Finding the Words to Say…

This was not what I was originally planning to write about for today, and yet I struggle to find the words to express the emotions this country has felt over and over again. We’re not a full month into the new year. Heck we’re not even a full week into the lunar new year. And yet, I don’t need to be the one to say that as far as the United States go, we’ve been off to a rough start, by way of occurrences we’ve seen one too many times: gun violence and police brutality.

Advertisement

A Firm Stance in Loving Memory

There is a lot going on in the world and in my personal life currently. The past 24 hours have been some of the hardest I’ve had to ever deal with. While this blog is, for the most part, about writing and storytelling, you should know by now that I’m not shy about taking a stance against the numerous levels of wrong that continue to poison this world — and in this case, my stances on what I’m about to touch on have been amplified by what I’ve been through recently.

Ukraine: Resources and a Reminder

This is obviously outside of what I would normally post about, but I found it necessary given the most recent circumstances with the invasion Russian President Vladimir Putin enacted in Ukraine. I promise you, I have more of my usual content in March, but for today, here are some resources for how to help the citizens of Ukraine:

Thoughts About Drawing Inspiration From Real Lives

If you’re someone who’s in tune with widely read pieces on the Internet, then by now, you’re probably aware of the lengthy New York Times article that was published earlier this week called “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?” To put it short, it goes into great detail about the legal dispute between a kidney donor and a writer whose short story may or may not have been inspired by the former’s experience.

Stop Asian Hate: Required Action

I took last week off from blogging to deal with the grief, stress, anger, and fear I’ve been following the hate crime in Atlanta. Yes, unlike the police department that has failed in so many ways with handling the crime, I’m referring to it as what it is: a hate crime.

Racism is a Virus Part II: REQUIRED Research

As disgusted as I am that we’re nearly a year into this pandemic, I’m even more so at the ongoing attacks against the Asian American community. While xenophobia towards Asian Americans is nothing new in this country, there’s been a spike in attacks over the past year in response to the surge of COVID-19 cases. From March 19th-December 31st of last year, Stop AAPI Hate had 2,808 reports of hate crimes collected (a thorough breakdown of this data can be found here).

Where Spoken Words Fail, Written Words Take Over

Several years ago, I opened up about how when I was little, I was speech and language delayed. It took years of working with educators and therapists to get me on track to where I need to be, communication-wise. By the time I hit junior high, unless you checked my records, no one would have ever suspected that I once struggled to speak.

The End of BookExpo and BookCon

In this pandemic, it has been a common practice to cancel in-person events altogether and move them virtually. However, this week came an instance where an event that was held virtually earlier this year is being cancelled altogether. I’m talking specifically in this case about BookExpo and BookCon.

When Words Matter: For Ahmaud Arbery

This is something I cannot stay silent about.

By now, you’re probably aware of this, but for those who aren’t, earlier this week, we learned that a 25-year-old man named Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down while out for a jog in Brunswick, Georgia by a father and son duo.

Racism is a Virus: REQUIRED Analyzing

In this world right now, there are two viruses being spread, and only one of them is making national headlines. The other virus that I speak of is racism. While I’ve spoken of racism in the past in this corner of the Internet, this is really the ugliest it has gotten towards the Asian American community in quite some time.