialism and adventure and things that, it was important for me to see. Female characters exploring. But I did also wanna say that when I was reading middle grade books, some of my favorite books included a series called, babysitters Club, which I think that they've redone now as a graphic novel. And that was actually really important, not necessarily for the stories, but because there's a character named Claudia Kishi who. Was a Japanese American character and she absolutely shattered the minds of, I think all kids that age were Asian descent and female in reading these books because there just wasn't a character like her before that, she was so cool and artistic but she had immigrant parents and she had a sister who was very good at math and they didn't get along and she loved junk food and she was. So incredibly nuanced and it was just not something that we saw back then. So that really inspired me, I think, to want to add to the diversity of voices. And thankfully there are many more diverse voices now than when I was reading. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:27:30] I love that. And I also feel like books that you read at that age, they stay with you forever. Gloria Huang: [00:27:35] They really do. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:27:35] And they shape so much of like your worldview and your friendships. And I'm curious, 'cause I know the book was released this year in January. Mm-hmm. So what has it been like for you on your book tour and what's been some other responses that you've heard? I. Gloria Huang: [00:27:48] It's been really great. It was so exciting to do the book launch and then just the amount of support from the writing community from, my, my kind of network, my agents and my publisher and editor. And also just readers. It's been really great. But one thing I think I wasn't expecting to love quite so much, not because I was expecting to not love it. I just said, it occurred to me that I would feel this way is getting feedback from, child readers is amazing because, I think as writers we love feedback no matter what. And if it's positive feedback, that's even better. But having a child reach out and as some of my friends will send a video of their. Children reacting to the book or they'll, their, let their child type out a text messages and just to hear how the book hits with them and to hear their excitement or to hear that they were moved or to have them want to know what happens next. It meant so much to me because it was, they're the target audience and to have them feel seen in that way was just, it's just the ultimate kind of powerful feeling. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:28:51] That is so sweet. Oh my gosh. I can only imagine. And so you're talking about the young readers. Yes. But I'm also curious if you have any advice or thoughts for young writers who might be wanting to share and get similar stories out to the world? Gloria Huang: [00:29:05] Yeah I definitely do. And one of the. Experiences I've had that's been great is I've been doing, some school visits and I go and I talk about the book, but I actually talk about the writing process. And when I do that, I really talk to the kids. As if they're writers. The one of the first questions I ask is, hold up your hand. If you love writing or you think you want me, you might wanna be a writer someday. And a lot of hands go up and I tell them like, what the publishing process is, what are, the different genre options, what you might wanna consider, how you come up with an idea, how you sit down and write it, how you reach out to an agent. And I am surprised at how. Intensely, they're hanging onto every word and they're insightful questions after it. It shows me that a lot of them are really thinking about this. I think for one of the school visits, I remember someone held up her hand and she said what is the youngest age I. Someone has been able to be published. And I thought that was great. Because they're so inspired and you can tell that, that they're thinking for the first time this is a possibility. I have all kinds of advice during the school visits, the main piece of advice is really. Just that it can be a tough industry. writing is a very isolated process usually. There's a lot of kind of obstacles and there's a lot of gatekeeping. And so I tell 'em that the most important thing they can do is just keep pushing through and not to let any, setbacks stop them, because the ultimate goal is to reach even just one person. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:30:24] Absolutely. And what kind of advice do you give around learning how to hone your own voice and also having discipline when it comes to an artistic practice? Gloria Huang: [00:30:33] Yeah, I think that's such a great question. And I was gonna say this piece of advice is probably more for I. Older writers, but adult writers, I guess I should say. The one thing that I've really been thinking about having published a middle grade book is the very specific and unique experience of writing for middle grade audiences. I think a lot of my friends who write for older audience groups, young adults, adults, They have their own challenges, but one of the things that is different is when they're writing, they are writing for the same target audience. That's also the decision makers. So generally, adults and young adults are picking their own books, and they're speaking to someone who will. Ultimately be the ones to pick up the books where when you're writing for middle grade audiences they're not usually the decision makers. at bookstores, they may or may not be in charge of which book they buy, in. Schools, usually it's a librarian or a teacher. So in some ways you're writing for one audience, but you're also writing a subject matter that you're hoping the decision makers will decide is worthy to put in front of your ultimate readers. So that's one challenge. And then the other challenge is I think middle grade audiences are so. fascinating because they're going through this amazingly unusual time in their lives, whether it's eventful and there's new experiences and that can be exciting, but also scary. So there's a lot to mind in terms of topics, but they are also a mixture of being very sophisticated readers who are on the cusp of being teens. And so there's a healthy dose of, skepticism, but they're still young enough that they. Believe in magic, at least in the literary world. So you, there's a lot of room to play with that. But they also. They sound different. They speak differently than adults. So it's important to get the dialogue, for me I, turn to children in my life, including my own, just to do a check to make sure that the dialogue sounds authentic and something that, people, that kids would say. So a lot of thoughts there, but I think, I've been thinking a lot about middle grade and writing for middle grade, and what a unique experience it is. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:32:26] Yeah, that's such a good point about the decision maker and having the multiple audiences, and I'm sure sometimes the decision makers are reading the books too, right? Or reading it with their kids or what have you. For your personal writing practice, are there any upcoming projects that you can share with us? And how do you stay inspired for what I imagine is like the long haul of writing something. Gloria Huang: [00:32:45] I'm happiest when I have like several projects in the pipeline. So as soon as I am done a book or it's, outta my hands, it's with my agents or my editors. I'm looking to write another book. And I think sometimes I probably overwhelm my amazing book before agents. 'cause I'm like, I'm ready to start another story. And they're like, we're still looking at the book you just sent us. But I, that's very much how. I am happiest. I would definitely say that everybody finds their own rhythm. I'm in some writers groups and some people are incredibly fast drafters and just need multiple projects at a time. And some people are like, no, I need to work on one project and I need to have it to perfection and I'm gonna work on it for a year or two. And I think whatever works for the individual artist, I think is the best kind of process for them. But yes, for me it's very much about having multiple projects. I think I'm most inspired when I have different projects going at the same time. finding your own rhythm, I think is my advice. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:33:40] kaya of the ocean has, strong themes and storylines about, myths, mythology, Chinese mythology, and goddesses. I'm curious if you wanna talk any more about that and then also if that shows up in any of the other projects you're working on Gloria Huang: [00:33:54] Yes, the Chinese mythological water goddess that features. Pretty prominently in Kaya of the Ocean is Matsu. And I find her to be such a fascinating character. She is a real goddess who's worshiped still in Asia. I think. Fishermen often will, pray to her for safe passage when they go out on the water. And my father told me about her when I was younger he told me like the side stories and I thought that was really interesting. But it was only when I started thinking about this book that I thought, I'd love to, I'd love to incorporate her. I hadn't heard about her too much in, in the fictional world, even though I knew she was still like a revered goddess. But I thought it was so cool that she was this strong. I. Strong female figure in a space that didn't always have that, hundreds of years ago. And so I dove into her story a little bit and found out, the story is that she was once a human child who loved to read and then she was afraid of swimming in water until she was older and then she drowned, saving, trying to save some relatives and it was interesting 'cause I'd already started plotting out Kaya and writing Kaya. And so much of her story wove easily into what I had already come up with. Like there, I think she has two sidekicks that were one time enemies that she, made into her friends and I'd already had Kaya written with two friends, Naomi and Ana. So I, there was just so much that I felt was kismet. And it was really fun to be able to weave that story together and fictionalize it. But I think it was also meaningful for me to be able to do that because. When I was younger, I loved reading Greek mythology. the stories are beautiful and they've been redone in beautiful ways, but it definitely was an area where I didn't necessarily see myself reflected. As part of my goal to add to the diversity of voices, I really wanted to feature Chinese mythology and bring those stories in so that. Kids can either see themselves reflected in those stories and or understand a new kind of set of mythology and learn about a new culture. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:35:46] Yes. I'm so glad you put it that way because it is, it's such a privilege to have access to, our own I. Cultural stories and knowledge through these, like fun and modern interpretations. Definitely. So I'm so glad that this can provide that. Gloria Huang: [00:36:00] Oh, thank you. I did realize I didn't answer your other question, which is does it feature my other works? Which so I have sold another middle grade novel and I'm, it's not announced yet. I'm hoping to announce it soon. And I have some other. Books. I'm working on a young adult novel so far. They have not featured Chinese mythology, but I do definitely have a type that my most of my books tend to be contemporary settings, but with elements of speculative. Fantasy, just like the light touch of that and sometimes a little bit of historical elements as well. So they, they definitely all have that similar motif, but so far chi of the ocean is the only one to feature a Chinese mythological goddess. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:36:43] Thank you so much for sharing that. I love that. And I really love the relationship that Kaya had with her two friends and just and then also like the cousin that comes and just capturing like the banter amongst, amongst the girls. Gloria Huang: [00:36:56] Thank you so much. that was really important to me, I think because at the stage that Kaia is in her life the loves of her life really are her two friends, Naomi and Ana, and they feature very prominently in how she learns to cope with her anxiety and her symptoms of anxiety. And so I really, I think that I really wanted to center her their friendship as much as possible. So I'm I'm glad that you saw it that way too. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:37:19] Yeah. And I feel like, I mean, it truly is the most important relationship. And so it's nice when works of fiction and yeah, works of fiction, can reflect that in such a beautiful way. I know you mentioned that you have daughters or have children? Gloria Huang: [00:37:32] I do, yes. I have a son and a daughter. And my daughter actually was quite involved because when I first started writing Kaya, I think she was exactly of the age that she would be the target reader group. And so she actually helped Beta read it. She provided a lot of feedback. She became like a cheerleader. She was definitely involved in the process and I think that was really exciting for her. my son became of the reading age once it came out, so he reads it and he's a big fan too, Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:00] that's so sweet. I love that your daughter was part of the editing process too. That's amazing. Gloria Huang: [00:38:04] Yeah. Yeah. She loves writing and always says she wants to be a writer herself, so it was really special that she got to be part of this and see it up close. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:13] Oh wow. Do you think you would do any collaborative projects with her in the future? Gloria Huang: [00:38:16] It's so funny that you say that. She always suggests that. And then sometimes they'll actually start a Google doc and they'll say, let's write a story together. And we all have, of course, very different writing styles. And then at some point they both actually usually just start reading what I'm writing. And at that point I'm like, this is not collaborative. You have to write as well. So we've had a couple of false starts, but that's always a joke that we're gonna do that together. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:38:39] that's so sweet. What else is upcoming for you? I know this is, Asian American and native Hawaiian Pacific Islander month right now, and the episode will come out towards the end of May. So if there's anything else coming up from you for this month or for June or the summer. Yeah. We'd love to hear what you have going on. Gloria Huang: [00:38:57] Oh, yeah. Today actually Kaya's audio book was released people can listen to it. It was narrated by this amazing, narrator, Cindy K. And so anywhere you find audio books is available. And that was really cool. I've listened to a little bit of it and you, when you write, you hear the words in your head one way, and then it's amazing to hear like another artist do their take on it. So that's really cool. I will be at the Bay Area book Festival at the end of the month of May. There. Doing like different panels and I'll be on a panel. it's about Fantastical Worlds. I'm really excited about that. hopefully we'll be able to announce this other book soon. As you, you may know publishing is a very long lead time it will be a while before it's released, but I think the hope is to release it during, a API month as well just not this year. And working on a young adult novel that hopefully we can go on submission with at some point. But it's an exciting time for sure. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:39:51] Wow, that does sound so exciting. I can't wait to hear about your new projects and to continue to read the work that you put out into the world. Is there anything else that you'd like to discuss or talk about? Gloria Huang: [00:40:01] I think just to say a thank you to you for, having me on here and reading Kaya of the Ocean and really anyone who's been interested in joining Kaya and her friends on their journey. It's just, it's so amazing, I think, to create these characters that become real to you, and then have them become real to other people. I don't have the words to describe how meaningful it is to me, but thank you. Jalena Keane-Lee: [00:40:24] Thank you for letting us join into the world of Kaya for a little bit 'cause it was very fun and healing and all of the amazing things. And thanks so much for joining us today on Apex Express. Gloria Huang: [00:40:36] For sure. Thanks so much. Miko Lee: [00:40:38] Welcome, Andrea Wang, award-winning children's book author to Apex Express. Andrea Wang: [00:40:43] Thank you, Miko. I'm so happy to be here. Miko Lee: [00:40:46] Happy to have you. I'd love to start first with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Andrea Wang: [00:40:57] My people are from China. My mother's family belonged to an ethnic minority, called the Haka or the Kaja people, and she and her siblings were. A military family, and we're each born in a different province. And when the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, they went to Taiwan where she grew up and immigrated to the United States in 1965 or 1966. My father's family are from Guangdong Province, and so I'm Cantonese on that side, although I don't speak any Cantonese. And he went to Hong Kong after the Chinese Civil War. So I am the daughter of Chinese immigrants, second generation Chinese American. Miko Lee: [00:42:01] And what legacy do you carry with you? Andrea Wang:[00:42:03] I carry the legacy of their stories, both the ones that I know and the ones that I don't know yet. Miko Lee: [00:42:12] Ooh. It sounds like there's lots of juicy things for you still to discover. That is fun. Andrea Wang: [00:42:16] Yes. Miko Lee: [00:42:17] Today we're talking about your new book, watercress, can you share what the audience, what the book is about, and then what is your inspiration for this book? Andrea Wang: [00:42:25] So the book is about a Chinese American girl who is growing up in rural Ohio and her parents spot watercress growing in a ditch by the side of the road, and they immediately pull over and make her enter older brother, get out of the car and get down into the ditch with them and collect this. Vegetable, but to her it's a weed. And so when they serve it to her and her family at dinner, she really is unhappy about this and. For her, picking food out of a ditch has a really different meaning than it does to her parents who survived a lot of hardship in China. And it's not until her mom tells her a story about her childhood growing up in China and spoiler alert, loses a sibling to the famine that the girl begins to understand and better appreciate her parents, her culture, and her heritage. Miko Lee: [00:43:29] And the inspiration for this book. Andrea Wang: [00:43:32] So the inspiration is largely my own life. this is a semi autobiographical story. The memory of picking watercress by the side of the road was just something that I couldn't forget, I don't know why this memory continued to haunt me into adulthood. And then after my mom passed away, I started writing down, memories and stories of being with my family in order to maintain a connection to her. When I wrote this, at first it was a personal essay and it just wasn't working. I would put it away and I would occasionally take it out and I would put it away and take it out and work on it again. And it wasn't until I decided to pursue writing for young people that I completely changed the manuscript from a personal essay into a picture book. But at that point it still wasn't working. It was in third person and it wasn't very personal It took me several more years to figure out the heart of the story for me. So it was largely based on my own memories and my mother's childhood stories that she shared with me. Miko Lee: [00:44:39] Can you share more about the power of memory and the artistic process? 'cause you've written many books and in different genres as well, but can you talk a little bit more about memory and its impact on your work? Andrea Wang: [00:44:52] Yeah, that's a great question. I tend to write primarily for myself. And to figure out how I felt about certain experiences, how they've changed me, to try and process things I feel like I remember a lot about my childhood. parts of it are very vivid and I like to go back to those. Moments that have stuck with me all these years and explore what it means to me. Like I'm just very curious about why I remember certain things watercress was largely my way of processing my childhood feelings of shame about my family and my culture. I have leaned into that and am still writing stories about identity and the struggle to find our identity. Memory has a lot to do with it. I put myself in every single book. Miko Lee: [00:45:45] Ooh, that's so interesting. And you're talking a little bit about shame and overcoming that. I'm wondering if you could speak more on, if you feel like memories hold the power to heal. Andrea Wang: [00:45:56] I firmly believe that memories hold the power to heal. I think that writing watercress and talking about these feelings has really helped me, , heal from, that sort of trauma of not feeling like I belonged as a kid and also that I may have been. Not the nicest kid to my parents, not the most filial, right? And so writing this story was, as I say in the author's note, sort of an apology and a love letter to my parents. So it's been very healing and healing to hear about from all the. People who have read the book and had it resonate with them, the things that they regretted in their lives and hoped to, heal as well. Miko Lee: [00:46:42] Oh, have you heard that story a lot from adult readers? Andrea Wang: [00:46:46] I have. They will often tell me about the things that their parents did that embarrassed them. A lot of foraging stories, but also stories about, relatives and ancestors who were sharecroppers or indigenous peoples. And it's just been fascinating how many people connect to the story on different levels. There is that theme of poverty. I think recognizing. That's not often talked about in children's books, I think makes people feel very seen. Miko Lee: [00:47:14] Yeah. That feeling of shame is really showcased by the illustrator Jason Chin. I mean your young you character kind of has a grumpy look on their face. And it was just so fun. Even in the book notes, Jason Chin, the illustrator, writes about how he combined both the western and eastern style of art, but also his similar cross-cultural background. I'm wondering when you very first saw the artwork and this was kind of young you did anything surprise you by it? Andrea Wang: [00:47:42] I mean, it's amazing, gorgeous artwork and I was really struck by how he dealt with the flashbacks because when I sold this manuscript, I. Had no idea how an illustrator would deal with how interior it is and, , and how they would tackle those flashbacks. And there's one spread where on the left hand side of the page, it shows the main character's current time and then it morphs across the gutter of the book into. The moms past and her childhood memories in China, and it was just exquisite is really the only way to describe it. It was, it's just brilliant, and amazing. We don't, as picture book authors typically get to work with our illustrators. We often do not have contact with them through the making of a picture book. But in this case. Our editors said since it was such a personal story for me, that he, , felt that Jason and I should collaborate. And so I provided photos, family photos, photos of Ohio, lots of different, , source materials to Jason and would talk to him about the feelings that young me in the book went through. And so the fact that, he was able to take all of that and put it on the page, it was just. Spectacular. Miko Lee: [00:49:01] Oh, that's so fun. I also understand that you love mythical creatures as you I, and one of your children's books is the Nian Monster, which I love. I'm wondering what is your favorite mythical creature and why? Andrea Wang: [00:49:15] I. Have been sort of fascinated with the qilin, the, or they call it the Chinese unicorn. Right. Although it looks very different from what we think of a, a European unicorn looks like. Yes. And I think it's because they're supposed to be this really benevolent, creature and Have all sorts of powers and I would love to do more research about the qilin and, you know, incorporate that into a book someday. Miko Lee: [00:49:42] Ooh, fun. Next book. I love it. you have so many books and I'm really curious about your upcoming book Worthy about Joseph Pierce. I love these as Helen Zia talks about these. MIH moments that are missing in history. And Joseph Pierce was the highest ranking Chinese American man who fought in the Civil War. Some people might recognize this picture of this Chinese American guy in a kind of civil war, uniform. Can you tell us one, when is the book being released and a little bit more about it? Andrea Wang: [00:50:11] Sure. The book is being released on September 9th, 2025, and it is. A picture book, which we typically think of as for younger readers, but it is 64 pages. So you know, it's an all ages picture book. I think my editor and I would like to say, and it is the story of a Chinese boy born in the, First half of the 18 hundreds in China in Guangdong province, and was sold by his father to an American ship captain named Amos Peck. the reasons for that are, lost to time, right? He left no primary sources behind, there was so much going on in China at the time. Famine war, you know, all of these, Difficult things that his father probably sold him in order to keep the rest of the family alive and as well as give him the opportunity to have a better life. And he did end up in Connecticut. He was raised with the captain's, siblings and sent to school and treated almost like a member of the family except for the fact that he was. Clearly Chinese and there were very few Chinese people in, Connecticut at that time. he joined the Union Army when he came of age and was able to leverage his service into gaining citizenship, which really people of color, weren't really able to do successfully back then. And so. He gained a citizenship. He married, he had a family. He was able to own property and accomplish all these amazing things. Sort of right before the Chinese exclusion Act was, enacted. So he was a very brave guy. Miko Lee: [00:51:45] It's a wild story and you sent me on a little bit of a rabbit hole, which is fun. Just, looking at Ruth Ann, McCune's. historical piece that there were 10 different Chinese American men in the Civil War, but he was exceptional because he rose to such high ranks. And I just think it's so interesting that, in the 1880 census, he registered as Chinese. But then after the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, he listed his race as Japanese in the 1890 census. but he was racialized as white so that he could buy property and everything. Yeah. Can you just talk a little bit about that, like talk about code switching? He like literally changed his race, Andrea Wang: [00:52:26] right. And people at that time could not tell the difference. Similar to now, people often can't tell different Asian, ethnicities apart. Right. I found actual newspaper articles where Joseph Pierce was interviewed about the battles, that the United States was having with Japan or the battles that Japan was having. He was asked his opinion on what the Japanese government was doing because he told these reporters he was Japanese and that was really the only clue that I had that he, Was code switching that after the Chinese exclusion Act was passed, he felt like he needed to protect himself and his family and he must have cut off his cue because otherwise, you know, that would've identified him immediately as Chinese. So that went into the book. I think it's a powerful moment, right, where he's doing what he has to do to survive and ensure his protection and his family's safety, Miko Lee: [00:53:25] You have a, a really interesting background. Just having No really, I mean, having done all these different things and I, you know, I think you have a science background too, right? Can you talk about the times that we're living in right now, the political times that we're living in, where our government is banning books that don't align with certain conservative ideologies, where right now certain words are forbodden suddenly. And can you talk a little bit about how that impacts you as a children's book author? Andrea Wang: [00:53:59] it is very disheartening and discouraging that the current climate is against, people who look like me or other people of color. And as a children's book author, we are experiencing a huge decrease in the number of teachers and librarians who are asking us to come and visit schools, to talk to students, which is horrible because. These young people are the ones who need to learn from books, right? Knowledge is power. And if we are not keeping them informed, then we are doing them a disservice. I think the attacks on our freedom to read are really unjust. and. personally as an author of color, I understand that books like Worthy may end up on some of these banned book lists because it does talk about racism. but these are the stories that we need now, and I'm going to continue writing these stories about the Hidden History, And to talk about these difficult subjects that I think kids understand on some level. but if they're not reading about it in books, then it's hard to spark a conversation with, educators or adults about it. So I think these books that I'm writing, that many of my friends and other children's book authors are writing are providing that. Sort of gateway to talk about, the topics that are so important right now. Miko Lee: [00:55:29] Thank you so much for sharing, and thank you so much for being on Apex Express today. We appreciate your voice and the work that you're putting out there in the world. Is there anything else you'd like to say? Andrea Wang: [00:55:39] you know, there's so much to say, I think just to. Stand up for what we all believe in and to, I encourage people to stand up for their intellectual freedom and that of their children. Miko Lee: [00:55:56] Thank you, Andrea Wang. I appreciate hearing from you and hearing your voice and seeing your work out there in the world. Andrea Wang: [00:56:03] Thank you so much, Miko. It was a pleasure. Miko Lee: [00:56:05] Please check out our website, kpfa.org. To find out more about our show tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is created by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preti Mangala-Shekar, Swati Rayasam, Aisa Villarosa, Estella Owoimaha-Church, Gabriel Tanglao, Cheryl Truong and Ayame Keane-Lee. The post APEX Express – 5.29.25 AAPI Children's Books appeared first on KPFA.
Did you know there was a sequel to Chinatown? Jack Nicholson starred in, directed it, and unofficially co-wrote it. And almost nobody knows it exists. You would think this would have been a bigger deal. Why wasn't The Two Jakes better?___Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwib_officialTwitter: https://x.com/WWIBpodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wwibpodcastSubscribe! Rate! Review! Tell a friend!
San Diego once had a bustling Chinatown with roots that go all the way back to the 1850's and 1860's. We dive into the history behind San Diego's historic Chinatown, and efforts to revitalize the district it once existed in.
THOMAS TRANG chats to Paul Burke about Dark Neon Dirt, LA heists, Caravaggio, Hollywood money, Elmore Leonard and Andor.DARK NEON DIRT Shaun Nguyen is a Vietnamese war orphan who made it to America. But danger was never far behind – from the Chinatown gangs he ran with in New York, to his years in Iraq dodging bullets and defusing bombs. Nguyen learnt how to survive. By all means necessary.Now he's a high-end thief in Los Angeles. One of the best, but smart enough to know he's living on borrowed time. Then a job goes sideways, leaving bodies on the Hollywood Freeway, stolen diamonds in his pocket, and a target on his back.Which gets the attention of Thomas Monroe, an LAPD lieutenant who's been hunting Nguyen for years. Captain Ahab with a gun and badge, plus his own dirty secrets closing in on him fast. The two of them are set on a collision course – a thief who won't be caught and the cop who doesn't miss.Not exactly the quiet life Nguyen is after, especially now he's met a mysterious woman who's landed in town. They fall for each other hard. A gallerist living in France who used to be with the FBI's Art Crime Team. Able to spot forgeries a mile off, but she hasn't figured him out yet.So once he wraps up this business with the diamonds, Nguyen is done with the game. The problem is she's not quite done with the FBI.Welcome to the City of Angels – where everyone has an angle.Thomas Trang is a French/Vietnamese writer currently living in the UK after stints in Australia, New York, and Singapore. His stories have previously appeared in FutureQuake, Full House Literary and the Revolutions 2 anthology. He is currently working on a SF trilogy which mixes cyberpunk with the gritty realpolitik of The Wire and Cold War spy fiction.Mentions: Army of Shadows (Fr. Film), Dennis Lehane, Michael Clayton (Am. Film), Sarah Paretsky, Don De Lillo, Hunter (Fr. TV) Miami Vice (TV show), Ilyn Welch.Recommendations Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2025. His first book An Encyclopedia of Spy Fiction will be out early 2026.Produced by Junkyard DogProduced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,
Send us a textOn the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are traveling deep underground to stop an ancient ghost-sorcerer. We watched the 1986 film from John Carpenter, Big Trouble in Little China.Anybody here reading have dazzling green eyes? Our suggestion to you is either get colored contacts or get ready to do battle against Lo Pan, the most fearsome Chinese sorcerer this side of whatever the heck city this movie takes place in.Wait, are we to believe that the city is actually called “Chinatown”? All right. This is our monthly B-movie after all. Listen on to discover how we rate this, ahem, unique movie.(Recorded on April 14, 2025)Links to Stuff We Mentioned:Big Trouble in Little China - The Movie Database (TMDB)Big Trouble in Little China trailer - YouTubeJohn Carpenter — The Movie Database (TMDB)Kurt Russell — The Movie Database (TMDB)Kim Cattrall — The Movie Database (TMDB)Dennis Dun — The Movie Database (TMDB)James Hong — The Movie Database (TMDB)The Hitcher (1986) — The Movie Database (TMDB)The Princess Bride (1987) — The Movie Database (TMDB)Raiden | Mortal Kombat Wiki | FandomSuperman (1978) — The Movie Database (TMDB)Christopher Reeve — The Movie Database (TMDB)Superman III (1983) — The Movie Database (TMDB)Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) — The Movie Database (TMDB)Superman Returns (2006) — The Movie Database (TMDB)Escape from New York (1981) — The Movie Database (TMDB)Follow Us:Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Sean's Letterboxd profile!Steven's Letterboxd profile!Our Buzzsprout site!Our Instagram profile!Support the show
We're talking about the shocking shooting of a pair of Israeli embassy employees and what it means for DC. We're talking about more big changes coming to Metro. Plus, how DC ranks in the latest rating of park systems, Mahjongg in Chinatown, and — for members only! — some of our personal hot takes about DC. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 23rd episode: Folger Shakespeare Library PaintCare The Pew Charitable Trusts Nace Law Group Silver Mirror Facial Bar - Use CITYCAST30 for $30 off your first facial Mosaic Theater Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is dedicated to my family, especially my parents, who I appreciate more and more every year for everything they equipped my arsenal for life with. Happy AAPI month! This week, we are diving into my personal experiences as a first generation female Asian American from growing up in the 90s/2000s to understanding how to break generational habits and trauma as an adult. I chat about the obstacles this specific generation of American-born Asians go through from managing expectations to teaching our elders how to be emotionally equipped and break the chain of harmful cultural beliefs. Lastly, we discuss the phenomenon of "woke" culture and how to properly navigate it as a curious outsider and as an Asian American with the capabilities to educate others. Please keep in mind that this is just touching the surface of my experiences. I did my best to summarize. These are also solely my own experiences, so I am not speaking for anyone but myself.
Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.Barbara Tifft Blakey, a first-timer on the show, joins us this week to chat about her new release, The Angel of Second Street. We discuss the interesting story behind how this book came to be published, what Eureka, California, was like in the 1850s and now, and the difference seeing a place makes when writing about it. With the patrons, she shares the fascinating story of how she got into writing. The Angel of Second Street by Barbara Tifft BlakeyHow Can Compassion be Considered Wrong? When life is weighed down by challenges, pillars of enduring hope and love are always waiting to be discovered. Ida Dempsey has grown up in a privileged life of luxury thanks to her aunt and uncle. Although Second Street—where women of ill repute ply their wares—is off limits to respectable citizens, her heart of compassion compels her to frequent the area, hoping to make a difference in their lives. Ida has also befriended Qui Shau, a Chinese woman who keeps house for her family, but friendships between the whites and Chinese are taboo in Eureka. Ida tries to keep secret her forbidden compassion, but someone is watching and will use it against her. When Blaine Prescott meets Ida at a church picnic, his parents warn him away from any relationship with the young lady who has been seen on Second Street in the company of a Chinese woman. But how could such a kindhearted, lovely young woman be anything but good? But when riots break out in Chinatown and Ida disappears, Blaine will do anything to find out where and why she has gone.Get your copy of The Angel of Second Street.I live on five wooded acres outside of Olympia, Washington with my husband, Terry. I have four grown children and eight grandchildren, seven of whom live within sixty miles, giving great joy to my grandma heart.Like many authors, I dreamed of writing stories very young. At eight-years-old, I rewrote Cinderella. In my version, the prince comes down with measles and the ball is postponed. I didn't begin seriously writing historical fiction until after the advent of grandchildren as the Lord had other plans for me. During our homeschooling years, I developed Total Language Plus (TLP), an award-winning, literature-inspired language arts program written for homeschoolers and private Christian schools. I am beyond blessed to have thirty years of producing study guides that make a difference in children's lives. Nothing is more meaningful to me than influencing children with Kingdom principles!But as we know, God's timing is always best. I delight in doing the research historical fiction requires and bringing stories of hope and love to my readers. Time ceases to exist as the Creator of the universe and Lover of my soul draws near to me as my fingers fly over the keyboard. When I write I feel His presence in extraordinary, precious ways.When I'm not writing, reading, or playing with my grandchildren, you can find me volunteering in the kitchen of Pleasant Valley Christian Camp near Mt. Rainier. I'm also an avid soccer fan, especially for the Seattle Sounders. During stormy weather, my husband and I head for the ocean in our RV to take in the power of crashing waves against rocks. Calm weather also beckons us to the beach to dig razor clams and fish for Dungeness crabs.Visit Barbara Tifft Blakey's website.
Meg discovers the violent birth of Canal Street as a Mecca for counterfeit luxury goods. Jessica dredges up more dirt on slumlord Trump and why NYC still says “we told you so”.Please check out our website, follow us on Instagram, on Facebook, and...WRITE US A REVIEW HEREWe'd LOVE to hear from you! Let us know if you have any ideas for stories HEREThank you for listening!Love,Meg and Jessica
Hear about travel to Victoria, British Columbia, as Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler talks about his recent visit to the capital of British Columbia. Join Chris Christensen as he returns to one of the first cities he ever visited outside the U.S.—Victoria, British Columbia. In this solo episode, Chris recounts a week-long press trip to Vancouver Island's picturesque capital. From kayaking and whale watching to historic Chinatown, local farms, and world-renowned gardens, discover why Victoria is more than just a pretty harbor town. After arriving via Victoria International Airport, the trip kicks off with a walking tour of North America's second-oldest Chinatown, led by Discover the Past. Chris explores the cultural legacy of Chinese-Canadians, visits the rare Tam Kung Temple, and strolls Fan Tan Alley, learning about the community's resilience and spiritual heritage. ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-auckland-new-zealand/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a texthttps://www.womenpodcasters.com/awards-votingPlease use this link to go vote for Grits in the Women in Podcasting Awards. Thank you all so much for your support!This Episode, Kyrstin and Chandler co-host as Tammy tells them about a crime involving spooky time.Support the show
We're honoring AAPI month with one of our favorite local AAPI community leaders, Cynthia Huie, owner of On Waverly, an AAPI gift shop and bookstore in the heart of Chinatown. Cynthia shares her childhood fondness for shrimp chips made at home by her grandfather, her lasting love for the crunchy, salty, airy snack. Cynthia talks about representation through retail, her relationship with her grandparents and how that has led to intergenerational friendships as an adult, and how our kids get to take a lot of things for granted–and that's a good thing! Plus creating community and bringing people back to Chinatown, super cool events series and spaces, and that one time Freesia met a Grammy winner when she was hanging out at On Waverly.
On our mid-month check in for May 2025, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, celebrate some Asian American authors on the NYT bestsellers list, and check in on some increasingly bummer news happening in the industry (and society)!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Julia Song is Undateable by Susan LeeShoe Box Dreams by Qing ZhuangRoar by Varsha Bajaj The Stolen Queen by Kendare BlakeAh Ma's Home by Gillian Sze; illust by Leah HongThe Oks Are Not O.K. by Grace K. ShimWhen Shadows Burn by Vanessa LeAt Fifteen by Remy Lai; illust by Basia Tran Friday Nights in Chinatown by Michelle LamArlo All Over Again by Sayuri Stabrowski; illust by Dave SzalayLove Language by Christine KoInstar by Sabrina ImblerWatch Me by Tahereh MafiThe Floating World by Axie OhBook news mentioned on this episode:NYT Bestsellers ListRomantasy ball turns into a Fyre Festival Amazon's Audible unveils plans to use AI for narrating and translatingFiring of the Librarian of CongressBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba May 2025 pick is Blob by Maggie SuThis...
For extra episodes and exclusive content, subscribe to our Patreon! For only $5 a month, receive a bonus episode every week! Subscribe today! Welcome to Puddles. Andrew and Brenna joke about everything, mostly their own relationship. In this episode, we discuss apartment hunting in NYC, the new Pope's fraternity days, and Brenna's return to Chinatown. Andrew fantasizes about the joy of a man's grip, Brenna gets bodychecked by an elderly woman, and we almost lose Hannah Berner's cat, Butter. Leave us a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/Puddles Send us questions: puddleboyandpuddlegirl@gmail.com SUBSCRIBE!Puddles on YoutubePuddles on Apple PodcastsPuddles on SpotifyFOLLOW US:Puddles - https://www.instagram.com/puddlespodcastAndrew - https://www.instagram.com/andrewtcollin/Brenna - https://www.instagram.com/brennaalexiss/ Melanie - https://www.instagram.com/melaniemeisner/CHAPTERS:00:00 - Toxic relationships05:00 - Hannah's house07:30 - MIA cat09:30 - Chinatown church basement12:30 - Internal age18:30 - New neighbors17:30 - A man's grip20:00 - Apartment hunting26:30 - Cockroaches30:00 - Back on antidepressants35:30 - Brenna's new job38:30 - Nightmare fuel40:30 - Bikers in NYC42:30 - Perceptions of the elderly49:00 - The return of Snews56:00 - Continued on PatreonTheme song performed by: Ed GlaserEnding song written by: Andrew CollinVisuals and Graphics by: Melanie MeisnerProduced by: Melanie Meisner
The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with an executive order disqualifying transgender people from military service; Uncertainty around tariffs affects Chinatown business owners
„Głowa węża” to trzecia książka Patricka Raddena Keefe'a w polskim tłumaczeniu i po raz trzeci ten znakomity amerykański pisarz i dziennikarz śledczy będzie gościem Raportu o książkach.W reportażu „Cokolwiek powiesz, nic nie mów” pisał o konflikcie w Irlandii Północnej i przemianie młodych idealistów w terrorystów, a potem polityków.W „Imperium bólu” pisał o śmiercionośnej epidemii opioidów w Stanach Zjednoczonych i rodzinie Sacklerów, którzy zaczynali jako młodzi lekarze, a skończyli jako mordercy.„Głowa węża” to zaś opowieść o chińskich imigrantach i chińskich gangach w Ameryce, a także pewnej niezwykłej kobiecie zwanej Siostrą Ping – niepozornej starszej pani z Chinatown, która stała na czele ogromnej organizacji przemytniczej wartej 40 mln dolarów.Siostra Ping, jak pozostałe postaci reportaży Keefe'a, to bohaterka niejednoznaczna i pełna paradoksów. Do końca życia wierzyła, że jej misją jest pomaganie rodakom marzącym o lepszym życiu w Ameryce.„Głowa węża” ukazała się w Stanach Zjednoczonych 16 lat temu, ale dziś ten reportaż w wielu aspektach wydaje się bardziej aktualny niż w czasie, gdy był pisany.A sam Radden Keefe mówi, że to dzięki tej książce stał się pisarzem, którym jest dziś.Prowadzenie: Agata KasprolewiczGość: Patrick Radden KeefeKsiążka: Głowa węża, Patrick Radden Keefe / przekład: Jan Dzierzgowski. Wydawnictwo Czarne---------------------------------------------Raport o stanie świata to audycja, która istnieje dzięki naszym Patronom, dołącz się do zbiórki ➡️ https://patronite.pl/DariuszRosiakSubskrybuj newsletter Raportu o stanie świata ➡️ https://dariuszrosiak.substack.comKoszulki i kubki Raportu ➡️ https://patronite-sklep.pl/kolekcja/raport-o-stanie-swiata/ [Autopromocja]
A cop was shot during a brawl outside of Overbrook High School, an antisemitic sign at a Sansom Street bar became national news, and federal DOGE cuts are hitting all corners of Philly, from Chinatown's reunification plan to anti-violence efforts in Kensington to a play in South Philly. On today's Friday News Roundup, City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri and executive producer Matt Katz break down the week that was. Plus: Are we gonna meet up at The X? Our Friday news roundups are powered by great local journalism: Cancer screenings, contraception, and other sexual health services for uninsured patients in the Philly region are impacted by a Trump funding freeze Patrick Dugan's campaign claimed — and then removed — endorsements from wards that have not yet backed him for Philly DA ‘Kind of a heartbreaker': Kensington gun violence prevention group takes funding hit following federal cuts Philly theaters reel from sudden loss of NEA funding Philly lost $10.2 million in the latest round of DOGE funding cuts to AmeriCorps National Endowment for the Arts grant cancellations cut deep in PhillyTrump's Budget Cuts Reach the Front Lines of Philly's Fight to Reduce Shootings Philadelphia tutoring program focused on student literacy cut by DOGE Get Philly news & events in your inbox with our newsletter: Hey Philly We're also on Instagram: @citycastphilly Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Fitler Club Art Star Cozy Earth - Use code COZYPHILLY for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Advertise on the podcast or in the newsletter: citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
CHINA Town Hall (CTH), a program that provides a snapshot of the current U.S.-China relationship and examines how that relationship reverberates at the local level – in our towns, states, and nation – connects people around the country with U.S. policymakers and thought leaders on China. The 2025 CHINA Town Hall program took place on Thursday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, and discussed President Trump's China policy 100 days in. Featured speakers included Ryan Hass, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution; Matthew Turpin, Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution; and Lingling Wei, Chief China Correspondent at The Wall Street Journal. Since CTH launched in 2007, the National Committee has proudly partnered with a range of institutions and civic groups, colleges and universities, trade and business associations, world affairs councils, and think tanks to convene town halls and bring this important national conversation to local communities around America (and a few overseas). About this program: https://www.ncuscr.org/program/cth/
There are roughly 1000 small businesses that call San Francisco's Chinatown home. To help us understand how the tariffs are threatening the whole neighborhood, I spoke with the President of the city's Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Donald Luu.
Visiting New York City is memorable, but often more expensive than anticipated. Unfortunately, many tourists waste money on easily avoidable mistakes!In this episode, we'll help you avoid those how-the-hell-is-this-so-expensive moments during your travels to New York.You'll learn the hack to not pay full price for Broadway shows, where to get the best souvenirs, and how to avoid a common ordering mistake at bars that led to the saddest we've EVER seen our friend Harvey..#1- Not Double-Checking Your Tab/BillCheck for auto gratuity, especially with larger groupsIf they don't give you an itemized receipt, ask for oneA tip of 18-20% is standard, don't feel pressured to tip higher than that#2- Full-Price Broadway TicketsUse TKTS booth for day of tickets or Today Tix if you plan in advanceEnter the lotteries and/or rush tickets#3- Buying Bottled Water at Restaurants or On the GoNYC tap water is delicious, safe, and FREERefill your bottle throughout the cityWhen the restaurants ask "sparkling or still?" say tap#4- Staying in Times SquareYou don't need to stay near Times Square, but prioritize being close to a subway stationBase your stay on proximity to the majority of your plans, but 30 minutes or less to your plans is great#5- Pedicabs (Anywhere) & Horse-Drawn Carriages in Central ParkThey're extremely overpriced; we've seen pedicabs charge $100 to go 10 blocks (that would cost about $10 in a taxi)Horses in Central Park aren't treated well and are overpriced#6- Ordering Too Much FoodYou won't want leftovers since you likely won't have a microwave (or fridge), so share, share, share!If you end up with too much, give to someone in need vs just leaving it on your plate #7- Overpriced, Crappy SouvenirsInstead of souvenirs in Midtown area, go to Chinatown (if you really want the cheap, I ❤️ NY stuff)Or, go to unique thrift stores or shops like Artists and Fleas in Chelsea MarketGift shops at museums#8- Statue of Liberty Tours/BoatStaten Island Ferry is freeMake sure you really want to do it... Our nephews were stoked to do it, but then said it was the most boring day ever. The full experience takes at least 4 hours#9- Buying Shots of AlcoholThey will be way more expensive than you think, unless there is a specialInstead, go buy a shooter from a liquor store ORGet a well drink#10- Taxis or Uber/Lyft EverywhereEspecially cabs in and out of Times Square.. you pay for time or mileage, it is set to make sure THEY make money It may not look crowded on the street you're on, but it probably is Go to 9th ave or 5th ave for taxis when between 30th street & 50th streetYou'll Have to Check It Out - The Strand BookstoreOpened in 1927, family-run since its foundingToday the Strand carries over 2.5 million new and rare books covering topics as far ranging as philosophy to finance and even an entire children's sectionWide array of literary and New York-esque gifts and trinketsAlso has a little coffee shop and a public bathroom!Host events like book signings and literary lecturesCheck out the Strand Bookstore here.
EPISODE 86 - “ANNA MAY WONG: CLASSIC CINEMA STAR OF THE MONTH” - 5/5/2025 Anna May Wong was once the most famous Chinese woman in the world. The trailblazing actress, philanthropist, and fashion icon appeared in over 60 films and was a celebrated star, yet, at the time, she was not allowed to kiss a Caucasian man on screen, which limited the roles she could take, and she was not allowed to buy a house in Beverly Hills. A strange dichotomy, indeed. In recent years, she has enjoyed a much-deserved resurgence. Known as a Trailblazer and a cultural icon, she paved the way for generations of Asian and Asian American actors by proving that talent and perseverance could transcend racist casting conventions. Her life and career continue to influence conversations about diversity, representation, and the politics of race in Hollywood. This week, she is our Star of the Month. SHOW NOTES: AVA GARDNER MUSEUM: If you would like to make a donation to help support the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, N.C. (Ava'a hometown!), please click on the following link: https://ava-gardner-museum.myshopify.com/products/donations Sources: Not Your China Doll (2924), by Katie Gee Salisbury; Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend (2012), by Graham Russell Gao Hodges; Anna May Wong: A Complete Guide to Her Film, Stage, Television, and Radio Work (2010), by Philip Leibfried and Chei Mi Lane; Perpetually Cool: The Many Lives of Anna May Wong (2003), by Anthony B. Chan; “Anna May Wong: 13 Facts About Her Trailblazing Hollywood Career,” April 30, 2024, By Minhae Shim Roth; “Anna May Wong's Long Journey from Hollywood to the Smithsonian,” March 2024, by Ryan Lintelman, Natural Museum of American History; “Anna May Wong Will Be the First Asian American on US Currency,” October 18, 2022, by Soumya Karlamangla; “Anna May Wong is Dead At 54; Actress Won Movie Fans in '24; Appeared with Fairbanks in ‘Thief of Bagdad,' Made Several Films Abroad,” February 4, 1961, The New York Times; Wikipedia.com; TCM.com; IBDB.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned: Phantom Of The Opera (1943), starring Claude Rains, Eddy Nelson, & Suzanna Foster; The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946), starring Gale Sondergaard & Brenda Joyce; White Savage (1943), starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu; Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944), starring Maria Montez & Jon Hall; It Grows On Trees (1952), Irene Dunne & Dean Jagger; Impact (1949), starring Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Helen Walker, & Anna May Wong; The Red Lantern (1919), starring Alla Nazimova; The Toll of the Sea (1922), staring Kenneth Harlan & Anna May Wong; The Thief of Baghdad (1924), starring Douglas Fairbanks & Anna May Wong; Picadilly (1929), starring Gilda Gray & Anna May Wong; Daughter of the Dragon (1931), starring Anna May Wong and Warner Orland; Shanghai Express (1932), starring Marlene Dietrich & Anna May Wong; The Hatchet Man (1932), starring Loretta Young; The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), starring Myrna Loy; The Son-Daughter (1932), starring Helen Hayes; Tiger Bay (1934), starring Anna May Wong; Chu Chen Chow (1934), starring Anna May Wong; Java Head (1934), starring Anna May Wong; Limehouse Blues (1934), starring George Raft, Jean Parker, & Anna May Wong; The Good Earth (1937), starring Paul Muni & Luise Rainer; Daughter of Shanghai (1937), starring Anna May Wong & Philip Ahn; King of Chinatown (1939), starring Anna May Wong & Sidney Toler; Dangerous to Know (1938), starring Gail Patrick & Anna May Wong; Island of Lost Men (1939), starring Anna May Wong & J. Carrol Naish; Bombs Over Burma (1942), starring Anna May Wong; Lady From Chungking (1942), starring Anna May Wong; Portrait in Black (1960), starring Lana Turner, Anthony Quinn, & Sandra Dee; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we all come down from the high of this weekend's 503 Day block party (thank you to everyone who attended), we wanted to spend a bit more time in the neighborhood by revisiting our guide to Old Town Chinatown. Portland Mercury culture editor Suzette Smith lived in Old Town for nearly a decade and has plenty of reasons why many people have pegged the district all wrong. This conversation first aired on April 30, 2024 Places mentioned in this episode: Karaoke From Hell at Dante's Sushi Ichiban Darcelle XV Showplace Kingsland Kitchen Little Peacock Hallway PDX Deadstock Coffee Cafe United Stumptown Kells Irish Pub Buranko Cafe The Society Hotel The Hoxton Lan Su Chinese Garden Voodoo Doughnut Pine Street Market Become a member of City Cast Portland today! Get all the details and sign up here. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram. Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsors of this May 5th episode: D'Amore Law League of Women's Voters St. Johns Bizarre Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Rose City Comic Con Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From the time we're old enough to hold a crayon, it feels instinctive to draw on the wall. But for MISS CHELOVE – also known as Cita Sadeli – this instinct became a calling. Through bold color and layered symbolism, she transforms everyday public spaces into deeply personal statements, inspiring some passers-by to wonder: what is the role of the public artist? And how can public art both reflect and shape a community's identity?Guests:MISS CHELOVE (also known as Cita Sadeli), independent Washington D.C. - based art director, muralist, designer, and illustrator Sojin Kim, curator for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center's exhibition: Sightlines, Chinatown and Beyond
In this edition of The Bay's monthly news roundup, we unpack the razor-thin election results in San José's District 3 and the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs in San Francisco's Chinatown. Plus, we learn more about how roughly 900 Berkeley homeowners will need to clear vegetation in order to protect their houses against wildfire damage. Links: After Recount, Tordillos Advances to Runoff Election for San José Council Seat San Francisco Chinatown Businesses Enter Survival Mode During Trade War Berkeley Moves to Require Vegetation Removal Near Homes in Fire Zones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Chinatown" is inarguably one of the greatest films ever made in the United States. While Roman Polanski is often credited for that certitude, the film's editor Sam O'Steen is also largely responsible for the film's place in film history. And the Metrograph Cinema in NYC is once again recognizing Sam's place in the editing pantheon by screening "Chinatown" in a gorgeous 35mm print as part of the ACE Presents series. That's on Saturday, April 26th, 6:50 PM with a post screening conversation between Sam's widow, editor/author/film historian Bobbie O'Steen and her daughter Molly O'Steen. They are my guests on this special episode of the podcast. https://youtu.be/i-mmzpwFT60
What do we owe to the dead? What responsibilities do we inherit from the past, and how do they intersect with the crises of the present? In an era of ecological collapse and cultural dislocation, how can we meaningfully honour ancestral memory when the material sites of remembrance - tombs, villages, traditions - are themselves vanishing? In this episode, sociologist and author Alice Mah joins us to discuss her new book, Red Pockets, a deeply personal yet globally resonant exploration of ancestry, ecological anxiety, and cultural memory. Mah is a writer and Professor of Urban and Environmental Studies at the University of Glasgow. Originally from a small town in northern British Columbia, she has a long-standing interest in ecology and place. Drawing on her experiences tracing her family's lineage from the rice-growing villages of South China, through the Chinatowns of Western Canada where she was raised, to the post-industrial landscapes of Scotland and England where she now lives, Mah reflects on what it means to reckon with a legacy of silence, displacement, and environmental degradation. As Qingming Festival tomb-sweeping traditions fade and wildfires rage across ancestral lands, Mah's meditation on the “hungry ghosts” of forgotten obligations is both an intimate memoir and a cultural history of rupture. Joining Mah to discuss environmental sociology, intergenerational responsibility, and the often overlooked spiritual dimensions of ecological grief, is journalist and book critic Mythili Rao. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Danielle Chang, host of Lucky Chow on PBS. And Rachel Belle takes a very special field trip to Seattle’s Mixed Pantry, a beautifully curated specialty foods shop that exclusively sells Asian and Asian American-made products. On last week’s episode of Your Last Meal, Danielle told Rachel she never goes anywhere without a little vial of high-quality soy sauce in her purse. So Rachel popped into Mixed Pantry for a soy sauce tasting, a fun activity open to anyone who visits. The shop sells soy sauces from several countries, but the tasting centers around the five standard types of Japanese shoyu, owner Tak Kunimune’s specialty. You’ll learn the difference between mainstream commercial soy sauces and traditional barrel-aged ones; how Kikkoman came to be America’s go-to soy sauce; and Tak’s tips on what to cook with each one. Then, a lightning round with Danielle Chang! She shares her favorite Chinatown snack (she's a big fan of the neighborhoods around the world), the Asian dessert she always wants for her birthday and so much more. Season Seven of Lucky Chow premieres May 1 on PBS! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle! Season 2 out now! Sign up for Rachel's new (free!) Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings! Follow along on Instagram! Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame.Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.