“With its themes of border- and boundary-crossing and its array of marginalized characters, Stephanie Han’s Swimming in Hong Kong (Willow Springs/Eastern WA University Press) certainly has grabbed my attention,” writes John Madera for BigOther.
I am really excited to announce that the collection made John Madera’s list for one of the most anticipated books of 2017! Mahalo to all of those who support small press books, independent bookstores, and the culture and business of reading widely and between the margins. It matters.
I was very glad to make this list as the date of my book distribution is January 2017, thus the release of the book really fell between years. I am looking forward to reading the other titles on this list.
I would like to also wish everyone Happy Lunar New Year! Get that? It is not Chinese New Year; it is LUNAR NEW YEAR. There are millions of non-Chinese celebrating this calendar event. Specifically, Happy Year of the Rooster! This rooster image was taken over the holidays when we went camping. Hawaii has a big chicken problem. They are everywhere: in the city, in the alleys, in the parks. I’m actually surprised that no one goes around and grabs them to eat them given the popularity of fried chicken here, but then again, who knows what I am eating?
One of the qualities that characterize those born in the Rooster year is that of responsibility. We can say that this year demands we be responsible to the concerns of the planet–especially given who is in the US Executive branch. Make the phone calls. Show up at the march. Do not compromise the core principles of our national identity to feed a tyrant. This is a long fight, so dig in.
Read a book to discover different worlds and people, and have a great Year of the Rooster!
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