Archived Posts - October 2006

Archived Posts - September 2006

q & a with david yoo

David Yoo's Girls For Breakfast is one of those books I want to recommend to everyone, but I'm reluctant to tell them why I like it so much. It's just a genuine, funny story about Nick Park, an adolescent girl-crazy Korean American kid, growing up and trying to fit in as the only Asian kid in his school. The book is absolutely hilarious, true, and ridiculously embarrasing. I fear that I can relate with Nick's thoughts and experiences in more ways than I really care to admit. First published last year, the book is finally out on paperback this week. I highly recommend picking it up. Get it at your local bookstore in the "teen/young adult" section, or the usual online retailers.

I had a chance to catch up with David, who answered questions about life, writing, Girls, and other silly things...

How's it going?

It depends on who you ask. Personally, I can't complain, but if you ask anyone who knows me how they think things are going for me they'd probably look down at their feet and softly mutter, "You know damn well how he's doing, why are you putting me in this position?"

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm a writer and my first novel, Girls For Breakfast (Random House/Laurel Leaf), comes out in paperback September 12, 2006.

If you had to sell your book to some random person inside Barnes & Noble, what would you tell them?

Well, if they're inside a Barnes & Noble, they're probably holding in their hands a copy of Marley and Me, in which case I'd inform them that the dog dies at the end and the couple ends up getting divorced, and then I'd add, "By the way, did I mention that I wrote a book?"

Where did you get the idea to write Girls for Breakfast?

Poughkeepsie.

Was it important for you to tell a specifically Asian American story?

Editors who rejected the novel would often say, "I liked the writing, but could you maybe make Nick a girl, and in the end, could she take a trip to China or something?" Okay, I'm exaggerating, but this particular Asian American story doesn't see the light of day very often, and for that very reason I did have a vested interest in telling it. I wanted Asian American teens experiencing similar upbringings as mine to have a book they could relate to, because the fiction that spoke to me growing up were all non-Asian authors. There wasn't an Asian American Portnoy's Complaint, or The Last Picture Show, and I probably could have used it.

In a lot of ways, your book covers many of themes familiar to Asian American literature: parents, race, not fitting in... but what I like
about your book (and what differentiates it) is that it's so damn funny.

Humor is a way to write about deeper, sadder things without sounding preachy or melodramatic or overly self-righteous. Also, having a funny Korean narrator goes against the stereotype of the stoic, quiet, submissive Asian guy that is often portrayed in the media, and part of what I try to do is show another angle.

I felt like I could relate to Nick's experiences as a real Asian American guy. How much of Girls For Breakfast is
autobiographical?

34%.

The book is intended for teens and young adults, but I think it really resonates with an adult audience. What kind of reactions have you gotten from readers, young and old, Asian American and non-Asian American?

Well, books like Catcher in the Rye were considered adult because the category "young adult" hadn't been established yet, and while I love young adult fiction, I wrote Girls For Breakfast with Salinger in mind, as opposed to Judy Blume, so to me I see it as a crossover novel. That said, I feel this book is for teens for the reasons that I mentioned earlier, but at the same time I feel this book doesn't fit neatly into the category of young adult fiction, which, despite what I just said, has very specific delineations that makes it different from adult fiction. One of the things I love about young adult fiction is that it tends to cut out a lot of the excess you find in mediocre adult literary fiction, but at the same time I'm leery of how some young adult novels are so strict about the pacing and plot development that as a result they end up having pat resolutions or a blatant morality pasted into it—Girls For Breakfast has subtle revelations and depends more on voice then plot that is typically more common in adult fiction. That, and the book's steeped in everything-80s, so it holds a modicum of nostalgic currency for people of my generation. That last sentence has to be pretty much the lamest thing I've said in a month.


I'll add that there definitely has been a discernible 'specific' response from readers, depending on their demographic, and the breakdown generally goes something like this:

Adult non-Asian readers: "It was really funny!"

Adult Asian readers: "It was really sad!"

Young readers: "I liked the Triceratops."

Infant readers: "Goo..."

Elderly readers: "Do you have a real job?"

Who/what are some of your creative influences, literary and otherwise?

Literary: my former professors whose work I revere: Lucia Berlin, Steven Millhauser, Steve Stern. I'm always hesitant to list Nabakov or P Roth or other
famous writers I love, because then the person's eyes light up and they go, "Did you read Pnin?" and I'll shake my head no. "Pale Fire? Speak, Memory? Ada, or... jeez, what exactly have you read of his?" and I'll answer, meekly, "Laughter in the Dark," which is one of my favorite all-time novels, and I can practically quote it at this point, but they'll still look at me like I’m a big poser. Which I am.

Otherwise: My friends. My family. The people who live in the apartment with the big window across from my apartment after 2AM. Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow. The Vaudevillian duo from Williamsburg known as Jesse and Bo. The undiscovered talent of Ashley Simpson Shires and Josh Melrod. The comedy of Matt Hyams, etc...

Did you always want to be a writer? Were you encouraged to be a writer?

Not really. I mean, I never kept a diary or declared at age 10 that I was going to be a writer someday or anything like that, but in retrospect, I realize now that growing up I daydreamed pretty much all the time, and by the time I was midway through college I realized I had no choice in the matter. Because I'd spent all my time in my head, telling stories to myself, I'd ended up with terrible grades. One afternoon sophomore year I desperately made a list of what I did reasonably well, and I only came up with two things: I could flick beer bottle caps better than average, and I was a convincing liar. The list was obviously pointing me towards a career as a struggling writer.

What sort of advice do you have for aspiring Asian American writers/authors?

Don't be afraid of going against the grain, and don't let anyone's opinions override your own, because you are always right. Also, by year 5 your parents will finally crack and stop badgering you to get a sensible job in insurance out of sheer mental fatigue, and so you'll be home free. The thing is, around this time you'll actually start kinda wishing you had a sensible job in insurance, so you'll feel decidedly confused about your career track for a while, but if you're really meant to write you'll keep doing it.

Last great book you read?

I'm interested in someday writing a really short novel, so I recently re-read Rain by Kirsty Gunn, which I like quite a bit, but 'great' isn't a word I use lightly. Maybe I should just list a handful of the dozen or so novels that I tend to manage to read at least once a year: Endless Love, Mildred Pierce, Catcher in the Rye, Rosemary's Baby, Revolutionary Road, and Wide Sargasso Sea.

Last great movie you watched?

The Squid and the Whale. Also, this weekend I saw Showdown in Little Tokyo again, and while I can't with a straight face call it a great movie, I'd forgotten how sharp the homoerotic non-sequiturs are. Very quotable movie, easily Dolph Lundgren's best work.

Have you thought about writing for television or film? How about adapting Girls for the screen?

I think about a lot of things. But yeah, I have a couple of screenplay ideas that I will at some point get to, but I'm wary of ending up facedown in a pool (assuming Sunset Boulevard is par for the course). At the moment I enjoy writing books, because I like working things out by myself. Of course, if thrown the right amount of money, I'd do pretty much anything.

Ever consider writing a sequel? I'd love to see what happens to Nick Park in college...

I have a sequel, perhaps a trilogy in mind for Nick Park, but I have a few other books to write before I return to him.

Take a moment to plug something, anything (other than your book).

Done. Okay, that was a terrible answer, um, let's see, well I'd like to give props to books by fellow writers I dig and who I also get a huge dose of motivation from: Matt de la Pena's Ball Don't Lie, Andrew Auseon's Funny Little Monkey, and Owen King's We're All in This Together, to name a few. I'd also like to officially pledge allegiance to the musical ouvre of the now defunct The Vitamen; and lastly, I haven't seen it yet, but if it holds up to the incredible screenplay, which I own, I'd like to throw a shoutout to Michael Kang's debut film, The Motel.

Dream project?

I don't know if I'm answering this one correctly, but I would love to sing a duet with Richard Marx on national television someday. That, and my next novel.

What are you working on next?

My taxes from 2003, and the previously mentioned work-in-progress, which I'd be happy to describe, only I have no idea what it's about.

What makes you angry?

By no means a complete list and in no particular order: drivers who pass on the right; people who think the dialogue in Crash was even remotely natural--let alone timely; Frank Lampard fans; fruit flies—especially when there's no fruit even in the apartment; 90% of all auto mechanics; every band's one "Coldplay song"; that girl in Boulder eight years ago who, in the middle of our blind date, asked me, "Can Koreans have twins?"; adults who wear youth small T-shirts and play bass with a pick; people who put beach chairs in parking spots after a snow storm; people who visit tanning salons in the summer and think freckles that have their own freckles is attractive; 99% of all people in most coffee shops; people who actually use the phrase "to my chagrin," in daily conversation; Notre Dame fans during winning seasons; any kind of animal abuse aside from delicious baby calves; the evolutionary question mark that is Carrot Top; but what makes me the most angry, by far, is litterbugs. It sounds corny, but I seriously get shakily angry, even with the elderly, when I see them litter. In fact, I literally almost came to fisticuffs with a 70ish-year-old lady a few weeks ago when, while walking in front of me, she callously unwrapped a box of Merit 100s cigarettes and dropped the crumpled plastic onto the sidewalk. "Big mistake, Ethel," I muttered, as I picked up the wrapper and started chasing after her. Probably not the final image I want to leave prospective readers with, but what the hell...

macaca-gate isn't going away

Macaca-gate isn't going away, not if these Three Cute Lil' Macacas have anything to say about it. Here's a story on S.R. Sidarth, the Indian American guy who was the object of George Allen's ridicule, sparking this whole controversy: Fairfax Native Says Allen's Words Stung.

Meanwhile, Senator Allen gave protesters and supporters the slip last week, canceling a scheduled visit to downtown Staunton, VA on Friday: Allen, dogged by protest, dodges downtown. Do note the awesome photo of protesters dressed as a banana and a monkey.

never forget the macaca

Senator George Allen personally apologized yesterday to S.R. Sidarth for referring to him as "macaca" nearly two weeks ago: Senator Apologizes to Student for Remark.

I guess he realized that it was in his best interest, career-wise, to get past this incident. But I hope people aren't that quick to forget this, as well as Allen's racially charged past, when election time rolls around... Never forget the Macaca.

macaca-gate update

The latest in Macaca-gate... So Senator Allen offered his apology to Indian American leaders: Allen's remarks called hurtful. Says Allen, "What bothers me the most of all of this, it's so contrary to who I am. It tears my guts up." Really? Is it really so contrary? How about the Senator's long association with the Confederate flag? Is that so contrary? I don't know, I'm having my doubts about the guts thing.

Meanwhile, MoveOn.org has created an online petition asking the Republican National Committee to withdraw support of Senator Allen: The RNC should withdraw support for Sen. Allen

Also, S.R. Sidarth's grandparents recently wrote a letter to the Washington Post: What Did Mr. Allen Mean?

We would like to thank you for taking the right stand on the gaffe of Sen. George Allen ["George Allen's America," editorial, Aug. 15].

It is quite shocking for a person of Mr. Allen's caliber, who is running for a second Senate term and is a likely candidate for president in 2008, to point a finger at a young lad of 20, bullying our grandson, S.R. Sidarth, and calling him a derogatory and uncalled-for name. Sidarth was only videotaping the event.

In the 1930s Sidarth's great-grandfather accompanied Mohandas Gandhi to London as his secretary at the Round Table Conference on political reform in India. We come from a heritage of nationalists and seekers after truth. Hence these remarks hurt all the more, and we are personally affected by such an attack.

BOB NARASIMHAN

MANI NARASIMHAN

Bethesda

And check out this nice photo of mad Allen protestors: Allen’s gaffe shows politics to be Internet feeding ground. The dude on the right's name is Gogol Ganguli. Isn't that the name of the guy from Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake?

george allen denies racist remark

George Allen claims he wasn't singling out S. R. Sidarth, who is Indian American, when he referred to him as "Macaca": Senator Says He Meant No Insult by Remark.

Thank you, Senator, but I ain't buying it. When you say stuff like, "Welcome to America," you're stamping a big fat FOREIGNER label on the only non-white face in the audience. Sidarth, by the way, was born and raised in Virginia. More here: Senator denies remark was racist.

It really does speak to a common, ignorant, and narrow view of who and who is not an American. I have an extremely hard time believing Allen's insistence that his remarks were not racially motivated.

UPDATE: Senator Allen met today with members of the US Indian Political Action Committee over this whole incident: Allen meets with Indian PAC over remarks. Meanwhile, Sepia Mutiny has all sorts of good info: When in doubt, blame your staff. And of course, someone has created a line of macaca-centric clothing: The Macaca Shop

the meaning of macaca

What the hell does "macaca" mean? George Allen, Republican Senator from Virginia, used the nonsensical term in reference to one of his opponent's volunteers, who is of Indian descent.

S.R. Sidarth, a staffer for Democrat James Webb's Senate campaign, was singled out during a speech last week by Allen, who called him a word that sounded like "macaca": Sen. Allen's Remarks Spark Ire

"This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great. We're going to places all over Virginia, and he's having it on film and its great to have you here and you show it to your opponent because he's never been there and probably will never come."

After telling the crowd that Webb was raising money in California with a "bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," Allen again referenced Sidarth, who was born and raised in Fairfax County.

"Lets give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia," said Allen, who then began talking about the "war on terror."

Allen's campaign tried to offer a plausible, excusable explanation of his remarks:

[Allen campaign manager Dick] Wadhams said Allen campaign staffers had begun calling Sidarth "mohawk" because of a haircut Wadhams said the Webb staffer has. "Macaca was just a variation of that," Wadhams said.

Nice try. Funny. But that's a big, brown, stretchy load of crap. I find it funny that they bothered even trying to come up with an explanation at all. The article needlessly goes on to speculate what the hell "macaca" really could mean, if anything at all:

Depending on how you spell it, the name Allen gave Sidarth means different things.

If spelled M-a-c-a-c-a, the term refers to a species of monkeys in the Eastern Hemisphere. "Is he saying Sidarth is a monkey?" Todd asked.

The word M-a-k-a-k-a refers to a town in South Africa.

It's obvious Allen was just mocking and picking up on Sidarth's Indian-ness, singling out the only non-white face in the crowd. "Welcome to America," my ass. Sidarth was born and raised in the United States. Hell of a coincidence he should make reference to the "War on Terror" just moments after.

We're talking about George Allen, a man who wore a Confederate flag pin for his high school senior class photo, and reportedly flew the damn flag on his car... while living in Southern California. This man is the devil. God forbid he should make a run for President. There's a clip of his speech over at YouTube. That's racist!

UPDATE: According to some comments on Daily Kos, "macaca" is apparently a derogatory term used in Tunisia in reference to blacks and dark-skinned people. It so happens that Allen's mother is from French Tunisia. Coincidence? It's a little too shady to discount.

A little more digging reveals some really ugly uses of variations of "macaque," culled from white supremacist sites: 'Macaca' or 'Macaque'. Like I said, it's pretty ugly. But it's evident that the term is a commonly used racial slur on par with the "n-word" in the United States.

Allen has since offered his weak little apology, claiming the word had no derogatory meaning for him: Senator says he's sorry for "macaca" comment

If you feel like saying a few words of your own to Sen. Allen and his people, here is some information that you might find useful:

Post Office Box 6859
Arlington, VA 22206
Phone: 703-845-3689
Fax: 703-845-7519

There's also an email form on the Senator's website. Do what you feel is necessary. Personally, I'd like to see a large group of folks show up at Allen's next gathering wearing yellow shirts that say "macaca, or whatever your name is."

Archived Posts - July 2006

more on biden's 7-11 remarks

Here's an article on Senator Joseph Biden's off-color remarks about Indian Americans in Delaware: Biden comments against Indian Americans.

According to the article, this isn't the first time a Senate Democrat has insulted Indian Americans. The Hotline, which posted the CSPAN video that caught Biden's comments, got this response from Biden's camp:

"The point Senator Biden was making is that there has been a vibrant Indian American community in Delaware for decades. It has primarily been made up of engineers, scientists and physicians, but more recently, middle class families are moving into Delaware and purchasing family-run small businesses. These families have greatly contributed to the vibrancy of the Indian American community in Delaware and are making a significant contribution to the national economy as well. Senator Biden has tremendous admiration for the Indian American community. They have enjoyed a long-standing relationship of mutual support and respect."

Pretty poor choice of words to make your point, Joe. It doesn't look like he's going to apologize: Biden Defends Remarks

senator joe biden's 7-11 joke

Another politician shoves his foot up his mouth! Way up. Read this over at Sepia Mutiny... C-SPAN cameras caught Delaware Senator Joe Biden happily telling an Indian-American activist that Indian-Americans are the fastest-growing immigrant group in Delaware. How fast? Said Biden, "You cannot go into a Dunkin Donuts or a 7-Eleven unless you have a slight Indian accent..." Oh no he didn't! View the footage here.

Archived Posts - June 2006

Archived Posts - May 2006

Archived Posts - April 2006

Archived Posts - March 2006

Gina on America's Next Top Model, Cycle Six

Did you watch the season premiere of 'America's Next Top Model'? It's a doozy.



So, in the same night we saw Chloe win Project Runway, they also aired this season's premiere of America's Next Top Model. I got a ton of email from people writing in to tell me about the Asian American contestant, Gina, and all the foolish things she said. Who knew so many people watched this show? It was such an overwhelming response, I had to track down the show and see it for myself. So I did, and it's a doozy.

asians on tim horton's commercial

There's an interesting commercial that's been running regularly on Canadian television for Tim Hortons, a Canadian chain of coffee and donut shops.

The ad features a relationship between a Chinese father and son (part of their "True Stories" series of commercials), and has apparently been airing on pretty heavy rotation, and getting a lot of attention. View it here [updated link].

Kind of touching. Now go hug your dad. This article, however, is a bit more cynical about the ad: Forget Hockey Dad. Meet Anti-Hockey Grandpa.

asian filmmakers fight back!

Here's an article about how Asian film industries are making efforts to challenge Hollywood's status as the worldwide entertainment industry juggernaut:

Asian Filmmakers Fight Back Vs. Hollywood

Faced with the threat of big-budget Hollywood productions, ethnic
Chinese filmmakers are fighting back by closing ranks and pooling
talent, money and ideas with their Asian counterparts.

The strategy: casting big-name Japanese and Korean stars with
regional appeal alongside Chinese actors to target more markets
across the region and forming creative alliances that can create
better movies and appeal to a broader range of investors.

As a result, budgets and quality are going up and, in turn, raising
the prospect of opening up foreign markets and of even challenging
Hollywood in the world entertainment industry.

The rise of Korean film and pop culture is a big part of the
equation.

Backed by a strong and supportive domestic market, South Korea has
been able to generate big productions and a host of stars with
regional appeal. Lee Young-ae, the star of the hit Korean TV
series "Dae Jang Geum," or "Jewel in the Palace," is mobbed by
adoring fans whenever she shows up in Hong Kong.

So casting Korean actors in a movie has a double market effect, in
both the Chinese-speaking and Korean-speaking worlds.

That's why filmmakers cast another "Jewel in the Palace" star, Ji
Jin-Hee, in the Chinese-language musical movie "Perhaps Love," said
William Pfeiffer, chief executive of Celestial Pictures, which
invested in the film.

"We didn't put Ji Jin-hee in just because we thought we needed a
Korean to appeal to the Korean market. We put Ji Jin-hee in because
we knew he was a good actor who could also appeal to the people in
Hong Kong and the rest of the region because they like Ji Jin-hee,"
he said.

There's a financial incentive for the diverse casts as well. The big
budget required to match Hollywood competition means films need to
garner a regional audience to recoup their costs.

"For Chinese movies, Japan, Korea and southeast Asia are our main
markets. There are few Chinese stars who have name recognition
throughout the main markets of mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Japan and Korea. There are not enough to back up a movie," Hong Kong
director Stanley Tong said.

In Tong's recent film "The Myth," he cast Jackie Chan alongside
Indian sex symbol Mallika Sherawat and South Korean Kim Hee-sun.

Asian movie budgets are going up but still pale in comparison to
Hollywood budgets. Pfeiffer estimates the average Asian budget is
about US$2 million (euro1.7 million). "Perhaps Love" cost US$10
million (euro8.4 million) and Chinese director Chen Kaiges mythology
epic "The Promise" US$35 million (euro29.2 million). In Hollywood
the average is in the high tens of millions.

Another driver of regional cooperation is the potential of the
mainland Chinese market. China has a population of 1.3 billion, but
its movie market is underdeveloped, focused mainly in big cities.
The total Chinese box office in 2005 was just 2 billion yuan (US$249
million; euro208 million) in 2005, according to official figures,
whereas a big U.S. box office hit can rake in hundreds of millions
of U.S. dollars (euro) alone.

Pfeiffer said filmmakers can increasingly count on the China market
to recover their costs, with the Chinese box office covering up to
30 percent of production costs for some movies.

He said "Perhaps Love" has grossed more than 30 million yuan (US$3.7
million; euro3.1 million) in the mainland, a big jump from what
could be expected a few years ago.

The idea of pooling markets and resources within Asia is also a
positive trend because it breeds better quality, which in turn opens
more markets and encourages more investment, creating a "virtuous
cycle," Pfeiffer said.

"As the production values increase, or improve, because the budgets
have increased, because the home market is bigger and because you're
more confident that you can secure business outside of your home
market, you'll put more money into it," he said.

Asian moviemakers are also seeking new creative collaborations that
they hope will give their product a new look. Hong Kong, known for
its violent action films, has reached out to dance-driven Bollywood,
and vice versa.

The dance routines in "Perhaps Love," directed by Hong Kong's Peter
Chan, were choreographed by Farah Khan from Bollywood as India's
Hindi film industry is known while the upcoming Bollywood
film "Krrish" will feature action sequences designed by Hong Kong
director Tony Ching.

Eventually, Asian filmmakers are hoping they can give Hollywood a
little heat on its home turf.

The consolidation of the Asian movie industry comes as Asian content
becomes more popular in the U.S. following the success of "Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Similar martial arts films "Hero" and "House
of Flying Daggers" have posted respectable showings since then.

Producer Andre Morgan, whose credits include Bruce Lee's "Enter the
Dragon" and more recently, "Perhaps Love," said regional
collaboration is a matter of survival.

"Ultimately at the end of the day the battle will be fought and lost
or won over showing the audiences of Asia that Asian production
companies, Asian producers and directors can give them product that
is as entertaining, and of a comparable quality to the foreign
language product coming into the marketplace," Morgan said.

"And if we can't do that, ultimately we should all pack up and go
home," he said.

If only they could find a way to prevent Hollywood from making pointless American remakes of Asian films.

Archived Posts - February 2006

Archived Posts - January 2006