Travel Re-Entry and the Seige of CUHK
Returning home from international traveling, I often wish for an airlock between coming and going. I envision a decompression chamber that looks something like the double sets of doors on fancy hotels. There would be a comfy sofa for the in-between, no transit rush,...
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Patching the Past Together in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Finding the bigger story requires always requires you to let go of the small one in your head. To open up to the messy realities, the uncertainties, the multiple interpretations.
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Hong Kong Week 10: Is There a Mediator in the House?
Headed into a 10th week of protests, Hong Kong is a mess right now. What started as peaceful demonstrations has escalated into confrontations between mostly young protesters and police in full riot gear who are shooting tear gas, rubber bullets, and beanbags (the last...
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What I Wish I Had Said in my Essay About Abortion: an addendum
When “Waterbabies” was accepted for publication by Memoir Magazine last year, I was elated. It was my first “yes” from a literary magazine. The editor asked only for a slight reorganization to emphasize my focus on healing, to not end on the word “blood.” I made the...
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Hong Kong vs. China–Holding the Thin Red Line
The question we have been asked most by American and European friends since we moved to Hong Kong in 2018 is whether we’ve seen changes since Hong Kong officially became part of China. I used to shrug and say not really. Some small ripples under the surface, some...
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Fear and Loathing in Memoir Writing
Sometimes my memoir writing seems like a chain of encounters with ditched selves who keep showing up. Of course it is me who sent out the invitations. Me who set the table and prepared the food. Why then do I find myself wanting to hide in the broom closet or under...
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