Immigrant Finds Path Out of Maze of Detention: The New York Times has a story on Xiu Ping Jiang, a waitress with no criminal record and a history of attempted suicide, who was trapped in immigration limbo, recently released from a detention center and is awaiting a new hearing.
Little critic has big vision: The San Diego Union Tribune has a fun profile on 9-year-old Perry S. Chen, a fourth grader from Carmel Valley who has made quite a name for himself as a bona fide movie critic -- G- and PG-rated movies, of course (but what he really wants to do is direct).
The California Report: David Mas Masumoto: Here's a radio story on third generation Japanese American peach farmer/writer David "Mas" Masumoto, whose latest book Wisdom of the Last Farmer: Harvesting Legacies from the Land
, recounts his father's recovery from a stroke -- an illness that forced him to re-learn farming from the son he taught to farm.Life After the First Lady: Wall Street Journal profile on fashion designer Jason Wu, whose inauguration ball gown for Michelle Obama instantly launched his career from relatively obscurity to talk-of-the-town, and what he's been up to since his breakthrough.
The First Few Strides Are Looking Good: Speaking of Jason Wu, here's a recent New York Times fashion review of his new collection, alongside new designs from Wayne and Prabal Gurung. (Thanks, Biplaw.)
Exclusive AKIRA Movie Update: I regret to inform you that the live-action Hollywood adaptation of Akira is apparently still in the works and still a priority for Warner Brothers, with the aim to start production in 2010.
