My Writing Journey: Announcing the Publication of my First Novel, Travails of a Trailing Spouse [Part 5]

My name is Stephanie Chen and I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. Like many of my peers, I followed a prescribed path towards success: studied hard, got good grades, went to an Ivy League college. I studied finance and after graduation, started a job at a top-tier investment bank. I then joined an investment fund, where I eventually became a partner. However, if you had asked me when I was in the 6th grade what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said "a writer”. In early 2017,…

My Writing Journey: After the Phone Call [Part 4]

My name is Stephanie Chen and I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. Like many of my peers, I followed a prescribed path towards success: studied hard, got good grades, went to an Ivy League college. I studied finance and after graduation, started a job at a top-tier investment bank. I then joined an investment fund, where I eventually became a partner. However, if you had asked me when I was in the 6th grade what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said "a writer”. In early 2017,…

My Writing Journey: The Need for Approval and Praise [Part 3]

My name is Stephanie Chen and I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. Like many of my peers, I followed a prescribed path towards success: studied hard, got good grades, went to an Ivy League college. I studied finance and after graduation, started a job at a top-tier investment bank. I then joined an investment fund, where I eventually became a partner. However, if you had asked me when I was in the 6th grade what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said "a writer”. In early 2017,…

My Writing Journey: Is It Good Enough? Dealing with Self-Doubt [Part 2]

My name is Stephanie Chen and I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. Like many of my peers, I followed a prescribed path towards success: studied hard, got good grades, went to an Ivy League college. I studied finance and after graduation, started a job at a top-tier investment bank. I then joined an investment fund, where I eventually became a partner. However, if you had asked me when I was in the 6th grade what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said "a writer”. In early 2017,…

My Writing Journey: How it Began [Part 1]

My name is Stephanie Chen and I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. Like many of my peers, I followed a prescribed path towards success: studied hard, got good grades, went to an Ivy League college. I studied finance and after graduation, started a job at a top-tier investment bank. I then joined an investment fund, where I eventually became a partner. However, if you had asked me when I was in the 6th grade what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said "a writer”. In early 2017,…

Meet Taiwanese American Authors in NY

Filial piety and betrayal! Martial law and political prisoners! Stinky Tofu! We’re exploring new Taiwanese American lit from the Shilin night market to the historical trauma of the White Terror. Come hear novelists Shawna Yang Ryan and Ed Lin, who’ll discuss their books with beauty and fashion politics blogger Arabelle Sicardi (Teen Vogue and ROOKIE). We'll also have complementary Taiwan Beer, generously donated by Taiwan Beer. Gan bei! RESERVE A SEAT! $5 SUGGESTED DONATION | OPEN TO…

Q&A with Dmae Roberts, Author of The Letting Go Trilogies

Dmae Roberts is the author of The Letting Go Trilogies: Stories of A Mixed-Race Family. TaiwaneseAmerican.org's editorial director Anna Wu chatted briefly with Dmae about the powerful, beautifully vulnerable memoirs. * * * Anna Wu: Hi Dmae. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Could you tell us a little bit about the process of writing these memoirs? How did you come to structure the book as a series of trilogies? Dmae Roberts: Through the decades, I've written…

“Taiwan in Literature” Forum in Berkeley

Taiwan is a magical place at the heart of Asia. An island nation, it has famous night markets, adventurous terrain, hot spring resorts, a bamboo skyscraper—and one of the world's most beautiful bookstores. These four authors, of Taiwanese descent or writing about Taiwan, include two very different novelists, a photographer/poet, and one of Asia's best guidebook writers. Join us as they talk about how "place" becomes character in their writing. (And yes, they will take questions about travel tips.) Featuring…

Meet Jack of All Trades: Actor, Writer, Producer Kelvin Yu

We've been a friend and big fan of Kelvin Yu since his earliest acting roles such as Freddy Gong in the 1999-2001 WB series Popular. He's come a long way since then, accumulating more TV credits with guest spots on Frasier, ER, Las Vegas, Without a Trace, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, CSI: Miami, and Bones. On the big screen, Kelvin can be seen in the 2006 comedy Grandma's Boy and in the 2008 Academy Award-winning biographical political drama Milk. Now, he's gained a larger following than ever…

An Interview with Ed Lin, Author of Ghost Month

Ed Lin is the author of Ghost Month, a new mystery novel set in Taipei. He is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. TaiwaneseAmerican.org's editorial director Anna Wu sat down with Ed while he was on a book tour in Berkeley, California, and they talked about his book, the politics of Taiwan, and how he became a novelist. * * * Anna Wu: Hi Ed. Could you tell us a bit about your novel, Ghost Month? Ed Lin: My latest novel Ghost Month was published by Soho Crime, actually…