Come Join Us at the Carmel Valley Women's Club

FAR EAST CULTURE THROUGH AMERICAN EYES

Date: May 1, 2019

Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM PDT

Website: https://cvwomensclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=97406&item_id=863650

Event Description:

On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, the Carmel Valley Women’s Club (CVWC) will host a luncheon with guest speaker Jana McBurney-Lin, Journalist and Novelist, from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at Roux Restaurant in Carmel Valley, CA. $45 per person for CVWC members, $50 per person for non-members. Reservations are required, no walk-ins. Reservations or cancellations must be received by 12:00 pm on Friday, April 26, 2019. Register online or by calling CVWC Event Coordinator, Penny Wood, at (831) 624-3081. Proceeds benefit the CVWC Foundation’s Annual Scholarship and Community Nonprofit Fund. Join us at Roux for a delightful luncheon of Roux specialties served family style. Jana McBurney-Lin, Journalist and Novelist, has been a writer for media in many countries for numerous publications, including: National Public Radio, Writer's Digest, United Airlines' Hemispheres, Islands Magazine, Singapore Straits Times, Japan Times and dozens of others. Jana met her husband, a native of southern China while working in Tokyo. They lived in Singapore and spent time with his family in Fujian province of China. She is a member of the Chinese-American community, and the past President of the South Bay chapter of the U.S.-China People's Friendship Association. She has written two novels set in Asia: y Half of the Sky (2006) and Blossoms and Bayonets (2012). ************** The Carmel Valley Women’s Club Foundation is a social organization consisting of community-minded Monterey Peninsula women concerned with the welfare of Carmel Valley, the education of Carmel Valley’s young women and the individual needs of its membership.

Great time at the Carmel Foundation

Had a lovely time at the Carmel Foundation discussing My Half of the Sky and Blossoms and Bayonets.

Invited to Participate in North Carolina Teaching Asia Network

In April, I'll be discussing My Half of the Sky with UNC-Wilmington students/faculty. Check out the event here.

An amazing event!

Had a great time with the Asian Art Society of Monterey, discussing My Half of the Sky and the projects that have emerged as a result.  Thanks to President Jean Hurd for hosting me.

Tuesday Nov 14th--Save the Date!

Meaningful Time in San Diego at APHAFIC

Discussing Stories that Must be Told

Smiling with the Board of APHAFIC

If you're in the San Diego neighborhood on 2/25,stop by...

 列強侵華史實維護協會
ASSOCIATION FOR PRESERVING HISTORICAL ACCURACY OF FOREIGN INVASIONS IN CHINA (APHAFIC)
http://APHAFIC.org
Winter meeting on Saturday, February 25, 2017
1:30 pm-3:30 pm
University Community Library,
4155 Governor Dr. San Diego, 92122, CA (858-552-1655 )
Program: Keynote speech and book sign, refreshment.
Free admission. Public is welcome
Jana McBurney-Lin speaks on
“Stories That Need to Be Told”

Author Jana McBurney-Lin will discuss her second novel, Blossoms and Bayonets (樱花 和 刺刀), which follows the family of one of the first Christian ministers in Korea during WWII--a time when the only permissible god was the Emperor of Japan. The story, co-authored by Dr. Hi Dong Chai (崔 熙東)who lived the history, not only follows his family in Seoul from 1942-45, but also offers an account of the War in the Pacific. Jana will talk about how this story found her, how the telling of it healed some of Dr. Chai's wounds, and the numerous stories she has uncovered since.

For reservation and information, please contact Lilin Wang 858-246-6165 (wanglilin356@gmail.com) or Camellia Yeqing Chen, 858-212-3645 (yeqing_chen99@yahoo.com). Board of Directors: Jack Meng, Michael P. Lee, Lilin Wang, Mary Lee, Camellia Yeqing Chen, Ronghui (Lily) Xu, Winner Davis, Yuman Yang and Nancy Lo.

Jana McBurney-Lin, a native of Illinois with a degree in Communications, lived in Asia for 15 years—specifically, Japan and Singapore. There she worked as an editor for ALC Press, while freelancing for media sources around the world, including National Public Radio, Hemispheres magazine, Singapore Straits Times, and dozens of others. She wrote two novels: My Half of the Sky and Blossoms and Bayonets. She served as president of the California Writers Club, and the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association. She formed the first writers camp for kids in the mountains and recently started a blog highlighting Chinese-American views on ways to improve relations called, “Bridge over the Pacific.” (www.bridgeoverthepacific.blogspot.com.)

Books--The Best Gift

If you're in the area, stop by. Dozens of vendors will be sharing their crafts. Author Bob Davis and I will be talking about our books. It's a great place to pick up gifts for all. Hope to see you there.

Write those thoughts while they're still hot

Yesterday I was walking with a friend who mentioned she had to write an essay. "As soon as my brain started thinking up ideas, I had to write them down." (Nevermind she was in the midst of a group of people.)
If we all were so attentive to our thoughts.
I used to wake up in the middle of the night, when hit by a scene or an image, tiptoe to my desktop, and release those thoughts onto the page.

These days getting those thoughts down requires a bit more persistence. For, while turning on the computer, I get distracted by my phone, catching up on the latest political fiasco or reading urgent mail. (Maybe even playing a few moves in 'words with friends.') By the time I sit down in front of the screen, the burning idea inside me has been diluted by thoughts of a foolish comment by a presidential nominee, concerns for parents who have lost children in a senseless shooting, worries about exactly how much time I have to finish editing stories just sent to me. That initial idea that had pulled me toward the computer in the first place--that fire--has dwindled to a few cold embers.

So, when your mind is churning--and your heart heats up--get those thoughts down while the feeling is still hot.

Tell Your Story First....Then Write It

My aunt told me a joke once. "This man walked into a bar and began swinging his dog around his head. Do you know why?"
"He was cruel?"
"No, no. It was a seeing-eye dog." She laughed. "And he was having a look around."
 I scratched my head. "Wait, it was a blind man?"
The next time she told that joke she remembered to describe the man as blind up front. The more times she told the joke --it was unfortunately an old favorite--the description was more and more embellished, with him feeling for the door handle of the entrance, etc. Although it was a pretty lame joke to begin with, the more practiced she became at telling it, the better it got. So, she wasn't the only one laughing at her joke.
As I watch my daughter worry over SAT writing tests and English essays, I tell her to practice by talking. Tell me a story a day. Take an event--no matter how trivial--and create a story from it, using important description, tension, a climax. Then, when faced with actually having to write something, the process will come with more ease. Give it a try.

To Not Take a Risk...

My daughter, a junior, is new to the 10-player-strong varsity basketball team. All of the players are talented. However, from a (relatively) objective viewpoint, the juniors--the newer recruits--bring more energy to the floor. Granted, I don't get to watch them often, because usually the coach plays her core group of seniors--the starting group plus one or two others. But when the juniors get out there, they tend to jump higher to block passes, circle more tightly to guard, race around with greater enthusiasm. This past week, they played a team they had beaten handily once before. Unfortunately, the starting group of players was having a bad day, missing their shots over and over, as if a hex had been put on them. Instead of putting in the rest of the talented team, the coach kept hoping the hex would lift. It never did. We lost by one basket--a basket I imagined one of those juniors easily making. My husband said, "The coach doesn't like to take risks. She doesn't know the newer players as well. But then to not take a risk...that's a risk in itself."
That thought resonated with me. We tend to go with what we know. To do the things we are comfortable with. To stay with what is safe. But to not branch out, to not try new ideas, to not give voice to our thoughts, to not take those risks....that's just as big a gamble.
So choose to take a risk.

Had a great time discussing My Half of the Sky at this October Book Club. While I didn't know anyone when I arrived, I felt as if we were old buddies when I left...and I realized that we shared (at least) two common friends. The world seems so large, and yet is mysteriously small.

More Signings

Book Signing

On the 8th, I'll be at the History Park at 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, 

signing copies of Blossoms and Bayonets. 

Hope to see you there.

#Essence of Good Writing

One of my pleasures is judging stories. What makes them work. What doesn't.
One trend I've noticed is the tendency for a writer to have his/her protagonist moving through space and time solo--not interacting with anyone. Not the person on the park bench next to him, not the man who has just stolen her suitcase, not the people in her workplace. There's almost this bubble of silence around the main character that might be filled with texts ("God, I got stuck next to the stinkiest old woman." Or "My boss screwed me again.")
Okay, so maybe this is not a new trend. New writers have always been hesitant to get their characters to talk much. That requires understanding the backstory, mood, goals of each character. So troublesome.
But human interaction is a mystery to us all--and one we want to read about.  #Ditch the bubble of silence.

Don't Allow Rape Of These Women Again

Yumiko Yamamoto is President of a group calling itself, “Japanese Women for Peace and Justice." It is anything but that. This group is more interested in denying past history, specifically the 200,000 plus Asian and European women who the Japanese conscripted as sex slaves. They—as well as the current Abe government-- say this sex slavery never happened, and Yamamoto is travelling to the Bay area and Los Angeles as a part of a larger effort to “put an end to the lie.”
As co-author of Blossoms and Bayonets—the story of the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII—I spent several years researching this topic. These women don’t’ deserve to be raped yet again by having Yamamoto and the Abe Government revise history.
Yamamoto will hold a press conference. A protest will follow. If you are able please show up:
Saturday Dec 13, 2014
Press Conference 5:00 PM
Protest 5:30-7pm
Redwood City Community Center
1400 Roosevelt Ave. Redwood City, CA 94061

Don't Censor Your World. Read a Book.

I briefly heard an interview on NPR--so briefly that I didn't catch who was being interviewed. However, I did remember her words. When the interviewer asked, "Does censorship in your country make it difficult to speak your mind?" this author said, "There are two types of censorship. Those imposed by others and those that are self-imposed. I look at so many people today who, by their own choice, do not read books. Their worlds consist of Facebook notifications and Twitter posts. That self-censorship is just as bad."
I couldn't agree more.
So, this holiday season, don't censor your world. Read a book. And pass it on.
I'll be signing books at the Holiday Craft Faire up on Summit Road. It's a great time to pick up holiday gifts...and is right next to the Summit Christmas Tree Farm. Hope to see you there.

A Book To Bring You Out of A Reading Rut

The Many Thoughts of a Reader Blogger Emily Dittmer wrote yesterday of Blossoms and Bayonets
Oh my goodness.  You know when a book brings you out of a reading rut? Wow.  I was interested in the book when I heard about it but then I started it and man, I didn't want the story to end. 

Blossoms and Bayonets Book Giveaway!

The Open Book Society is giving away a free copy of Blossoms and Bayonets. Stop by their blog for the opportunity to win.
Says OBS Reviewer: I don’t normally read books about war or violence in general, I believe life is hard enough as it is, but I am always open to new experiences and this one was definitely new: I know close to nothing about Korea, unless you count my watching the TV series M.A.S.H. (which I loved, by the way). So, I was very excited about the prospect of reading this book and I came out of the experience extremely happy.. 

Win a Free Book!

Priscilla Tan of Pressedupinabook.com is giving away a free copy of Blossoms and Bayonets. Stop by her blog to enter to win. She wrote the following review (excerpted):

The Japanese Occupation is a historic moment. I learnt about it when I was in primary school and my dad ocasionally talks about it during mealtimes.... It’s brutal and heartbreaking. 

I found Blossoms and Bayonets exhilarating, especially the last 80 pages — you will not be able to put the book down. And just when I thought the worst was over, the ending completely shocked me.

My favourite line from Blossoms and Bayonets: Isn’t it strange how all of our games are miniature versions of war?