About this item
"Enlightening, nuanced, and honest." - Lisa See. Set against the glittering backdrop of Los Angeles during the gin-soaked Jazz Age and the rise of Hollywood, this debut book celebrates Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star, to bring an unsung heroine to light and reclaim her place in cinema history. Before Constance Wu, Sandra Oh, Awkwafina, or Lucy Liu, there was Anna May Wong. In her time, she was a legendary beauty, witty conversationalist, and fashion icon. Plucked from her family's laundry business in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong rose to stardom in Douglas Fairbanks's blockbuster The Thief of Bagdad. Fans and the press clamored to see more of this unlikely actress, but when Hollywood repeatedly cast her in stereotypical roles, she headed abroad in protest.
About the Author
I'm the author of , a new biography of Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star. The idea for this book has lived in my head for more than a decade, so I'm overjoyed that it's finally written and forthcoming from Dutton in March 2024! My work has appeared in the , the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and elsewhere. I was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in 2021 and I gave the TED Talk "As American as Chop Suey. " I also write the newsletter A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, I've now lived in NYC for going on 15 years - though most days I'm still California dreamin'. is my first book.
