American journalist and writer
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As the pandemic drags on, Vanessa Hua finds herself in a dark place of panic and doom-scrolling. But that begins to change on one spring day, when she takes a walk outside with her kids – and recognizes a small jewel-green plant growing on the forest floor. Her discovery of wild food foraging helps her tap into a body of shared, ancient knowledge, one that helps her find steadiness within the chaotic present moment.If this episode resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to the show, and we'd be so grateful.Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: https://meditativestory.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Author Shannon Reed is aptly named because she absolutely loves to read. As a child with hearing difficulties, reading was a reliable way for her to take in information. Now, whether it's a book, the back of a cereal box, or a sign in the subway, reading is a hobby, calling, and pursuit that captures her fully. In her new book, “Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out,” she delves into how we find connection, comfort and escape in the act of reading. She also gives you permission to put a book down if you're not loving it. We talk to Reed and a panel of Bay Area authors. And we hear from you: Why do you love to read? Guests: Shannon Reed, author, "Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out" - Reed is a Teaching Associate Professor and Director of the undergraduate writing program at the University of Pittsburgh. Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva - San Francisco based literary journal. Vanessa Hua, author, "Forbidden City" - Hua's previous books include “A River of Stars.” She is a former columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle.
Aube's debut novel, River East River West, is one of the most exciting releases of 2024. The dual timeline follows a 14 year old Alva in 2007 and how her American mother's new husband Lu Fang made his fortune in 1985. It's a complex unpacking of capitalism's failures, its effects on our relationships and the impact of increased Western business in Shanghai at the start of this century. River East River West has received praise from the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Daily and Asian Review of Books, as well as bestsellers Jean Kwok, Vanessa Hua and Catherine Cho. Info on Aube from her website: Aube Rey Lescure is a French-Chinese-American writer. She grew up between Provence, northern China, and Shanghai, and graduated from Yale University in 2015. She worked in foreign policy before becoming an itinerant writer. Aube's debut novel, River East, River West, was published by William Morrow/HarperCollins in January 2024. [Duckworth in the UK] Her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in Guernica, LitHub, Electric Literature, The Millions. WBUR, The Florida Review Online, Litro, and more. Her essay “At the Bend of the Road” was selected for Best American Essays 2022. She currently works as the Deputy Editor at Off Assignment. Two essays she edited are anthologized in Best American Travel Writing 2021, and four others were listed in Best American Essays Notables. Aube is the co-author of Creating a Stable Asia (Carnegie 2016) and the translator of Le Système Économique Chinois Face à ses Défis (éditions Nuvis 2017). Aube received support as an Ivan Gold Fellow at the Writers' Room of Boston, a Pauline Scheer Fellow at GrubStreet's Novel Incubator Program, and a writer-in-residence at the Studios of Key West and Willapa Bay AiR. An excerpt from her forthcoming novel was a semifinalist in the Boston Review's 2020 Aura Estrada Short Story Contest. Her short fiction was selected as a finalist for BOMB Magazine's 2021 Fiction Contest, judged by Ottessa Moshfegh. Find the book here. Or at your local seller. For more literature, head to the sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week.
Intentionality–it's an ability that can make or break so many aspects of leadership.From understanding that leaders are always setting the example to collecting insights and stories to managing time and relationships, all of us can benefit from a more deliberate approach to our lives.In this episode, Daniel and Peter look at four more of the skill sets new managers need to be successful–and all of them require being intentional and deliberate.Join them to learn:How to effectively delegate as a new managerWhy ego management is so important for leadersThe two big mistakes new managers should avoidIn This Episode:1:05 – Insight of the Week7:29 – Memory Lane: The Index Card13:24 – Topic: First Time Managers (Part 2)32:42 – Lightning Round Resources:Stewart Leadership Insights:7 Mindset Shifts That Will Make You a Great ManagerDevelop Your Managers by Focusing on These 8 SkillsetsHow Not to Listen to Your LeaderHow to Leverage the 6 Leadership Styles in Today's EnvironmentThe One Powerful Leadership Tool You Probably Aren't Using EnoughThe Ten Tenets of Calendar ManagementHow to Prioritize Your WorkYou Do Need an Ego! But How Much?The Value of an Iterative ProcessThe Four Critical Relationships All Leaders Must DevelopManager Development Programs“Remote workers spend about 13 hours staring at screens each day: survey”, The Hill“The minutes in between can be pathway to productivity”, by Vanessa Hua, DatebookIf you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Vanessa Hua and her hair stylist face some decisions rooted in Lunar New Year tradition.
Vanessa Hua brings us this Perspective about stories.
On this episode of Antioch MFA Program's LitCit, host Michelle Yee chats with guest Vanessa Hua, author of three books including her most recent, Forbidden City. In this interview, Vanessa shares stories about her beginnings as a writer, why she went back to school for an MFA, and how Forbidden City took fourteen years to become published. This episode was produced by Michael Sedillo and mastered by Michelle Yee.
Meredith Goldstein writes the wildly popular Love Letters column in the Boston Globe, but for much of her life, she's viewed romantic relationships as a trap. Meredith grows up seeing the limitations of her mom's insular life, and knows she wants more for herself. It's only when the pandemic forces her to slow down that she realizes the beauty in giving attention to each moment, rather than always thinking about the next five things. Years after Meredith's mom passes away, she emulates the way she lived her life, and finds that leaning into simple routines unlocks a surprising feeling of euphoria.Listen to Vanessa Hua's Meditative Story, "From dark times come new discoveries": https://listen.meditativestory.com/VanessaHuaPIOListen to "Love Letters": https://link.chtbl.com/meditativestorylovelettersIf this story resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to show, and we'd be so grateful.Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
First pages are impossible… so we're hearing from authors about how they got them right. In this episode, Vanessa Hua discusses the first pages of her latest novel, Forbidden City. We talk about how she stuck to her instincts about the power of her prologue, the reminiscent narrator, and how to handle direct address.Hua's first pages can be found here.Help local bookstores and our authors by buying this book on Bookshop.Click here for the audio/video version of this interview.The above link will be available for 48 hours. Missed it? The podcast version is always available, both here and on your favorite podcast platform.Finally, here's a link to the photo that launched Vanessa's book.Vanessa Hua, is author of DECEIT AND OTHER POSSIBILITIES, a NYT Editors pick, and the national bestsellers A RIVER OF STARS and FORBIDDEN CITY. A National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, and the San Francisco Foundation's James D. Phelan Award for fiction. She has received fellowships and support from Bread Loaf, Aspen Summer Words, Voices of Our Nation, Community of Writers at Squaw, and Napa Valley writing conferences. Her work has appeared in New York Times, FRONTLINE/World, PRI's The World, The Atlantic, ZYZZYVA, Guernica, and elsewhere. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and twins. She teaches at the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers, Sewanee Writer's Conference, and elsewhere.Thank you for reading The 7am Novelist. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com
Good morning everyone. I just want to tell you about what we're doing next on the 7am novelist, which is something I'm lamely calling “Passages of Summer.” But the upcoming episodes this summer won't be so lame, because we're going to be talking about one of the most difficult parts of a story or novel or memoir to get right: The first pages. I'll be interviewing over forty writers as we read and analyze the beginning pages of their novels in hopes of helping you with your own. We'll have Idra Novey, Caroline Leavitt, Paul Rudnick, Amina Gautier, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and many more. Take a look at our schedule below:PASSAGES OF SUMMER ‘23 RELEASE SCHEDULEAll episodes will be pre-recorded and released at 7am EST. They can be found on 7amnovelist.substack.com and your favorite podcast platforms.May 25: Elizabeth Graver on KantikaMay 29: Vanessa Hua on Forbidden CityMay 31: Marisa Crane on I Keep My Exoskeletons to MyselfJune 2: Jane Roper on Society of Shame~~~June 5: Nathaniel Miller on The Memoirs of Stockholm SvenJune 7: Juliette Fay on The Half of ItJune 9: VV Ganeshananthan on Brotherless Night~~~June 12: Jasmin Hakes on HulaJune 14: Julie Carrick Dalton on The Last BeekeeperJune 16: Amina Gautier on “Lost and Found” in The Loss of All Lost Things~~~June 19: Henriette Lazaridis on Terra NovaJune 21: Frances de Pontes Peebles on The Air You BreatheJune 23: BA Shapiro on Metropolis~~~June 26: Daphne Kalotay on “Relativity” in The Archivists: StoriesJune 28: Wanda Morris on Anywhere You RunJune 30: Idra Novey on Take What You Need~~~July 3: Aaron Hamburger on Hotel CubaJuly 5: Caroline Leavitt on Days of WonderJuly 7: Joanna Rakoff on My Salinger Year~~~July 10: Rachel Barenbaum on Atomic AnnaJuly 12: Alix Ohlin on Dual CitizensJuly 14: Maya Shanbhag Lang on What We Carry~~~July 17: Kirthana Ramisetti on Advika and the Hollywood WivesJuly 19: EB Moore on Loose in the Bright FantasticJuly 21: Allegra Goodman on Sam~~~July 24: Kelly Ford on The HuntJuly 26: Alta Ifland on Speaking to No. 4July 28: Suzanne Berne on The Blue Window~~~July 31: Neema Avashia on Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain PlaceAugust 2: Jessica Keener on Night SwimAugust 4: Hank Phillippi Ryan on The House Guest~~~August 7: Nancy Crochiere on GracelandAugust 9: Elizabeth Silver on The MajorityAugust 11: Alyssa Songsiridej on Little Rabbit~~~August 14: Sara Johnson Allen on Down Here We Come UpAugust 16: Julie Gerstenblatt on Daughters of NantucketAugust 18: Paul Rudnick on Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style~~~August 21: Rachel Kadish on The Weight of InkAugust 23: Angel Di Zhang on The Light of Eternal SpringAugust 25: Charlotte Rixon on The One That Got Away~~~August 28: Virginia Pye on The Literary Undoing of Victoria SwannAugust 30: Isa Arsén on Shoot the MoonSeptember 1: Shilpi Suneja on House of CaravansSeptember 4: David Heska Wanbli Weiden on Winter Counts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com
In conversation with Pia Sarkar A former longtime columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Vanessa Hua has written about Asia and the diaspora from countries such as China, Burma, and South Korea, and has contributed articles to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She is the author of the bestselling novel A River of Stars, the award-winning story collection Deceit and Other Possibilities, and fiction that has been published in numerous literary journals. Hua's honors include a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. A national bestseller, longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and named one of the best novels of the year by several publications, Forbidden City tells the story of a teenage girl in 1960s China who becomes a heroine of the Cultural Revolution and Mao Zedong's lover. Pia Sarkar is a longtime journalist with more than two decades of experience. She currently serves as deputy business editor for enterprise at The Associated Press, based in Philadelphia. She is also a board member of the South Asian Journalists Association and an executive committee member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. She previously worked as an editor and reporter for such media outlets as The American Lawyer, the San Francisco Chronicle and The Bergen Record. Sarkar received her bachelor's degree in English and communication from SUNY-Buffalo and her master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. (recorded 4/3/2023)
Vanessa Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of the novel “A River of Stars” and a story collection, “Deceit and Other Possibilities.”In her new novel “Forbidden City” (Ballentine Books) – it's the eve of China's Cultural Revolution and sixteen-year-old Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls for a mysterious duty in the capital, she seizes the opportunity to escape her impoverished village. It is only when Mei arrives at the Chairman's opulent residence—a forbidden city unto itself—that she learns that the girls' job is to dance with the Party elites.
Vanessa Hua and her hair stylist face some decisions rooted in Lunar New Year tradition.
**This episode is sponsored by Full Spectrum Features, a nonprofit social justice organization that uses film to inspire dialogue and create impact. They're a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) committed to driving equity in the independent film industry by producing, exhibiting, and supporting the work of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ filmmakers.You can find out more about Full Spectrum Features and their support of artist caregivers in this episode and on their website at fullspectrumfeatures.com as well as their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.**—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We're excited to share with you this season finale compilation episode that draws together the voices and insights from this season. Together, we've examined how we wrestle with our conceptions of motherhood, the constraints of patriarchal structures on caregiving and art, and ways in which the fractured inevitability of early motherhood could perhaps provide new frameworks for creative production that work against existing norms and provide wholly new opportunities for expression, empowerment, and community.Timestamps:11:51 - Namrata Poddar, EP 1312:32 - Sara Petersen, EP 0813:09 - Heather Powell, EP 0714:08 - Nancy Reddy, EP 1215:02 - Amanda Montei, EP 1515:27 - Namrata Poddar15:45 - Nora Fiffer, EP 1116:57 - Sarah Chaves, EP 0118:18 - Nora Fiffer20:30 - Emily Pérez, EP 1221:27 - MM De Voe, EP 0922:04 - Dani Rowe, EP 0622:34 - Vanessa Hua, EP 0523:17 - Jackie Leonard, EP 0223:58 - Sarah Chaves24:57 - Vanessa Hua26:40 - Amanda Montei, EP 1526:57 - Minna Dubin, EP 1527:16 - Cindy DiTiberio, EP 1527:47 - Heather Powell28:30 - Sara Petersen 29:38 - Emily...
Author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Vanessa Hua is getting a lot of well-deserved praise for her recently released novel, Forbidden City which tells the story of the Chinese Cultural revolution as experienced by a woman who is a member of Chairman Mao's dance troupe. In fact, Vanessa ‘s NEA Literature Fellowship enabled her to finish the book, so it seemed like a good time to revisit my 2020 interview with her—which remains one of my favorites both because of the books and because of Vanessa—she has a wonderful sense of humor and a feel for an apt turn of phrase. In this podcast, she talks about her novel A River of Stars which she describes as “a pregnant Chinese Thelma and Louise” and her book of short stories Deceit and Other Possibilities whose theme she says is “model minorities behaving badly.” These two books explore the lives of immigrants in San Francisco's Chinatown and the divide between 1st generation parents and 2nd generation children. She also discusses the 2020 Lit Fellowship which allowed her work on Forbidden City, as well as her experiences as a journalist, as a writer of fiction, as a mother and as a 2nd generation Chinese-American. She is clear these experiences don't exist in silos but are always informing one another.
Author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Vanessa Hua is getting a lot of well-deserved praise for her recently released novel, Forbidden City which tells the story of the Chinese Cultural revolution as experienced by a woman who is a member of Chairman Mao's dance troupe. In fact, Vanessa ‘s NEA Literature Fellowship enabled her to finish the book, so it seemed like a good time to revisit my 2020 interview with her—which remains one of my favorites both because of the books and because of Vanessa—she has a wonderful sense of humor and a feel for an apt turn of phrase. In this podcast, she talks about her novel A River of Stars which she describes as “a pregnant Chinese Thelma and Louise” and her book of short stories Deceit and Other Possibilities whose theme she says is “model minorities behaving badly.” These two books explore the lives of immigrants in San Francisco's Chinatown and the divide between 1st generation parents and 2nd generation children. She also discusses the 2020 Lit Fellowship which allowed her work on Forbidden City, as well as her experiences as a journalist, as a writer of fiction, as a mother and as a 2nd generation Chinese-American. She is clear these experiences don't exist in silos but are always informing one another.
When Nataly Dawn's family moves from the U.S. to a tiny town in the middle of France, she finds herself unable to speak, read, or even play the way the other kids do. It's embarrassing, being a rock-bottom beginner in 5th grade — but as she slowly learns the language, she finds a new kind of joy in the process of discovery. The singer-songwriter who is one-half of the band Pomplamoose shares how a beginner's mindset — even if it's uncomfortable at first — can be a doorway to connection and joy.Learn more about Nataly Dawn at NatalyDawnMusic.com — where you can snag tickets for her upcoming tour!Listen to Vanessa Hua's episode of Meditative Story, "Meditative Story From dark times come new discoveries": https://listen.meditativestory.com/Vanessa-HuaEach episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at: www.meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Vanessa Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of the novel A River of Stars and a story collection, Deceit and Other Possibilities. A National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, among others. She has filed stories from China, Burma, South Korea, and elsewhere, and her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She has taught most recently at the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and the Sewanee Writers' Conference. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Forbidden City is her newest novel. How Do You Write Podcast: Explore the processes of working writers with bestselling author Rachael Herron. Want tips on how to write the book you long to finish? Here you'll gain insight from other writers on how to get in the chair, tricks to stay in it, and inspiration to get your own words flowing. Join Rachael's Slack channel, Onward Writers: https://join.slack.com/t/onwardwriters/shared_invite/zt-7a3gorfm-C15cTKh_47CEdWIBW~RKwgRachael can be YOUR mini-coach, and she'll answer all your questions on the show! http://patreon.com/rachael See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about her new historical fiction book, Forbidden City. The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao's inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa's inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we'll hear more from Mei. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about her new historical fiction book, Forbidden City. The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao's inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa's inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we'll hear more from Mei. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about her new historical fiction book, Forbidden City. The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao's inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa's inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we'll hear more from Mei. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emily Bazelon talks with author Vanessa Hua about her new historical fiction book, Forbidden City. The novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old revolutionary Mei who becomes a dancer in Chairman Mao's inner circle. Emily and Vanessa talk about Vanessa's inspiration for the novel, the complicated dynamics between Mei and Chairman Mao, and whether we'll hear more from Mei. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Carol Edgarian, Vanessa Hua, Jenny Tinghui Zhang, Jasmin Darznik Chinese immigrants were instrumental in shaping California, despite prejudice and exploitation. The connection between the two places has been fodder for amazing works of art, including the latest novels by authors Jenny Tinghui Zhan (“Four Treasures of the Sky”), Carol Edgarian (“Vera”), and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Vanessa Hua (“Forbidden City”).
As writers, we are always bringing so much into the work that is not just that time that you're sitting at your desk, or wherever it is that you work. Join us as Kaitlin talks with Vanessa Hua, an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and the author of the national bestseller A River of Stars (https://www.amazon.com/River-Stars-Novel-Vanessa-Hua/dp/0399178783 (https://www.amazon.com/River-Stars-Novel-Vanessa-Hua/dp/0399178783)). She wrote, and most recently published a novel Forbidden City (http://www.vanessahua.com/forbidden-city (http://www.vanessahua.com/forbidden-city) ). Vanessa and Kaitlin met in 2009 at the Breadloaf Writers conference in Middlebury, Vermont, and continued their writerly friendship in LA, where they were both living at the time. You can expect to hear all about the new novel, Forbidden City, the inspiration behind it, and Vanessa's tips on how to write a successful novel while juggling motherhood and other care responsibilities. Vanessa and Kaitlin talk about: The mental shifts and practical processes Vanessa puts in place to help her be more centred & intentional about her writing while juggling the many competing demands and distractions in her life as a mother, wife, daughter, columnist, teacher, sister, friend, etc. The significant impact that our lived experiences have on our practice as writers and creatives; seeing the work we do through this lens helps us reframe our interaction with the world as valid, valuable, and ‘productive'. How Vanessa navigates the private and public in her work, especially when she's both a novelist and a journalist, which require different hats and different sets of writing tools. …and of course, what postpartum and productivity mean to Vanessa. Visit our website at http://postpartumproduction.com/ (postpartumproduction.com) for the full show notes. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities. You can find Vanessa at her: Website: http://www.vanessahua.com/ (http://www.vanessahua.com) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mononoke97/ (https://www.instagram.com/mononoke97/) And check out her new book, Forbidden City: http://www.vanessahua.com/forbidden-city (http://www.vanessahua.com/forbidden-city) For regular updates: Visit our website: http://postpartumproduction.com/ (http://postpartumproduction.com/) Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/postpartumproductionpodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/postpartumproductionpodcast/) Subscribe to our podcasts newsletter: https://postpartumproduction.substack.com/ (https://postpartumproduction.substack.com)
Today, we learn about lowrider bikes and the way one bike club is working to change the perception of lowrider culture in Northern California. Then, we hear from an activist who created a space for queer arts to be a form of wellness. And, we listen to readings from three local authors: Vanessa Hua, Angela Terry, and Charlie Jane Anders.
Updated at 9:59 a.m. Statewide composting mandate goes into effect in Sacramento. State bill seeks to alleviate the college student housing shortage by taking aim at an environmental law. A conversation with Vanessa Hua about her new book “Forbidden City.” Today's Guests CapRadio Environment Reporter Manola Secaira shares her reporting on a new law beginning in July aimed at decreasing food waste and greenhouse gas emissions in California that's coming into play in Sacramento County and what residents need to know. Michelle Andrews, Vice-Chair of Government Relations for the University of California Student Association and an undergraduate student at UC Davis, talks about the implementation and impact of CEQA rules on student housing. David Ramirez, Pasadena City College student trustee and UCLA transfer student talks to us about his findings with students in Southern California who struggle with housing. CapRadio Host Donna Apidone shares her conversation with journalist and author Vanessa Hua about her second novel, “Forbidden City.” We revisit a conversation with Photographer Enoch Ku who discusses his latest Ordinary Sacramento project, a photography book “My Neighborhood Rosemont, CA,” which is a love letter to the neighborhood where he grew up.
Vanessa Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of the novel “A River of Stars” and a story collection, “Deceit and Other Possibilities.”In her new novel “Forbidden City” (Ballentine Books) – it's the eve of China's Cultural Revolution and sixteen-year-old Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls for a mysterious duty in the capital, she seizes the opportunity to escape her impoverished village. It is only when Mei arrives at the Chairman's opulent residence—a forbidden city unto itself—that she learns that the girls' job is to dance with the Party elites.
Vanessa Hua is a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle and best-selling novelist. Her latest novel, FORBIDDEN CITY, tells the story of a teenage girl from a small village who is selected to serve the Communist Party and Chairman Mao at the start of the Cultural Revolution in China. Vanessa and I met nine years ago when we were both Steinbeck Fellows at San Jose State University, and she is a true champion of other writers. It has been such a thrill to watch her soar. Discussed in this episode: Her new novel Forbidden City How she got into writing How the topic of her new novel was born and her writing and research process Her evolution as an writer About Vanessa: Vanessa Hua is an award-winning, best-selling author and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Her novel, A River of Stars, was named to the Washington Post and NPR's Best Books of 2018 lists, and has been called a "marvel" by O, The Oprah Magazine, and "delightful" by The Economist. Her short story collection, Deceit and Other Possibilities, a New York Times Editors' Choice, received an Asian/Pacific American Award in Literature and was a finalist for a California Book Award, and a New American Voices Award. Her latest novel, Forbidden City, was called “magnificent” by Publisher's Weekly, and was published on May 10, 2022. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dallas-woodburn/support
Narrator Catherine Ho immediately captivates in Vanessa Hua's original and intriguing story. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Sandi Henschel discuss this historical fiction audiobook set during China's Cultural Revolution about teenager Mei Xiang, who becomes Chairman Mao Zedong's lover. Ho's voice bristles with energy as Mei, who is happy to leave her dull farm life behind when she's selected as part of a dance troupe bound for the capital. Because of her revolutionary zeal, Mei attracts the Chairman's attention. Ho's descriptions from Mei's point of view reflect her growing awareness of the politics of the period. Her stellar performance adds to this thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Random House Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO, dedicated to producing top-quality fiction and nonfiction audiobooks written and read by the best in the business. Visit penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/audiofile now to start listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Novelist and journalist Vanessa Hua's new book “Forbidden City” is a historical fiction set in 1960s China. It's the story of a 16-year-old girl who was plucked from a rural village to join a troupe of dancers formed to satisfy an aging Chairman Mao's – historically accurate – love of ballroom dance and teenage girls. Hua writes in the author's notes, “I believe that fiction flourishes where the official record ends”; the novel leaves the impression that even if the woman at the center of the book were real, she would have been erased from history. We'll talk about the dynamics of gender, power and manipulation that resonate across time and geography. “The past,” Hua writes, “is never as distant as it seems.”
Author Vanessa Hua talks about her new novel, "Forbidden City," about a teenage girl from a small village who is selected to serve the Communist Party and Chairman Mao Zedong at the start of the Cultural Revolution in China. And, the draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade cites a tradition of laws criminalizing abortion. But that's not the whole history, history professor Leslie Reagan explains.
Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law: “In a Post-Roe World, Can States Prevent Women From Seeking Abortions Out-of-State?” Ruth Graham for The New York Times: “A Pastor and His Congregation Part Ways” Ruth Graham and Elizabeth Dias for The New York Times: “The Growing Religious Fervor in the American Right: ‘This Is a Jesus Movement'” The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors That Will Crash the American Church...and How to Prepare by John Dickerson Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Forbidden City, by Vanessa Hua; A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua; Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids, by Scott Hershovitz John: Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City, by Andrea Elliott; Jon Ward for Christianity Today: “Being a Political Journalist Made Me a Better Christian”; The Bob Dylan Center; John Dickerson for CBS This Morning: “Bob Dylan Center: A Window Into the Voice of a Generation” David: Mother Jones: “How Private Equity Looted America”; Our Earth: “Cool Airplane Camera Views on Lufthansa” Listener chatter from Nicholas Gaffney: Alex Hanson for The Valley News: “Croydon Reverses Slashing Of School Budget After Voters Turn Out For Special Meeting” For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the things they do today that would horrify their 25-year-old selves. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Michael C. Dorf for Dorf on Law: “In a Post-Roe World, Can States Prevent Women From Seeking Abortions Out-of-State?” Ruth Graham for The New York Times: “A Pastor and His Congregation Part Ways” Ruth Graham and Elizabeth Dias for The New York Times: “The Growing Religious Fervor in the American Right: ‘This Is a Jesus Movement'” The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors That Will Crash the American Church...and How to Prepare by John Dickerson Here are this week's chatters: Emily: Forbidden City, by Vanessa Hua; A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua; Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids, by Scott Hershovitz John: Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City, by Andrea Elliott; Jon Ward for Christianity Today: “Being a Political Journalist Made Me a Better Christian”; The Bob Dylan Center; John Dickerson for CBS This Morning: “Bob Dylan Center: A Window Into the Voice of a Generation” David: Mother Jones: “How Private Equity Looted America”; Our Earth: “Cool Airplane Camera Views on Lufthansa” Listener chatter from Nicholas Gaffney: Alex Hanson for The Valley News: “Croydon Reverses Slashing Of School Budget After Voters Turn Out For Special Meeting” For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the things they do today that would horrify their 25-year-old selves. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Vanessa Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of the novel A RIVER OF STARS and a story collection, DECEIT AND OTHER POSSIBILITIES. Her new novel FORBIDDEN CITY is an epic yet intimate portrayal of one of the world's most powerful and least understood leaders during an extraordinarily turbulent period in modern Chinese history. This harrowing journey toward truth and disillusionment raises questions about power, manipulation, and belief, as seen through the eyes of a passionate teenage girl. Now let's join Vanessa in conversation with her editor Susanna Porter.
On this episode, we welcome author Vanessa Hua back to the podcast to chat about her newest book Forbidden City, a historical fiction novel about a young woman who becomes a confidant of Chairman Mao during the Cultural Revolution. We catch up with Vanessa about what she's been up to since we last chatted, and learn more about how and why she decided to write a story about one of the most turbulent times in modern Chinese history. Follow Vanessa on twitter at @vanessa_hua and check out her new book Forbidden City on sale May 10, 2022!*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba May 2022 pick is Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. LiThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
Award-winning author, Vanessa Hua, joins us to discuss her bestselling, historical novel, Forbidden City. Set in 1960's China, Forbidden City takes place in the time before, during, and after the Cultural Revolution, and is centered around Mei Xiang, a young villager, who is recruited to be a dancer for the Chinese Communist Party leader, Chairman Read More
Frankie's guests are the producer and director of Elvis's '60 Comeback Special Steve Binder, novelist and author of Forbidden City Vanessa Hua, and senior vice president of global commercial operations for the Verizon Business Group: Wendy TaccettaSteve Binder (pronounced like Fender)BOOK: Elvis '68 ComebackThe Story Behind the Specialhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Elvis-68-Comeback/Steve-Binder/9781645176732Steve Binder is an Emmy and ACE award-winning producer, director, writer, educator, and Golden Globe nominee. Steve has written, produced, and directed dozens of television specials, including multiple Diana Ross specials and Petula with British singer Petula Clark and Harry Belafonte. In 1968, Steve conceived, directed, and produced ELVIS, The ‘68 Comeback Special. TV Guide called this landmark event “the second greatest musical moment in television history next to the Beatles' debut on the Ed Sullivan Show.” https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004596/Vanessa HuaBOOK: Forbidden Cityhttps://bookshop.org/books/forbidden-city-9780399178818/9780399178818Vanessa Hua is an award-winning, best-selling author and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. For over two decades, she has been researching and writing about Asia and the diaspora. Her books, which integrate many of the themes she covers, are critically acclaimed. Vanessa Hua's forthcoming book, Forbidden City, has already been hailed “magnificent” by Publisher's Weekly, and is getting rave reviews. http://www.vanessahua.com/Wendy Taccettaverizon.com/smallbusinessWendy is Senior Vice President for Nationwide Small Business and Channel Chief for Verizon Business. As such, she is responsible for driving results in several strategic areas of the business. Wendy's focus is on developing a customer-centric Partner Program at Verizon. Channel Partners has called their strategic focus "a historic revamping" of Verizon's channel program. Their ambition is to make it easier than ever before to partner with Verizon. https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/who-we-are
Vanessa Hua, award-winning, best-selling author and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. For over two decades, she has been researching and writing about Asia and the diaspora. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Magazine, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Newsweek, among others. Her books, which integrate many of the themes she covers, are critically-acclaimed. A River of Stars was named to the Washington Post and NPR's Best Books, and was called a "marvel" by O, The Oprah Magazine, and "delightful" by The Economist. Deceit and Other Possibilities, named a New York Times Editors' Choice, received an Asian/Pacific American Award in Literature and was a finalist for a California Book Award, and a New American Voices Award. Vanessa Hua's forthcoming book, Forbidden City, has already been hailed “magnificent” by Publisher's Weekly, and is getting rave reviews. I've pasted materials below Hua's new book, as well as some of the articles she's written, establishing her as a voice for the Asian American community. A Ballantine Hardcover & eBook | On Sale April 19, 2022 MORE: http://getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org
We talk to BART Board President Rebecca Saltzman and San Francisco Chronicle reporter Ricardo Cano about rebounding BART ridership numbers; novelist Vanessa Hua joins us to talk about her new novel, "Forbidden City"; and, we learn about the return of the surf competition The Mavericks to Half Moon Bay
Vanessa Hua, a Bay Area native and graduate of Stanford and U.C. Riverside, has focused her extensive writing on issues of immigration, identity, diversity, and parenting. Moving seamlessly between short stories, novels, journalism, and her San Francisco Chronicle column, she offers important insights into the Asian American experience. The author of the forthcoming novel "Forbidden City" shared some of her own history.
As the pandemic drags on, Vanessa Hua finds herself in a dark place of panic and doom-scrolling. But that begins to change on one spring day, when she takes a walk outside with her kids – and recognizes a small jewel-green plant growing on the forest floor. Her discovery of wild food foraging helps her tap into a body of shared, ancient knowledge, one that helps her find steadiness within the chaotic present moment.Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at: https://meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter, to get a timely episode reminder and a mini meditation in your inbox: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgDNEW: Become a member of Meditative Story to support the show as we move away from a corporate advertising model. Your annual membership supports making the show available for free! More: http://meditativestory.com/membership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
""A River of Stars" and "Deceit and Other Possibilities" author Vanessa Hua joins hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to pay tribute to "Always Be My Maybe," the 2019 Netflix movie starring Ali Wong and Randall Park. "Always Be My Maybe" is also the next Total SF virtual movie night, starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 13. Also, support the Richmond District and its small businesses with the hashtag #ILoveTheRichmond. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "The Tide Will Rise" by the Sunset Shipwrecks off their album "Community," and cable car bell ringing by 8-time champion Byron Cobb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This year saw the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment! To celebrate this historic occasion the KPL Podcast is joined by author Bridget Quinn! We will be discussing her book "She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next" This week's episode is a can't miss! Recommendations:1. Georgia O' Keefe by Roxana Robinson2. Self Portrait by Celia Paul3. Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui4. Vera by Carol Edgarian5. A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua
What is 'radical empathy' and how do we use it to move past structural racism and inequality? Host Grace Won speaks to Bay Area author and political scientist Terri Givens about her forthcoming book, “Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging the Racial Divides."Plus: We'll get a post-Thanksgiving update on COVID-19 and hear holiday book recommendations from local writer Vanessa Hua and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Barbara Lane. Join the conversation! What was your favorite book of 2020?Guests:
This week Larry Rosen and Christian Winn welcome novelist, journalist, and badass mom, Vanessa Hua, into the Zoom studio to talk about the state of publishing, journalism, making art, and staying sane in these uncertain pandemic times. It's a lively conversation! Enjoy. We hope to see Vanessa and all of you at the Fest in September 2021! In the meantime you can find out more about all things Vanessa Hua at vanessahua.com. You can learn more about Treefort Music Fest and purchase your tickets for Treefort '21 at www.treefortmusicfest.com Storyfort Presents: Voices of Treefort Music Fest is a part of the EaseDrop Podcast Network Theme music provided by Up is the Down is the Support Storyfort Presents: Voices of Treefort Music Fest by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/storyfort-presents-voices-of-t
Award-winning writer Vanessa Hua joins the GrottoPod summer reading series today to share a taste of her short story "VIP Tutoring" from her newly reissued collection, Deceit and Other Possibilities. Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of A River of Stars. A National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, among others. She has filed stories from China, Burma, South Korea, Panama, and Ecuador, and her work appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.
Vanessa Hua is an award-winning, best-selling author and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Her novel, A River of Stars, was named to the Washington Post and NPR's Best Books of 2018 lists. Her short story collection, Deceit and Other Possibilities, received an Asian/Pacific American Award in Literature and was a finalist for a California Book Award, and was reissued by Counterpoint in 2020. We discussed her collection Deceit and Other Possibilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Vanessa Hua has a sense of humor and a feel for an apt turn of phrase. She describes her novel A River of Stars as “a pregnant Chinese Thelma and Louise.” She's just as wry in her description of her book of short stories, Deceit and Other Possibilities, whose theme she says is “model minorities behaving badly.” And while both descriptions are spot-on, they only hint at the complexity of the lives she explores in fiction. She vividly explores the lives of immigrants in San Francisco's Chinatown, single mothers hustling to support themselves and their children while agonizing over the daily separation, and first-generation parents and second-generation children facing a divide as wide as the Yangtze River or San Francisco Bay. Hua began her career as a journalist, and she has a keen ear for the struggles of people on the streets and has the ability to give them voice. In this podcast, she talks about her experiences as a journalist, as a writer of fiction, as a mother, and as a second-generation Chinese American. She is clear these experiences don't exist in silos but are always informing one another.
Author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Vanessa Hua has a sense of humor and a feel for an apt turn of phrase. She describes her novel A River of Stars as “a pregnant Chinese Thelma and Louise.” She’s just as wry in her description of her book of short stories, Deceit and Other Possibilities, whose theme she says is “model minorities behaving badly.” And while both descriptions are spot-on, they only hint at the complexity of the lives she explores in fiction. She vividly explores the lives of immigrants in San Francisco’s Chinatown, single mothers hustling to support themselves and their children while agonizing over the daily separation, and first-generation parents and second-generation children facing a divide as wide as the Yangtze River or San Francisco Bay. Hua began her career as a journalist, and she has a keen ear for the struggles of people on the streets and has the ability to give them voice. In this podcast, she talks about her experiences as a journalist, as a writer of fiction, as a mother, and as a second-generation Chinese American. She is clear these experiences don’t exist in silos but are always informing one another.
Author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Vanessa Hua has a sense of humor and a feel for an apt turn of phrase. She describes her novel A River of Stars as “a pregnant Chinese Thelma and Louise.” She’s just as wry in her description of her book of short stories, Deceit and Other Possibilities, whose theme she says is “model minorities behaving badly.” And while both descriptions are spot-on, they only hint at the complexity of the lives she explores in fiction. She vividly explores the lives of immigrants in San Francisco’s Chinatown, single mothers hustling to support themselves and their children while agonizing over the daily separation, and first-generation parents and second-generation children facing a divide as wide as the Yangtze River or San Francisco Bay. Hua began her career as a journalist, and she has a keen ear for the struggles of people on the streets and has the ability to give them voice. In this podcast, she talks about her experiences as a journalist, as a writer of fiction, as a mother, and as a second-generation Chinese American. She is clear these experiences don’t exist in silos but are always informing one another.
Author and 2020 NEA Literature Fellow Vanessa Hua has a sense of humor and a feel for an apt turn of phrase. She describes her novel A River of Stars as “a pregnant Chinese Thelma and Louise.” She’s just as wry in her description of her book of short stories, Deceit and Other Possibilities, whose theme she says is “model minorities behaving badly.” And while both descriptions are spot-on, they only hint at the complexity of the lives she explores in fiction. She vividly explores the lives of immigrants in San Francisco’s Chinatown, single mothers hustling to support themselves and their children while agonizing over the daily separation, and first-generation parents and second-generation children facing a divide as wide as the Yangtze River or San Francisco Bay. Hua began her career as a journalist, and she has a keen ear for the struggles of people on the streets and has the ability to give them voice. In this podcast, she talks about her experiences as a journalist, as a writer of fiction, as a mother, and as a second-generation Chinese American. She is clear these experiences don’t exist in silos but are always informing one another.
Schools are closed, and Zoom is the new classroom for thousands of Bay Area students. We'll discuss how local school districts are handling distance learning, get tips from teachers and hear about what we can do to create equitable learning experiences for all. We'll also get a update on the lastest local pandemic developments and hear a specially composed reflection on life in the coronavirus era by Bay Area novelist Vanessa Hua. And we want to hear from you. Call us during the show with your questions and experiences: 866-798-TALK or send an email anytime to cityvisions@kalw.org . Wednesday, April 15 at 9 PM. Guests : Erin Allday , health reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Peter Chin-Hong , professor of medicine and infectious diseases specialist, UCSF JC Farr , principal, Tamalpais High School in Marin County Lisa Kelly , 6th grade English teacher at the Life Academy in Oakland Jill Tucker, K-12 education reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Vanessa Hua , novelist whose books include
No trips to the bookstore this weekend, but you can tune in to Episode 2 of Safe & Sound to discover brand new books by writers Vanessa Hua and Gila Green. Listen in as they share stories about breaking and entering, elephant poaching and baking bread.
It is a brand new year, and a we've got a brand new episode of The Stacks!We've brought back Vanessa Hua (A River of Stars) to discuss Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li, a novel about a family restaurant and the drama that comes along with it. We talk about how books are edited and streamlined, immigrants working in food industries, and what it means to be authentic.There are spoilers on this episode. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2020/01/01/ep-92-number-one-chinese-restaurant SUPPORT THE STACKSAudible - Get your free 30-day trial and free audiobook download at audibletrial.com/thestacksAmazon - Shop through this link to find all the books discussed on today's show to help keep The Stacks free. Connect with Vanessa: Twitter |
Our guest today is Vanessa Hua. Vanessa is the author of A River of Stars and a columnist at The San Francisco Chronicale. We talk today about the differences between writing a column versus a novel, the people who change our lives without knowing, and untraditional motherhood. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2019/12/25/ep-91-vanessa-hua SUPPORT THE STACKSAudible - Get your free 30-day trial and free audiobook download at audibletrial.com/thestacksAmazon - Shop through this link to find all the books discussed on today's show to help keep The Stacks free. Connect with Vanessa: Twitter | Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram |Twitter |The Stacks Website |
Award-winning author Vanessa Hua talks about her novel “A River of Stars”. Vanessa discusses the rippling effects of China’s one-child policy on the U.S., the phenomenon of pregnant Chinese women and “maternity hotels”, and her work as a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. (Intro: Good Fit)
A comedy show all about love, divorce, Chinese take aways and broken backs... Our live performers in this show are: Cecilia Delatori, Elf Lyons, Vanessa Hua, Rosie Wilby and Sandra Hale Hosted as usual by Alice Frick and Catherine Allin
In America, we may have an idea of how China’s one-child and two-child policies work, but the truth is more complicated than many of us imagine. We talk to journalist and author Vanessa Hua about how these policies have rippled all the way into America.
Vanessa Hua's “A River of Stars” is about the privileges of citizenship and the perseverance of motherhood. It's also about knowing how to take every advantage of a situation. The story takes place primarily in San Francisco's Chinatown. Perfume Bay is a maternity hotel in California, a residential facility where women come from other countries to give birth. Babies born in the U.S. are automatically citizens, and that privilege is a benefit for mother as well as child. Maternity hotels are not glamorous. They operate like processing centers, with landlords cashing in on desperate pregnant women. CapRadio's Donna Apidone sat down with the author and journalist to find out what inspired the story. Interview Highlights: What came first: the character or the situation? The situation. I think often with my fiction I begin with a premise or a circumstance. The book opens in a maternity hotel in southern California, which I first heard about when I was pregnant with my own kids and living east of Los Angeles. And I began hearing in the news about these suburban homes where pregnant women were coming and going in the alleyways. The trash can was overflowing with diapers and cans of empty cans of formula. And the neighbors were baffled. Why were these Chinese women coming and going? To me it sounded like a brothel in reverse. And it turned out they were coming here so their kids could get U.S. citizenship at birth. But since I was pregnant at the time, for me, as a woman, I knew it was one of the most vulnerable times in my life. And I wondered what it was like to be so far from friends and family and what was it about U.S. citizenship that mattered to them so much for their children's sake that would bring them here. And that is where the premise then sparked my thoughts about what kind of character would find herself in this situation and how would she get herself out of it. Do you have to decide as you're writing who will improve, who will stay the same, who will go downhill? That's an interesting decision you have to make. Well I think in some ways, the character takes you there. So I'm not saying it's as easy as a ghost enters me and like the novel just pours out. But I do think your characters do lead you there if you set them up. The sort of the possibilities narrow, and as you establish their character, it's sort of your lead to where the novel needs to go. Donna Apidone interviewed Vanessa Hua on August 23, 2018.
Vanessa Hua, award-winning journalist, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and author of the riveting new book A RIVER OF STARS. Vanessa was recently featured on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/25/641622076/a-river-of-stars-is-an-asian-american-pregnant-thelma-louise With so many Asian-American cultural references in the news lately— from Crazy Rich Asians to this recent piece on the one-child policy in the New York Times-- there is a lot for Vanessa to discuss... With a bounty of research, Vanessa offers incredible depth and nuance to the immigrants' journey, examining the "cultural and economic forces that shape their worlds*" among other extremely timely issues.
You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: a surprise book present, an accessory to make binge-reading the next big thing, and choosing books for a trip. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, just two titles from each of the three of us because that still gives you a whole stack to check out. Our deep-dive this week delves deep into the ins and outs of running a book club. And this episode is for you whether you have a group of friends that meet at a coffee shop each month or you are looking for a group of bookish friends on the internet so you can “book club” in your PJs! We even toss around some ideas for those of us (like Meredith and Kaytee) who are “book-club challenged” in that our inner rebel shows up whenever someone says we have to read a certain title. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands. This week we have some classic dude-friendly literature, a lovely little fun romp, and a sweeping American and African family story. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . . 0:45 - MomAdvice.com 0:58 - The MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook 2:59 - idealbookshelf.com 3:40 - Ideal Bookshelf on Instagram: @idealbookshelf 4:21 -LEVO G2 Tablet Clamp Stand 9:13 - Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss 9:31 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 12:46 - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 12:53 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 13:28 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 14:14 - Serial Reader App 14:35 - Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 15:39 - Heartland by Sarah Smarsh 15:49 - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 19:00 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 19:18 - The Selection (Series) by Kiera Cass 19:44 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 21:24 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 21:38 - Wundersmith (Second book in Nevermoor series) by Jessica Townsend 22:34 - Elevation by Stephen King 25:42 - River Of Stars by Vanessa Hua 28:39 - Ghosted by Rosie Walsh 31:29 - Liane Moriarty books (specifically: Nine Perfect Strangers and Truly Madly Guilty) 32:50 - Seven Tips for Hosting a Successful Book Club article on MomAdvice.com 37:07 - Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran 39:11 - meetup.com - LOL it still exists!! 40:14 - The Lazy Genius Podcast episode #72: The Lazy Genius Hosts a Book Swap 45:40 - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - and Amy’s interview with Anthony 46:18 - MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook 48:00 - Shogun by James Clavell 50:54 - The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall 52:42 - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 55:13 - Amy on Instagram: @momadvice *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*
Vanessa Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and author of a short story collection, Deceit and Other Possibilities. For two decades, she has been writing about Asia and the diaspora in journalism and in fiction. She received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, the Asian/Pacific Award for Literature, the San Francisco Foundation's James D. Phelan Award, a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Asian American Journalists' Association. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, FRONTLINE/World, The Washington Post, ZYZZYVA, and elsewhere, and she writes a weekly column for The San Francisco Chronicle. She lives in northern California.http://www.vanessahua.com
In this episode, Abbe interviews Vanessa Hua, author of A River of Stars, Emma and Abbe gab about the books they've enjoyed recently, and Abbe sits down in the studio to talk to Young Benjamin Franklin author, Nick Bunker about a book he thinks you've gotta read.
San Francisco Chronicle arts content editor Mariecar Mendoza and Chronicle columnist Vanessa Hua talk about "Crazy Rich Asians," the first Hollywood movie with an all-Asian cast in 25 years. Pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub, who reviewed the movie for The Chronicle, joins the conversation. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is Mozart’s Symphony 40 in G minor by Blue Dot Sessions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Jennys solve the mystery of Gandalf's horse theft, chat about some exciting books coming out in fall 2018, and review Vanessa Hua's debut novel River of Stars.
"A River of Stars" author Vanessa Hua joins host Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to induct "The Joy Luck Club" in the SF Cinema Greatest of All Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Reera chats with author Vanessa Hua, the author of A River of Stars, a novel about young mothers seeking the American Dream, and the untold story of secret Chinese maternity homes. Vanessa talks about the inspirations behind her debut novel and balancing narratives between different Chinese narratives and perspectives. For additional thoughts and discussion visit the Books & Boba Goodreads forums This Episode's Hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo), Host Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh), Host This Episode's Guest: Vanessa Hua, Author of A River of Stars (@vanessa_hua) The Books & Boba August 2018 pick is Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan Follow us: Facebook Twitter Goodreads Group This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
In the most clarifying conversation James has had about the process of learning to be a writer, Sarah Ann Strickley discusses her story collection, FALL TOGETHER, as well as the dangers of the Muse, the joys of plot and structure, finding your voice, giving up your heroes, and being Superman's neighbor. Plus, they nerd out over Marilynne Robinson's HOUSEKEEPING. Then, past guests provide summer reading recommendations. - Sarah Anne Strickley: https://www.sarahannestrickley.com/ Sarah and James discuss: Ian Stansel Raymond Carver The Cure Joy Division The University of Iowa Emerson College Joseph Campbell Darrell Spencer COUNTRY DARK by Chris Offutt HOUSEKEEPING by Marilynne Robinson "Hover" by Nell Freudenberger Karen Russell Carmen Maria Machado Laura van den Berg Fortress of Solitude Superman Superman's Neighbor - Summer Reading Recommendations: Julia Fine, author of WHAT SHOULD BE WILD (ep. 58) THE LUMINARIES by Eleanor Catton THE WAKE by Paul Kingsnorth INVITATION TO A BONFIRE by Adrienne Celt Xhenet Aliu, author of BRASS (ep. 50) WATCHMEN written by Alan Moore, art by David Gibbons, colorist John Higgins A RIVER OF STARS by Vanessa Hua THE INCENDIARIES by R.O. Kwon Patrick Crerand, author of THE PAPER LIFE THEY LEAD (ep. 56) PANORAMA by Steve Kistulentz BRAZEN CREATURE by Anne Barngrover BAD STORIES by Steve Almond PRIEST DADDY by Patricia Lockwood THE INFORMATION by James Gleick Mark Powell, author of SMALL TREASONS (ep. 11) FLORIDA by Lauren Groff WARLIGHT by Michael Ondaatje OUTLINE by Rachel Cusk MY LIFE AS A RUSSIAN NOVEL by Emmanuel Carrere KINGDOM by Emmanuel Carrere BLUETS by Maggie Nelson THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by Philip Roth Kirstin Chen, author of BURY WHAT WE CANNOT TAKE (ep. 55) MOTHER OF INVENTION by Caeli Wolfson Widger SUICIDE CLUB by Rachel Heng AN OCEAN OF MINUTES by Thea Lim WHITE DANCING ELEPHANTS by Chaya Bhuvaneswar Aja Gabel, author of THE ENSEMBLE (ep. 59) CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS by Sally Rooney A SEPARATION by Katie Kitamura Michael Nye, author of ALL THE CASTLES BURNED (ep. 52) ASYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday SWEET & LOW by Nick White INDIAN HORSE by Richard Wagamese REMEMBERING POETS by Donald Hall Annie Hartnett, author of RABBIT CAKE (ep. 30) THERE, THERE by Tommy Orange WHO IS VERA KELLY? by Rosalie Knecht THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters THE WORLD OF TOMORROW by Brendan Matthews LESS by Andrew Sean Greer THE MARS ROOM by Rachel Kushner - http://tkpod.com / tkwithjs@gmail.com / Twitter: @JamesScottTK Instagram: tkwithjs / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tkwithjs/
In her second novel, BURY WHAT WE CANNOT TAKE, Kirstin Chen depicts a family in China under the tightening rule of Mao. She tells James about her choice to tell the story when and how she did, along with trying to make people happy, learning to craft endings from short stories, dealing with cultural tourism, and, of course, writing in a cave in a museum. Plus, Michael Nye on the AWP conference, selling your book, scheduling your day, and writing longhand. - Kirstin Chen: http://kirstinchen.com/ Kirstin and James discuss: NTU-NAC National Writer in Residence in Singapore Little A Matthew Salesses Emerson College Columbia University NYU Chairman Mao The Great Famine The Great Leap Forward Drum Wave Inlet Michelle Brower Jamie Quatro Zadie Smith Vanessa Hua The San Francisco Chronicle - Michael Nye: http://mpnye.com/ Michael and James discuss: BOULEVARD MAGAZINE NATURAL BRIDGE: A JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE University of Missouri in St. Louis AWP Conference Annette Bening AMERICAN BEAUTY Maggie Smith Ohio State University Ruth Awad TINY LETTER RIVER STYX MAGAZINE Annie Hartnett DEEP WORK by Cal Newport - http://tkpod.com / tkwithjs@gmail.com / Twitter: @JamesScottTK Instagram: tkwithjs / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tkwithjs/
Behind appearances are stories — and sometimes they're complex, frightening stories that people hide. People milling through The Cheeseboard on Shattuck Avenue are harboring heart-stopping secrets in Shanthi Sekaran's page-turner, ‘Lucky Boy.' That normal-looking guy at the Chinatown restaurant is actually fleeing a scandalous Hong Kong celebrity career, in ‘Deceit and Other Possibilities' by Vanessa Hua, also a columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle. Characters cope with mental illness in ‘The Border of Paradise' (“stunning,” said the New York Times) by Esme Wang, who also blogs about cultivating resilience amidst disabilities. Start the morning with pathos, truth and wisdom from three dazzling fresh voices.
Vanessa Hua has done something most of us never will: She's traveled to faraway places including China, Burma, Panama, South Korea, and Ecuador to report. Here she shares what steps she took to transform a career working in business and tech journalism (at the L.A. Times, Hartford Courant, and San Francisco Examiner and later Chronicle) into her dream job of reporting abroad. How do you even conceive of an overseas reporting project? Vanessa shares smart tips for getting started and applying for fellowships. In addition to being an accomplished journalist—read her column in the San Francisco Chronicle—Vanessa is also a fiction writer (seek out her book of short stories, Deceit and Other Possibilities, and watch for her novel, A River of Stars, coming this year). Listen to her tell me how to get started on your book, and let's make #buttinthechair happen this year. Plus: thoughts on getting the most out of a mentoring relationship and finding your writing tribe. This episode was produced by Erin McKinstry. Our music, from Blue Dot Sessions, is called The Zeppelin. Logo by Theresa Berens of Boss Dotty.
Have you ever been gaslighted by someone? Well if you have, was it as bad as what happened to Becka here on Fear Street?Anna and Surge discuss!Before we talk about Fear Street The Best Friend, we also review Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Deceit and Other Possibilities by Vanessa Hua.
Have you ever been gaslighted by someone? Well if you have, was it as bad as what happened to Becka here on Fear Street?Anna and Surge discuss!Before we talk about Fear Street The Best Friend, we also review Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Deceit and Other Possibilities by Vanessa Hua.
Deceit and Other Possibilities (Willow Books) In this powerful debut collection, Vanessa Hua gives voice to immigrant families navigating a new America. Tied to their ancestral and adopted homelands in ways unimaginable in generations past, these memorable characters straddle both worlds but belong to none. From a Hong Kong movie idol fleeing a sex scandal, to an obedient daughter turned Stanford imposter, to a Chinatown elder summoned to his village, to a Korean-American pastor with a secret agenda, the characters in these ten stories vividly illustrate the conflict between self and society, tradition and change. In “What We Have is What We Need,” winner of The Atlantic student fiction prize, a boy from Mexico reunites with his parents in San Francisco. When he suspects his mother has found love elsewhere, he fights to keep his family together. With insight and wit, she writes about what wounds us and what we must survive. Her searing stories explore the clash of cultures and the complex, always shifting allegiances that we carry in ourselves, our family, and our community. Deceit and Other Possibilities marks the emergence of a remarkable new writer. Praise for Deceit and Other Possibilities "Vanessa Hua inhabits in graceful and heartbreaking detail the people of her stories: strivers and betrayers, lovers and the landless, all of them on their way to transcendence in her hands. – Susan Straight, author of Between Heaven and Here and Highwire Moon "Fast-paced, dazzling, smart, and fun, Vanessa Hua's debut collection illustrates the insanities and heartbreaks on both sides of the Pacific." – Gary Shteyngart, author of Little Failure and Super Sad True Love Story "Deceit and Other Possibilities gives us characters whose lives are constrained and yet also enriched by different borders, cultures, and traditions. A bracing and beautiful debut, full of fire and light."–Laila Lalami, author of The Moor's Account "Complicated, cosmopolitan and utterly contemporary, Deceit and Other Possibilities is a richly enjoyable collection. Hua is expert at creating both empathy and suspense whether it's in the emptiness of a national park or the crowded space of an international flight. These stories will jump right off the page into the reader's imagination."–Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy For nearly two decades, Vanessa Hua has covered Asia and the diaspora in journalism and in fiction, writing about the ways immigrants bring their traditions, their histories, and their ambitions to America. She received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, the San Francisco Foundation’s James D. Phelan Award for Fiction, and is a past Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing at San Jose State University. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, FRONTLINE/World, Washington Post, Guernica, ZYZZYVA, and elsewhere. A former staff writer at the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times, she has filed stories from China, South Korea, Panama, Burma and Ecuador. She is a graduate of Stanford University and UC Riverside's MFA program. She lives in the Bay Area with her family. Naomi Hirahara is an award-winning novelist and nonfiction writer. Her Mas Arai mystery series, which features a Southern California-based gardener and Hiroshima survivor, has been published in Japanese, Korean and French. The sixth in the series, Sayonara Slam, was released in May of this year. Her short stories have been included in Los Angeles Noir, Asian Pulp and Hanzai Japan. A former editor of The Rafu Shimpo, she also is involved in the preservation of Japanese American and regional history in the form of books and exhibitions.
Vanessa Hua is the guest. Her debut story collection, Deceit and Other Possibilities, is available now from Willow Press. In today's monologue, I talk about the holidays, Christmas presents, and New Year's resolutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lit Cast presents this live recording which features novelist Patricia Park and journalist/fiction author Vanessa Hua at Litquake's Epicenter series. This conversation explores Park's recent debut book "Re Jane," a retelling of the Charlotte Brontë classic Jane Eyre, set in the Korean immigrant community of Queens, New York. Co-presented by Green Apple Books, and recorded live at Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco. https://www.facebook.com/litquake/ https://twitter.com/Litquake