Authors' Showcase

The following list features an eclectic group of AAJA members and supporters who have recently been published. Be a part of the literati and pick up a book. For more information about Authors Showcase contact events@aaja.org. Enjoy! (listed alphabetically by author’s first name).

(Note: Authors’ Showcase book and author listings do not constitute an AAJA endorsement.)

Alec Klein, “A Class Apart: Prodigies, Pressure, and Passion Inside One of America’s Best High Schools” (Simon & Shuster). “A Class Apart” follows the lives of Stuyvesant’s remarkable students, such as Romeo, the football team captain who teaches himself calculus and strives to make it into Harvard; Jane, a world-weary poet at seventeen, battling the demon of drug addiction; Milo, a ten-year-old prodigy trying to fit in among high-school students who are literally twice his size; Mariya, a first-generation American beginning to resist parental pressure for ever-higher grades so that she can enjoy her sophomore year.

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Annabelle A. Udo (contributor)/Edited by Edwin A. Lozada, "Field of Mirrors: An Anthology of Philippine American Writers" (Philippine American Writers and Artists Inc.). "Field of Mirrors" is the third and newest anthology featuring 71 Philippine American writers from all over the US. Philippine American Writers and Artists Inc. is a non-profit nation-wide organization of writers and artists established in 1998.

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Douglas Blackmon, “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II” (Doubleday) examines how the practice of slavery persisted in the U.S. long after legal abolition, including the corporate use of slave labor in the early 20th century.

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Helen Tse, “Sweet Mandarin” (Thomas Dunne Books). A real life Joy Luck Club, is being launched on July 8, 2008 as a key title of St. Martins to celebrate the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, and its author, Helen Tse, is fast becoming known as an expert on China related matters (business, cooking and culture). It's a memoir that will appeal to anyone who has immigrated and faced problems integrating into a new country and is an inspirational read.

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Jan Yanehiro, “This Is Not the LIfe I Ordered” (Conari Press). “This Is Not the Life I Ordered” is for anyone who has ever felt overworked, overwhelmed, or just plain unlucky (and, who hasn’t?!). Through this collection of stories, wisdom, and practical advice, readers will meet four ordinary women who have faced extraordinary life challenges. Together, they have a history of six marriages, ten children, four stepchildren, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. Two have lived through the death of their spouses and one was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in Guyana -- which is documented in “Jonestown” airing on PBS’ American Experience.

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Joe Grimm, “Breaking In: The JobsPage.com Guide to Newspaper Internships.” “Breaking In” is the insider’s guide to landing—and acing—your newspaper internship. These are your strategies for applying, interviewing, negotiating, succeeding and then using your internship to launch your career. Twenty experts add their advice to the online strategies from Detroit Free Press Recruiting and Development Editor Joe Grimm.

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Linda Yueh, “Globalisation and Economic Growth in China (Series on Economic Development and Growth Vol 1)”. In the 26 years since market-oriented reforms were introduced, China has emerged onto the world stage as a major economic presence, particularly since her accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001. This book is a collection of papers on the effects of globalisation on China’s growth prospects and of China’s growth on the global economy, with special focus on the Asia Pacific region.

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Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, “Remember Me” (Harper Collins). Lisa Takeuchi Cullen has created a humorous and poignant chronicle of her travels around the country to discover how Americans—baby boomers, in particular—are reinventing the rites of dying. What she discovered is that the people who reinvented youth, redefined careers, and reconceived middle age have created a new attitude toward the afterlife. They no longer want to take death lying down; instead, they're taking their demise into their own hands and planning the after-party.

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Michael Yamashita, “New York: Flying High” (White Star). New York is a city of unexpected juxtapositions: centuries-old landmark buildings rub elbows with sleek, state-of-the-art skyscrapers; world-renowned monuments are just around the corner from local neighborhood shops; and a kaleidoscope of diverse shops, restaurants, and cultural centers can all be found within a very concentrated area. More than 550 vibrant photographs capture the unique character of New York City as seen through the lens of today’s top aerial photography experts. (also see other books featuring Michael Yamashita’s photography: “Zheng He (Discovery)”, The Great Wall: From Beginning to End”, “Marco Polo: APhotographer’s Journey”)

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Michelle Yu, “China Dolls” (Thomas Dunne Books). “China Dolls” is the story of three best friends from childhood tackling their late twenties over drinks, laughs, and dim sum. M.J. Wyn, the hip, tomboyish sportswriter trying to achieve her dreams of becoming an on-air broadcaster. Alex Kwan, the confident, no-nonsense attorney constantly fighting the stereotype of the submissive, docile Asian woman. Lin Cho, the risk-taking, impulsive stockbroker who has spent her whole life trying not to make the mistakes her mother did. This book explores life at the intersection of two-worlds—one of Asian  grandmothers and red envelopes, and another of career challenges and dating disasters.

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Murali Balaji, “The Professor and the Pupil: The Politics and Friendship of W.E.B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson” (Nation Books). “The Professor and the Pupil” chronicles the 40-year friendship between Du Bois and Paul Robeson. Journalist Murali Balaji explores how both men evolved into leaders of the American Left, examining their philosophical transformation and their alienation from mainstream political thought following World War II. Balaji also explains why Du Bois and Robeson became ostracized for their political views and why so few African American leaders stood up to defend them during the height of the Cold War.

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Nicole Itano, “No Place Left to Bury the Dead: Denial, Despair, and Hope in the African AIDS Pandemic” (Atria Books/A division of Simon & Schuster). As Africa grapples with a deadly epidemic, three families struggle to survive. “No Place Left to Bury the Dead: Denial, Despair, and Hope in the African AIDS Pandemic” is a heartbreaking, intimate portrait of three families--and four women--caught in the middle of the biggest health crisis in global history. Itano’s book blends the personal narratives of these three families with the larger story of how the AIDS epidemic has unfolded in Africa. The result is a book that bridges the gap between arcane world of international aid and the lives of ordinary people, showing how international efforts to combat AIDS have both helped and hindered.

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Sam Cacas, "BlAsian Exchanges" (Nobhillwriter Associates). “BlAsian Exchanges” is first-time author Sam Cacas’ recently released novel, which explores interracial relationships between black women and Asian men (termed by the portmanteau “BlAsian”). Cacas, 52, a former AsianWeek writer who moderates a discussion group focusing on black women and Asian men, tells the story of Earvin Ilokano, a Filipino American who deals with his frustrations as a journalist by penning a novel that recollects his attraction for black women and culture.

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William Poy Lee, “The Eighth Promise: An American Son’s Tribute to His Toisanese Mother” (Rodale). Throughout the history of the United States waves of immigrant groups have strived to assimilate in America while simultaneously keeping alive the traditions of their home countries. The Eighth Promise, a new memoir by William Poy Lee, shares an intimate view of the Asian American immigration experience in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Through the portrayal of his and his and his family’s experiences, Lee addresses questions facing every immigrant—what makes one an American? And how does one become an American while remaining connected to one’s ancestral past? The Eighth Promise also offers much beyond an immigrant story, raising questions of what makes a home and the importance of place in today’s fast-paced, mobile lifestyles.

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William Woo, “Letters from the Editor: Lessons on Journalism and Life” (University of Missouri Press). William Woo was the first person outside the Pulitzer family to edit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the first Asian American to edit a major American newspaper. After forty years in the newsroom, Woo embarked on a second career teaching journalism at Stanford. This volume collects some of the best informal weekly essays he wrote to his students. Royalties from the book will go towards AAJA internships.