The ALIA
Volume I. Issue XXI. Jan. 17, 2021.
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the twenty-first issue of The ALIA, a weekly newsletter dedicated to the lives of Asian women in America, and beyond, where we bring you the latest news and insightful conversations with industry professionals. In this volume, we feature women in fashion, media and arts. Find us on Instagram. Subscribe for free here.
Letter from the editor:
Hello! It’s so good to see you again, and a warm welcome to our new subscribers. So much has happened already in 2021 – a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol while President Trump is being impeached for a second time, the Biden-Harris administration prepares for inauguration on Wednesday, new strains of the coronavirus are appearing across the world, and so much more. Amidst it all, I hope you are taking care of yourself and staying safe and healthy.
This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with New York Times Best Selling author Chloe Gong. The book has garnered readers’ well-deserved love with a retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy, “Romeo and Juliet,” with a 1920s Shanghai spin. You’ll have to read it for yourself for all the drama, love and betrayal. In our conversation, Chloe shares her thoughts on being a young author and how she got to where she is today.
In other news, our new year’s giveaway has closed, and winners have been notified via Instagram. I want to thank you all for participating! Look out for more giveaways in the near future, and keep subscribing for more insightful conversations with inspiring Asian women.
I hope you enjoy!
Sincerely,
Annie Lin
Founder of The ALIA
If you could like to learn more about this project, please contact us at contact@alia.news
Asian Creatives
Clockwise from top left: @injigogo, @eggdressesup, @aimeesong, @whatthephokelly
Community News
Bling bling • The splashy new Netflix reality show “The Bling Empire” featuring a circle of wealthy Asian Americans in Los Angeles is the latest drop in the portrayal of upper-class Asians. Vogue says it is “billed as a ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ meets ‘Selling Sunset’ hybrid that offers a glimpse at extreme affluence and glamour.” Watch the trailer: Youtube
Keeping it real • On the flip side, television personality Jeannie Mai discusses the entertainment industry pushing the stereotype of “Crazy Rich Asians,” saying that while having representation is great, “but, why does it have to be specifically ‘crazy’ or ‘rich’”? She makes a point. Read: Variety
Asian leads • In a tear-jerking romantic drama, Harry Shum Jr. stars as the lead, Solomon “Sol” Chau, across Jessica Rothe as Jennifer Carter in the real-life story of an engaged couple’s life turned upside down by his liver cancer diagnosis. Shum talks about his leading role as an Asian American actor after years of feeling like an outsider. Read: The Hollywood Reporter
Pro-Trump riot • Following last week’s domestic terrorist attack of the U.S. Capitol, Asian American lawmakers expressed concerns for marginalized communities. Rep. Mark Takano said, “I think members who are racial minorities, whether Asian, Latino or African American...seeing a crowd...that was angry, largely white, with grievances, certainly would have been unnerving, to say the least.” Read: NBC News
In Conversation with Chloe Gong
This week, we’re joined by Chloe Gong, 22, writer and author of The New York Times Best Selling book “These Violent Delights,” a reimagining of the Shakespearean classic “Romeo and Juliet” set in 1920s Shanghai with a blood feud between rival gangs.
Currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania double-majoring in English and international relations, Gong is one of the youngest authors to debut and land a coveted spot on the NYT Best Sellers. She shares her experience growing up Shanghainese in New Zealand, her inspirations as a young author and hints at the sequel to her book.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
How did moving from Shanghai to New Zealand influence your identity and connection to either culture?
My parents immigrated with me from Shanghai to New Zealand when I was two years old, so while I don’t remember anything about living in Shanghai, the way they raised me has been almost entirely colored by Chinese culture. Our food, practices and holidays celebrated at home were based on what my parents knew. My childhood has always been two different worlds; my home life side-by-side with the stereotypical laidback Kiwi culture New Zealand is known for. Both cultures influenced the way my identity formed for sure! I suppose I feel more connected to one or the other, depending on the context. I love Chinese history, and I always loved visiting China during school holidays every year. On the other hand, I’m very westernized, as I’m sure many other diasporas are, so I relate far more to Western media and stories.
When did you realize you had a talent for writing?
I don’t think I ever really had a moment of realization! I started writing before I formulated the thought that it could be pursued professionally. I was genuinely bored all the time as a pre-teen, and I read too fast. When I sped through my stack of books from the library, I would write my own stories to kill time. Throughout high school, I kept writing more and more manuscripts. I was growing my craft without the pressure of producing anything good. One thing led to another, and by the time I graduated high school and was looking at the stories I was writing, it was more a sudden moment of “hmm… this might be something that I could see on the bookshelves.”
Growing up, were your parents supportive of your creative endeavors?
They didn’t know! Because I saw it as a hobby, there was no difference between me hunched over the corner, silently tapping on my iPad v.s. hunched over the corner with a book telling everyone to leave me alone because I was busy reading. They thought it was just me being a book nerd, whether reading stories or writing stories. After I got my agent, they realized I had been writing books all these years. Understandably, they were confused over what being published even was. The closer I got to the release of “These Violent Delights,” the more they began to understand it. They were supportive the entire way, regardless of being confused.
As a successful young writer, do you face pressure from expectations?
For sure. In the sense that the publishing industry expects young writers to have somehow worked their way up by luck. Even though we got here earlier, that doesn’t mean we didn’t work just as hard on a different timeline. Because there aren’t many of us, it feels like young writers constantly have to assert themselves as hardworking, so people don’t find something to dispute our success or prove that we don’t deserve it.
Where did you get the inspiration for “These Violent Delights”?
It started as a blood feud story, and the intrigue of two characters caught on opposing sides locked in war. The more I thought about it, though, I knew the themes sounded like “Romeo and Juliet,” and everyone knows “Romeo and Juliet,” so I decided to engage directly with the Shakespearean play as a retelling instead. I wanted to rework the heart of that story through an entirely new lens by setting it in 1920s Shanghai, which I’ve always been fascinated with. With my love for Shakespeare and my fascination with the history of the city of Shanghai, “These Violent Delights” was formed out of those two core concepts.
What can readers expect from the book?
I hope they can experience an immersive world that continues even beyond the last page. While there are many ideas that I want to have a long-lasting impact, like colonialism and imperialism commentary, I ultimately don’t think it is a book’s job to teach, but rather to present ideas and see what the readers walk away with. I hope readers came in expecting the thrill of a good young-adult historical fantasy with characters to root for, but also the nuanced and complex representation of societal and political relations in 1920s Shanghai. I hope they take away a story they can hold close to their heart, no matter what form that presents itself in.
Did you have any inkling about the success of the book?
My agent and I guessed that it was picking up wings and about to take flight, but it’s always hard to gauge a book’s success before it has officially hit shelves. I feel super fortunate that people were so excited in the lead-up, from the book deal announcement to the cover reveal. There is still such a gap in fiction to be filled, and I wanted to reach the reader that I would have been – searching the bookshelves for stories with characters who looked like me but weren’t about being Asian. Making the NYT list was a dream because it proves that people do want these stories and these stories deserve its space.
What advice do you have for other young writers like you?
Keep writing, keep working on your craft and trust your gut. There is so much advice out there that tries to tailor itself for everyone. The truth is that there is no advice that is one size fits all. Some advice is entirely wrong for younger writers because they’re for older writers in another stage of life. All you can do is keep writing what you want to write and pursuing the goals you want to pursue.
Can you give us any hints about the sequel to “These Violent Delights”?
I’m excited to publish the sequel of “These Violent Delights”! I love it even more than I loved the first book, so I’m looking forward to everyone reading it. It’ll pick up where book one left off with a little bit of a time jump. When our main characters get thrown together again, expect more drama, more romance, and more angst, but of course...more blood.
Purchase Chloe Gong’s book “These Violent Delights” on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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