Hype Up for AAPINH Heritage Month

Not going to lie, this Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Heritage Month has been off to a really rough start. From our faith in humanity continuously being shattered by people who want to take some of our rights away, to some sad news happening in my personal life, it’s harder than usual for me to multi-task as of late.

What Did I Miss?: April 2022

Published Works

Review of The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel – For Goodreads, I briefly discuss my general thoughts on this historical romance novel.

‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ Explores the Multiverse with Chaotic, Emotional Range – For The Nerds of Color, I go in-depth on my initial impression of the Daniels’ sci-fi black comedy with heart.

Alexandria Herring’s Adventures in Producing – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak with the associate producer for the Try Guys about her experience working in the entertainment industry.

Thoughts About Directing

So this is a subject matter I’ve been meaning to address for a while now, in a manner of clearing things up and to express my thoughts about this.

After Three Years… On My Radar

Three years ago, I started – well, at least attempted to start – a new segment where I would talk about stories that were presently on my radar in that moment. I hadn’t done it since then – which is weird, considering that quarantine happened between now and back then – but after a month of revealing back to back projects, I decided to return to it after all this time… and hopefully not go as long in between future listicles.

With that said, here is a novel I’m looking forward to reading later this month, as well as two films I’m looking forward to seeing (one of them I will see pretty soon):

In Collaboration with This Asian American Life: The Making of “My Journey with Journals”

So as I had mentioned last week, I have never written a comic book or a graphic novel before… but as of this week, I can say that I have written a web comic. I teased this project back in February, but for those who missed it, on Thursday, my collaboration with This Asian American Life (TAAL) was released, in the form of a comic commemorating 20 years of journaling called “My Journey with Journals.”

What Did I Miss?: March 2022

Published Works

Depths of Unexpected Emotions Unravel in Kogonada’s ‘After Yang’– For The Nerds of Color, I break down my observations and thoughts about this director’s second feature film.

“Turning Red” Animators on Anime Influences and Working with Domee Shi – For the Center for Asian American Media, I spoke with two Pixar animators on what it was like to work on the studio’s 25th feature film.

Review of Hollywood Heroine by Sarah Kuhn – For Goodreads, I go over my general thoughts about the fifth entry into the Heroine Complex series.

Plays

Rainy Day Artistic Collective 2022 | Not in Kansas by Lauren Lola – Following the performances of the Halfway Historical Festival, the director of this very personal play gave it a home on her YouTube channel for audiences to continue to discover and, hopefully, learn from. Inspired by true events, two PhD students from the Philippines are on a road trip to New Orleans, when they experience the opposite of Southern hospitality at a rest stop in Mississippi.

Comics

My Journey with Journals – In collaboration with This Asian American Life, I look back on 20 years of journaling and how much it has shaped my life. (The companion personal essay can be read on the TAAL website.)

The Coming and Consulting of “Jemini” – A “Lumpia with a Vengeance” Spin-Off Comic

Okay, so here’s something a little different, but also pretty fun, and the best part is that this marks a first for me. So check this out:

Playwright’s Commentary: “Not in Kansas”

I’m thrilled to take part in my third production with Rainy Day Artistic Collective with my new one-act play, “Not in Kansas.” Based on real life experiences of my great aunt, Justita, the story follows two PhD students from the Philippines who’re studying in the United States in the early 1950’s. While on a trip to New Orleans, the two experience the opposite of Southern hospitality at a rest stop in Mississippi.

Coming Next Week: Halfway Historical Festival feat. “Not in Kansas”

I’m excited to reveal that after the past few months of working on this, we are now one week away from my third production with Rainy Day Artistic Collective. This time, I’ve written one of ten plays that will be featured in their Halfway Historical Festival; where all the stories revolve around real-life occurrences.

Wesley Chan on Re-Envisioning “Shell” Through New Sci-Fi Webseries

I rarely conduct interviews for my website, but when I do, I often center them on writers and storytellers who I either know or admire about their creative process and/or their latest project. This case scenario is particularly exciting for me, as this is a conversation with a filmmaker whose work I’ve come to admire and be inspired by over the years: Wesley Chan.