Reading · Apple An’s Book Bytes (AABB)

Life does not always lay out a straight road for one to travel.

I was chatting with a friend and ended up telling her one of my mom’s stories.

In the 1950s and 60s, women in China had limited opportunities. Most people expected them to get married, raise children, and wait on husbands and in-laws. My mom wanted to attend school all the way through college. But she had to find financial means, and applying for financial aid was one possibility. To avoid revealing her gender on the application form by her name, which literally meant “a pretty little girl,” she changed it to a slightly male-leaning meaning without disrespecting the sound given by her parents. Two Chinese characters with the same sound can have completely different meanings.

Mom became a high-achieving civil engineer, even though she could only afford vocational school. During China’s political movements, when everyone’s political position was more important than intellectual ability, she changed her name again because the meaning had an inclination of being old-school, which was politically dangerous. This time, in the same sound, she used a character to show her political position that was aligned with the Communist Party’s.

Mom had an uneasy road to travel in life. She navigated within the socio-political norms to both protect herself and create opportunities.

Can you think of one of your own stories? Or a story of someone you know?

Feel free to post it in the comments section for others to see, or to send it to me privately by replying to this newsletter. I am really interested in reading your stories.

PS. A slightly fictionalized version of my mom’s name change story appeared in Mother of Red Mountains.

The magazine published an article about my author career so far. I never thought I’d be related to anything Hollywood. Seeing the names of celebrities on the sidebars is thrilling. Sydney Sweeney’s New Era. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding. The list goes on.

Warning: the sidebar is rolling by the minute.

Being an author can be “lonely.” You sit in front of the computer by yourself. You construct characters and a world inside your head that only you can see. You wonder what readers might be interested in. You are uncertain about many things you have to deal with. The worst is that you don’t know where to get answers to your questions and help for your needs. Sometimes, you don’t even know what your needs are.

I thought I was just going to an award ceremony in Phoenix, AZ, to collect my trophy. After attending the IIBA Author Festival and Gala from July 18 to 19, I walked away with loads of gratitude, inspiration, and strengthened energy. Being an author does not mean one has to be alone in the journey. I got to know the hard-working organizers, the award-winning authors, and service providers who opened my eyes and gave me ideas.

Here are a few highlights from the event.