Author Ed Lin on Tour with New Taiwan-based Novel Incensed

We love smartly-written mystery capers, especially those from the mind of author Ed Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent. We completely appreciate that this one is set (yet again) in the night markets of Taiwan! Ed Lin's latest novel, Incensed, has just been released, and he's also on tour to promote and read from the book. Ed Lin, a journalist by training, is the author of several other books: Waylaid, his literary debut, and his Robert Chow crime series, set in 1970s Manhattan Chinatown:…

The Slants go to Taiwan for new music video!

The Slants—the world's first and only all Asian American dance rock band—filmed their new music video "Heartbeat is Heaven" during a long-awaited tour to Taiwan, where they also performed at Taiwan's legendary outdoor music festival Spring Scream! The Slants have been featured on Conan O'Brien, NPR, BBC, CBS, TIME, and 1500+ radio stations, tv shows, magazines and websites in over 80+ countries. Check out thoughts on their Taiwan adventures below! How did everyone get involved with The…

Checking in with Dawen (王大文)

It’s an unbearably hot summer day as I trek through the streets of Taipei, eager to enter an air conditioned building. I search for Eslite Bookstore. That’s where Dawen Wang and I are meeting. The last time we chatted was some five years ago at my alma mater, UIUC. "Back when I had a shaved head and was 20lbs heavier," Dawen would tell me later, as we settled outside a coffee shop. “I was [...] really, really struggling," he reminisced, "Now, I struggle in different ways. But back then, wow…

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…

Priska Working on Debut EP

One of our favorite LA-based Taiwanese American musicians, Priska, is finally working on her debut EP. (What? She didn't have one before?). We introduced Priscilla Liang to our audiences back in 2012 with this personal interview and footage from a performance at the Factory Tea Bar in the heart of San Gabriel Valley: Revisit the 2012 Interview: http://www.taiwaneseamerican.org/2012/05/introducing-singer-songwriter-priska/ We've been a big fan of her since the beginning. She's got a beautiful,…

Through the Glass Ceiling: A Contemporary Ballet Collaboration

As the founder of TaiwaneseAmerican.org, I often meet really talented people in our community doing awesome work in their respective fields and industries. When my friend, ballerina and choreographer Ivy Chow, contacted me one day asking if I knew any composers of Taiwanese heritage that might collaborate with her on a new performance project about "breaking glass ceilings," I immediately thought of another friend, composer George Shaw, known for his many compositions and scores for popular YouTube…

The Lintet: A Taiwanese American Trombonist Shows That Jazz Has No Boundaries

Taiwanese American trombonist Peter Lin talks to us about his jazz band The Lintet, how the Taiwanese community has shaped his life, the importance of connecting to the audience and community and being true to oneself—and why he incorporates Taiwanese folk songs into their repertoire. Talk a little bit about The Lintet. How did you start? The Lintet is a band led by yours truly for the past four years; dedicated towards providing quality jazz and soul music for all communities. I often…

Introducing the TaiwaneseAmerican.org Newsletter!

We are excited to introduce our first ever TaiwaneseAmerican.org newsletter! The Summer 2016 edition will be releasing soon. Sign up and join us every month for fun, interesting & remarkable events, happenings and people from around Taiwanese America! *Email and Location required. All information is kept confidential and used solely to develop newsletter content for readers. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own…

Perspective to Empower: Isa Ho’s “Girls Falling” at Taiwan Academy L.A.

Taiwanese artist Isa Ho opened her first photo exhibition “Girls Falling” at Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles from May 18th to June 30th. This photo exhibit goes beyond the usual perspectives and into a fantastical introspection of the self, with the discussion uniquely immersed in contemporary Taiwanese sensibility. The “Girls” series is referred to by many as the “Falling Down” series. The girls in the photographs along with the girls whom have been transformed into animals are all…

For the Love of the Band: Taiwanese Fans bring British Thrash Metal Onslaught to Taipei!

By Darice Chang Introduction When legendary British thrash metal band Onslaught announced their Asia tour, Taiwan was missing from the list. Undeterred, one diehard fan recruited another and together three Taiwanese decided to bring the band to Taipei themselves. With no previous experience in event organization and driven purely by passion, the three fans - under the pseudonyms Somebody, Nobody, and Everybody - pooled their money and resources to make their dream a reality. Aside…