What Did I Miss?: November 2022

Published Works

Review of Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio – For Goodreads, I briefly give my take on this memoir about the “kid” who played “the Karate Kid.”

NOC Review: When Grogu Met the Soot Sprites – For The Nerds of Color, I do a little write-up on a collaboration between two studios many have been wanting to see together.

Tig Fong on Navigating the World of Stunts and Directing – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak to this “What We Do In the Shadows” director about how they got into directing, as well as navigating the stunt world as a queer, mixed Asian person.

Highlights from the 42nd Hawai’i International Film Festival’s Virtual Program – For The Nerds of Color, by the power I had in whatever I was able to access from the mainland, I give quick glimpse at standout, feature-length films from this film festival’s virtual programming.

Mentions

This Filipino American Life Episode 179 – TFAL Gives Thanks – One of the co-hosts reads aloud an email I had sent, in response to the previous episode of the podcast. It can be heard near the beginning of the episode.

Credits

The Master of Influence with Si-Fu Bruce Lee – I am credited as the photographer behind a photo briefly shown of Daniel Dae Kim speaking at the Vicha Ratanapakdee Way street renaming ceremony.

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What Did I Miss?: October 2022

Published Works

Review of Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala – For Goodreads, I dive into my impressions on the latest installment from Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series.

New Documentary ‘Rising Against Asian Hate’ Captures An Unprecedented Moment – For the Center for Asian American Media, I spoke with the filmmakers of this very important, upcoming documentary.

Background and Filler Stories Unfold in ‘Tales of the Jedi’ – For The Nerds of Color, I discuss my thoughts about this new anthology series set within the “Star Wars” universe.

Appearances

ShoPowSho 104: ‘Dasig’ Creators Kristian Kabuay and Lauren Lola! – My collaborator and I chat with host Patrick Michael Strange a.k.a. Kuya P on the making of our graphic novel-in-progress.

What Did I Miss?: September 2022

Published Works

Review of Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn – For Goodreads, I give a brief take on the final installment of this Asian American superheroine series.

Review of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford – For Goodreads, I provide a short glimpse at my thoughts on the latest novel from this New York Times Bestselling author.

Twenty Years After “Whale Rider,” There’s Still Much to Love – In a cross post for JoySauce and Mixed Asian Media, I acknowledge the 20th anniversary of this highly celebrated New Zealand film and dive into why it means so much to me. (The version on Mixed Asian Media, titled “Finding Representation and Meaning in Whale Rider,” can be read here.)

The Quality of Asian Representation in ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 – For The Nerds of Color, I analyze in depth how well the Asian characters were written in the latest season of the Netflix series.

What Did I Miss?: August 2022

Published Works

New Looks and Release Date for ‘Andor’ – For The Nerds of Color, I share the new glimpses and news of the postponed release date for the upcoming “Star Wars” live-action series.

Samantha Futerman’s ‘From Here’ Explores Anti-Asian Hate From Korean Adoptee’s Lens – For The Nerds of Color, I spotlight this thoughtful and important short film from this Korean American actor and filmmaker.

Review of The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee – For Goodreads, I give a brief rundown on my thoughts about the latest novel set in the world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Dino-Ray Ramos Looks at Favorite Shows Through Fresh Eyes in New ‘Problematic Fave’ Podcast – For the Center for Asian American Media, I speak with the host of this new podcast about how it came to be, the discussion held in each episode, and long-term goals for it.

Livestreams

“Dasig” IG Live with Kristian Kabuay – Due to technical difficulties from last month, Kristian and I redo our conversation about our graphic novel-in-progress, this time for Instagram.

“Dasig” IG Live with Mixed Asian Media – I talk about the making of “Dasig” and the significance it holds for me with my friend and MAM chief editor, Alex Chester.

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.

What Did I Miss?: February 2022

Published Works

Review of Light Years From Home by Mike Chen – For Goodreads, I briefly fan out over – what is now – my favorite novel, by the author known for writing sci-fi with feels.

Review of Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala – For Goodreads, I provide my thoughts on the second book of this Filipino American cozy mystery series.

Why Boba Fett’s Character Development Matters – For The Nerds of Color, I defend the direction that was taken with this iconic “Star Wars” character in the latest, live-action series.

The Authors of “Rise” on Documenting Three Decades of Asian American Pop History – For the Center for Asian American Media, I speak with the three authors of this upcoming, comprehensive book exploring Asian America from the 90’s to the 2010’s.

Review of A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger – For Goodreads, I give a brief rundown on my impression of the sophomore novel of this visionary Lipan Apache writer.

What Did I Miss?: January 2022

Published Works

The Stars of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ on Being AAPI Leads of a ‘Star Wars’ Production – For The Nerds of Color, I kick off the year with my brief conversation with the two leads of the second-ever, live-action “Star Wars” production (and in a first, that interview can be watched).

Review of Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki – For Goodreads, I very briefly condense my thoughts about this whimsical, sci-fi fantasy from one of the more thoughtful authors out there.

Review of How High We Go In the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu – For Goodreads, I give a run down on this moving yet heavy debut novel.

Sundance Highlights Speculative Storytelling From Southeast Asia – For The Nerds of Color, I spotlight two distinct speculative films from Southeast Asia that made their world premieres at this prestigious film festival.

Mentions

Strong Asian Lead: Mixed Asian Media w/ Alex Chester – Alex Chester shouts me out in her conversation with host Masami Moriya about Mixed Asian Media.

What Did I Miss?: December 2021

Published Works

Review of The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki – For Goodreads, I dive into my thoughts surroundings this latest novel from this renowned author and Zen Buddhist priest.

Final Trailer for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Teases the Familiar and the Unprecedented – For The Nerds of Color, I point out how a small moment from The Matrix might actually be playing a much more central plot point in the upcoming installment of the franchise.

Dolly Li and Adrian De Leon Make Asian American History Accessible, One Video at a Time – For the Center for Asian American Media, I explore the individual careers of the co-creators of co-hosts of “A People’s History of Asian America,” before collaborating on the PBS mini webseries in the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings.

Sarah Kuhn on Bringing Herself into Her Fiction – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak with the author of the Heroine Complex author series on how she made the transition from being an entertainment journalist to writing fiction for a living.

New Heights, Going Solo, and Creating Fanded: A Conversation with Travis Atreo – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak with this longtime voice and face of the digital space on his journey so far, as well as his upcoming startup.

Thoughts From Watching ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ For the First Time – For The Nerds of Color, I give my take on the first entry into this beloved film franchise in 18 years.

Appearances

NOC Spoiler Chat: ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ – In conversation with Mike Manalo, we discuss our very contrasting opinions about this fourth installment of this film franchise, as we dive deep into the rabbit hole of spoilers.

 

Looking Back on “An Absolute Mind” 5 Years Later

Well… here we are. Two days from now will mark five years since the release of my second novel, An Absolute Mind. Half a decade has passed since I made this work of mine available to the world, and I continue to be astonished as to how relevant some of the themes and topics covered in the novel have and continue to become.

What Did I Miss?: September 2021

Published Works

Mixed Motivations for Martial Arts – For Mixed Asian Media, I speak with mixed-race Asians who practice martial arts and other forms of combat and their motivations for doing so.

Thoughts and Reactions to Watching ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ For the First Time – For The Nerds of Color, I give a rundown of what was going through my mind during various moments of this first follow-up to “The Matrix.”

Review of Tablay by Katrina Olan – For Goodreads, I briefly recapture my thoughts on this epic sci-fi novel from the Philippines.

Poster and Premiere Date Announced for ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ – For The Nerds of Color, I give a quick news bite about when to expect the release of this upcoming live-action “Star Wars” production.

Other Works

Q&A with The Mandalorian’s Diana Lee Inosanto – For Mixed Asian Media Fest, I interviewed the seasoned actor, filmmaker, and martial artist about the making of her 2008 independent film, “The Sensei.”

Appearances

Mixed Pinoy Pride Panel co-presented by ShoPowSho – I hopped on this panel discussion with Michaela Ternasky-Holland and Patrick Michael Strange as part of Mixed Asian Media Fest, where we discussed our thoughts and experiences of being both mixed-race and Filipino.