Asian American, Pacific Islander comics are the main event in an LA comedy and cuisine festival
'It's like we grew up kind of shying away and hiding our Asian-ness,' said Viv Wang, a volunteer festival producer with Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, or CAPE, who helped conceive the idea for the event. 'It just made a lot of sense to have comedy and food — these two ways that people can connect and just celebrate being Asian and having a place to feel cool to be Asian.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Book Review: Grief is profound, painful and personal in this debut novel from J.B. Hwang
'Mendell Station' is Korean American writer J.B. Hwang's first novel. And it is all about death — its horror, finality and mystery, and, most of all, how those who knew and loved that person must cope. Miriam, the main character, who is a Korean American postal worker living in San Francisco, learns that her best friend, Esther, was found dead, having fallen two stories onto the train tracks at Van Ness station. The mystery of how Esther died is never solved in the book, although we learn she had been intoxicated and wobbly on her feet when last seen at a bar. The narrative focuses more on Miriam's initial confusion and the painful emotional attempt at mourning and eventual acceptance. 'The love I had for Esther distended and became a fluid that filled my skull… My skeleton felt ripped out of my body, and I crumpled to the floor. The sound of many waters, weighted clouds in the sky, thin black grooves between the wooden floorboards teeming with darkness.' Like many great novels, the specifics are clear — the Asian American experience, which is quite different from the white or Black American experience, in many ways, or the details of working at the post office, the menial, never-ending repetition — as fitting the expression 'going postal' — but also the gentle kindness of the regular folks who are her co-workers. The universal human story of losing a loved one comes alive amid the backdrop of these specifics, like many great novels. It is very moving. The experience, happening amid the confusion that came in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, is so unsettling Miriam's faith in God is shattered. She starts writing letters to Esther that never get delivered to cope with her grief. 'Esther, I wondered why I didn't want to kill myself after you died, when I couldn't stop thinking about it after my father's death. Would I be recognizable to you now, without my faith, without you? I don't like who I am without you,' goes one of her letters. This is a book that speaks to women, especially Asian American women, and those who have just lost a loved one. And this writer happens to fit all those categories. Still, it's a good book for anyone. Hwang is comfortable switching from a language that is a myopic closeup in its descriptiveness to free-wheeling poetic grandeur on the same page, entering the mind and soul of the woman who is our heroine. It matters more than ever that she is an Asian American in a storytelling universe dominated by white people. Yet it matters not at all. Hwang's writing often doesn't bother with stage-setting, or scene or character descriptions. Readers feel as though they have simply slipped into Miriam's skin. We know through our own skin and bones, rather than read and learn, the sad memories of our upbringing, the routine drudgery of work, the loneliness and the joy of finding a friend, and the unbearable grief of losing one. The effect is mesmerizing, and strangely comforting. We affirm through the journey that Hwang takes us on that lesson we knew all along: We must live. Those who have gone want that and expect that of us. ___ AP book reviews:
Vancouver Sun
16-07-2025
- Vancouver Sun
360 Riot Walk reclaims forgotten Vancouver history at Eastside Arts Festival
When: July 18-27 Where: Various Eastside Arts District (EAD) studios, breweries, and performance venues, plus an all-day outdoor musical event at MacLean Park. Tickets and info: When Vancouver artist Henry Tsang first learned about the city's 1907 anti-Asian riot, he was in his 20s — and stunned. 'I grew up here,' he says, 'and had no idea this happened. It wasn't in school. No one talked about it.' That sense of disbelief eventually sparked what would become the 360 Riot Walk: a self-guided, 360-degree video walking tour that brings one of Vancouver's buried stories back into public view. This summer, the Eastside Arts Festival invites audiences to step into that history — and see the city in a new light. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'There's more appetite now for these conversations,' says Tsang. 'And the Riot Walk helps ground them in place.' Now in its fifth year, the Eastside Arts Festival (formerly CREATE!), brings this project to the forefront with three guided sessions of the 360 Riot Walk, running July 19, 20 and 24, alongside a full slate of multidisciplinary arts programming. Produced by the Eastside Arts Society, the festival features more than two weeks of live performances, hands-on workshops, outdoor markets and neighbourhood walking tours designed to engage audiences across generations. The 360 Riot Walk traces the route of the 1907 riot, which began as a parade organized by the Vancouver chapter of the Asiatic Exclusion League and escalated into mob violence through Chinatown and the Powell Street area. Just three days earlier, a similar riot had taken place in Bellingham, Wash., where a mob attacked and drove out a group of Punjabi mill workers. 'The ones who could still walk, some of them ended up in Vancouver in time to watch another riot — this one against the Chinese and the Japanese,' says Tsang. The tour begins in Gastown's Maple Tree Square, then proceeds down Carroll Street and along Hastings, stopping near the Carnegie Centre (formerly City Hall). Participants use a tablet or smartphone to access 360-degree video content at each site, with historical images overlaid on modern-day views. As they turn their bodies, the screen shifts with them, offering an immersive experience that merges past and present. 'It's not just about what happened then — it's about how that history continues to shape our city and who feels welcome in it,' says Tsang, who developed the project in partnership with the Powell Street Festival Society. While the 360 Riot Walk is available year-round as a self-guided experience via , the Eastside Arts Festival includes guided group tours followed by post-walk discussions, often led by Tsang himself. These walking tours are just one element of an expanded festival. This year's edition features the most artmaking workshops in its history — including first-time offerings like eco-printing with indigo artist Naomi Yamamoto, goldwork embroidery with textile artist Candice Weber, and felted Mason jar cozies with felting expert Chantal Cardinal. Workshops are held at artist studios and breweries across east Vancouver and are priced at $35. The festival is also teaming up with the Rickshaw Theatre for a ticketed live show on July 25 featuring local indie acts Young Friend, Babe Corner and Kylie V. Other live events include The Dance Deck with Belle Spirale Dance Projects and the Big Print Powell Street/Paueru Gai carving demonstration on July 24. A free, all-day outdoor celebration takes over MacLean Park on July 26, with live music, hands-on art activities, food trucks and a beer garden hosted by Strange Fellows Brewing. Musical guests include Janky Bungag, Twin River, the ReViberators and Madelyn Read. A second day of free music follows on July 27, courtesy of the MacLean Park Music Series. Festivalgoers can also sample the wares of some of the neighbourhood's craft breweries through the new Eastside Beer Passport. For $35, participants can enjoy pints at four to eight local sudsmakers, including East Van Brewing, Luppolo, Off the Rail, Parallel 49, Storm, Superflux, Strathcona, and Strange Fellows. Proceeds go toward Eastside Arts Society programming.
Cision Canada
15-07-2025
- Cision Canada
BAR LEONE IS CROWNED THE BEST BAR IN ASIA AT ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Bar Leone ranks No.1 and is named The Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Perrier The list features 20 new entries and establishments spanning 20 Asian destinations Bangkok has seven bars on the list, as Bar Us ranks No.4 and is named The Best Bar in Thailand, sponsored by Amaro Lucano Bangkok's Vesper (No.29) wins the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award Sora (No.65) in Phnom Penh takes home the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award Modernhaus (No.12) in Jakarta has been named the Three Cents Best New Opening Award recipient Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No.5) from Bangkok wins Disaronno Highest New Entry Award Industry stalwart Jay Khan of Hong Kong and Shanghai's Coa (No.17 and No.85, respectively) is crowned Roku Industry Icon Alice in Seoul is named Nikka Highest Climber after rising 33 places in the rankings to No.13 Workshop14 (No.83) from Hanoi receives the Campari One To Watch Award Backdoor Bodega (No.64), Penang is the recipient of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award Bangkok's Messenger Service (No.90) takes home the Best Bar Design Award For the full 1-50 list, please view here. MACAU, July 15, 2025 /CNW/ -- Bar Leone in Hong Kong has clinched the coveted title of The Best Bar in Asia and The Best Bar in Hong Kong, sponsored by Perrier, for the second consecutive year, at the live awards ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 in Macau. Bar Leone made 50 Best history in 2024 by being the first-ever establishment to debut on the list at No.1 and as The Best Bar in Asia. Owned by Lorenzo Antinori, the menu features a carefully curated selection of classic cocktails, all while staying true to its identity as a neighbourhood bar. At No.2 is Zest in Seoul, clinching the title of The Best Bar in Korea, sponsored by Tia Maria, while at No.3, Jigger & Pony is The Best Bar in Singapore, sponsored by Torres Brandy. Emma Sleight, Head of Content for Asia's 50 Best Bars, says: "We're thrilled to gather in Macau with Asia's vibrant and passionate drinks community. With 20 new entries, the most in recent years, this list is a testament to the boundary-pushing creativity of the region. Congratulations to Bar Leone for the incredible feat of retaining the No.1 spot."
