J.Yang has slummed it in the valley with the Wakefield twins; slumber partied with Huey, Dewey and Louie; joined Krakow in stalking Angela; and climbed every mountain with the Von Trapps.
Originally from San Diego, he's lived and traveled the world (okay, not all of it) in pursuit of that most elusive of targets -- inspiration.
He's authored and published a book, written for online and offline publications, and maintained a variety of popular blogs on subjects ranging from movies and technology to personal stories and amateur musings. He's just wrapped up his second book, a fiction novel for teens, and is hard at work on his third one.
You can reach him at digitaljon@SPAMgmail.com. He is BFF with his iPhone so he should answer promptly.
"Over the past 18 years, an entire generation of Asian Americans has come of age. And while the world that they've inherited has been radically transformed, the dialogue we're engaged in around what it means to be Asian American has remained frozen in place -- obsessed with issues and ideas that aren't just out of sync with the next generation's interests and priorities, but completely out of touch with their reality.
My generation bristled at any implication of foreignness -- we were Asian American, accent on the second word, and we wanted to create a hard distinction between our native culture and identity and that of our overseas ancestors. We took defiant pride in our ability to speak fluently without a trace of ethnic taint. And we were so deeply wounded by the thoughtless schoolyard chants of childhood that any media image that isn't dominant and heroic and handsome still feels to us like a punch in the gut, a reminder of finger-slanted eyes and bucked-out teeth.
This current generation, on the other hand, has flipped the polarity of our identity. They're Asian American -- American being a given, an understanding, while Asianness is their source of distinction and, more often than not, pride." -Jeff Yang, The Ides of May-
My soon to be released book for teens is called "Exclusively Chloe," it's all about a normal girl who gets adopted, quite literally, into the celebrity life. It's my first fiction work and I'm super excited about it.
It's set to come out May 14, 2009, from Puffin/Speak and I could tell you all about it but then you'd just wish you'd read it. As the release date nears, I'll have more information, some contests, and maybe a secret or two. Everyone loves secrets, you know you do!
I also wrote this other book called "The Rough Guide to Blogging" and it's the ultimate reference for all things Weblog. Whether you want to start your own blog or just explore the blogosphere, this guide will teach you everything you need to know.
Chapters include: Creating a Blog, Blog Design, Advanced Blogging, Audio and Video, Podcasting, Blogging for Money, Corporate Blogging plus much, much more. Whether you're an experienced blogger or just getting started, this is the right book for you. Check out the book's blog!
I'm available for television appearances, library talks, relationship advice, general counseling, and all-expenses paid trips to Europe. If you have questions, concerns, or rants, you can reach me at digitaljon@SPAMgmail.com
"Over the past 18 years, an entire generation of Asian Americans has come of age. And while the world that they've inherited has been radically transformed, the dialogue we're engaged in around what it means to be Asian American has remained frozen in place -- obsessed with issues and ideas that aren't just out of sync with the next generation's interests and priorities, but completely out of touch with their reality.
