New and Notable Books
July 25, 2003
Mobile Cultures: New Media in Queer Asia
Edited by Chris Berry, Fran Martin and Audrey Yue (Duke University Press)
An anthology that takes a combined look at two rapidly growing fields of study — globalization of sexual cultures together with the study of “new media.” At its core is the Internet, which has had a profound influence on enabling the establishment and rapid growth of Asia’s gay and lesbian communities.
Twinkle, Twinkle
By Kaori Ekuni, translated by Emi Shimokawa (Vertical, Inc.)
An entertaining, quirky, somewhat sad love story of sorts about a troubled young woman who marries a gay doctor and creates a new kind of family of her own.
West of the Jordan:
A Novel
By Laila Halaby (Bluestreak/Beacon Press)
A poetic first novel with some amazing images (“ … try to remember the wisdoms you unpacked that life scattered around your living room,” the author’s prologue begins) by an Arab American about four cousins, living different lives in the West Bank, in Jordan and in the United States, trying to navigate cultures, expectations and their own dreams.
Ken Hom’s Quick Wok: The Fastest Food in the East
By Ken Hom (Headline, distributed by Trafalgar Square)
Oh, if only all fast food was this toothsome. Even though I’m oh-so-worthless in the kitchen, this one made me believe I could actually make a dish or two. And the pictures alone are delicious to behold. Takeout anyone? … Although if you believe the preparation and cooking times listed, you’d be eating long before the delivery person arrived.
In Full Bloom
By Caroline Hwang (Dutton)
A wacky first novel about Korean American Ginger Lee, an English Ph.D. dropout working in the fashion industry and trying to avoid her well-intentioned mother’s attempts to marry her off before she loses her “bloom.”
The Whale Rider
By Witi Ihimaera (Harcourt)
The captivating inspiration for the award-winning film of the same title about 8-year-old Kahu, who must convince her great-grandfather that females can carry on ancient Maori traditions just as well — if not better — than the too-stubborn men.
Echoes Upon Echoes: New Korean American Writers
Edited by Elaine H. Kim and Laura Hyun Yi Kang (Temple University Press)
A fabulous collection of prose and poetry from a new generation of Korean American authors. Grouped into three sets of pairings — arrival/return, dwelling/crossing, descent/flight, all with multiple layers of meaning — the voices within explore both familiar and unfamiliar territory, often with unexpected results.
The Guin Saga
Book One: The Leopard Mask
By Kaoru Kurimoto, translated by Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander (Vertical, Inc.)
Move over, Harry Potter — here’s a totally different kind of fantasy series. While this is the first available installment in English, the Japanese version has up to 89 titles! [Vertical has rights to the first five, which make up a single narrative unit.] Remus and Rinda are platinum-blonde orphaned twins, displaced from their beloved home of Parros by the vicious Mongaul lords. Enter Guin, a powerful man with a leopard mask that will not come off, with a memory he can no longer access, who saves the twins and thus begins their amazing adventures.
The Gangster We Are All Looking For: A Novel
By lê thi diem thúy (Alfred Knopf)
Don’t know how this one fell through the cracks as I devoured it months ago and it was one of my favorites this whole year — must have been that I didn’t want to let it go. This is a haunting, finely crafted slim work about a young Vietnamese girl who arrives in California as a refugee and with innocent eyes watches her parents struggle to make a home in an unwelcoming, bewildering new land.
Paris in Mind: Three Centuries of Americans Writing About Paris
Edited and with an introduction by Jennifer Lee (Vintage Departures)
An anthology of works from Mark Twain to Langston Hughes, from Saul Bellow to David Sedaris that captures America’s love affair with the legendary city, which, according to M.F.K. Fisher, “should only be seen, the first time, with the eyes of childhood or of love.” Interesting timing for the book, I might add — no freedom fries here, thank goodness!
Consuming Bodies: Sex and Contemporary Japanese Art
Edited by Fran Lloyd (Reaktion Books)
A disturbing collection of essays that explores the inextricable link between sex and consumerism in art in Japan. It is one of those “you just can’t take your eyes away” sort of voyeuristic books that makes you question our so-called humanity.
Does Anybody Else Look Like Me? A Parent’s Guide to Raising
Multiracial Children
By Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Perseus Publishing)
Drawing upon the experiences of over 60 multiracial families — including her own, made up of a Japanese American husband and two hapa children — Nakazawa offers a how-to on raising children in a world where “What are you?” or “Where did you get them?”comments are all too prevalent.
The Image Factory: Fads & Fashions in Japan
By Donald Richie (Reaktion Books)
From one of the world’s most famous — and favorite — ex-pats living in Japan comes a shrewd though appreciative look at Japan’s craze for fads, fashions and style, from manga, pachinko, cell phones and even the sex trade and kawaii (the ultimate in cute) industries.
Dragon Bones
By Lisa See (Random House)
The third thriller from See to feature Liu Hulan, an agent for China’s Ministry of Public Security, and her husband, American lawyer David Stark. This time, they’re investigating a potential murder and archeological theft along the Yangtzi River at the site of the Three Gorges Dam, the controversial dam that will displace over 2 million people along the river shores and deluge thousands of archeological sites.
And for the kiddies …
Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends
By Rena Krasno and Yeng-Fong Chiang (Pacific View Press)
A collection of 23 traditional Chinese myths and legends, uniquely illustrated with rare advertising posters from the 1920s and ’30s.
Sumi’s First Day of School Ever
By Soyung Pak, illustrated by Joung Un Kim (Viking/Penguin Putnam)
A young Korean girl experiences her first day of school where the children do not look like her or speak her language. But with a kind teacher and a new friend, Sumi decides that school is not such a mean, lonely, scary place after all.
Land of Morning Calm: Korean Culture Then and Now
By John Stickler, illustrated by Soma Han (Shen’s Books)
A perfect introduction for older children about the culture and arts of the ancient land of Korea. The book is especially timely now, if nothing else but to dispel some of Bush’s “axis of evil” verbiage.
Sweet Briar Goes to School
By Karma Wilson, illustrated by LeYuen Pham (Dial Books/Penguin Putnam)
An adorable skunk goes to school for the first time, only to be ostracized by the other animal children because of her pungent odor. But watch out for the underdog — in this case, that should be underskunk — because she proves herself to be a hero and saves the day.
Comments
Got something to say?