Xu

Ok, I’ve been sitting on this a while, but I got into the Clarion workshop 2026! I’ll be spending this summer in San Diego studying under incredible teachers, probably writing the most unhinged sci fi/fantasy I can dream up of. I was so convinced that I hadn’t get in, I had started making other plans. But a few days before I got the email, I did visit a Optimus Prime statue in Bangkok that was rumored to have helped several local businesses boom. Now I’m not saying that praying to Optimus Prime was what did it. That was probably all the months I spent at my desk: working, getting notes, sending stuff out, getting rejected, revising, revising, revising, etc. Alas. There is no shortcut to craft. But maybe, just maybe, keeping Optimus Prime in my heart didn’t hurt. Something something the universe (transformers) works in mysterious ways. Try it and let me know how autobots worked for you. Ps. This means I’ll be attending San Diego comic con for realsies this time. Please say hi to me! Or else!!! I’ll be so sad!!!

How surreal it was to have my McSweeneys piece read outloud by the amazing @mrtroyiwata in a Selected Shorts event protesting banned books hosted by the amazing Judy Blume. (AHSGGFJDKAHSHFJFJDJSHGS is my primary response.) Still unsure how my name got mixed into this amazing line with such titanic figures of literature. Like here’s Roxanne Gay… and there’s me. I’ve read everything David Sedaris has written… and there’s me. But hey, if you give a comedian an invite they will make a night of it. Wellllll maybe just me. (Ps. Please please support your local libraries, teachers and bookstores who are on the front lines of our cultural war on books!)

Big thanks to @asianafshow and @voltronafshow for having @cabbageimprov at the comedy festival! It was so fun to play on stage with several generations of Stir Friday Night alum. We really chopped up that stage! You really gotta savoy the flavors! Always be slicing! Please book us for your shows or else it’ll really kale the vibe!!!

Been abysmal about posting but this is proof I am still kicking. Come see this stacked line up!

Please enjoy the few pics of Tokyo I was able to gather before food poisoning set in. A hell of a way to spend my birthday, but as the last few years have taught me, it could always be worse ✨ at least I got some hojicha to tide me over til next time.

2025: the year of some weird times. Not my best year, but I still managed to sell my first short story, write a play - and get some amazing people to read it on stage, do some theater, meet some fantastic people through a WGA mentorship program, see friends in Chicago/san fran + find some new ones in LA, make pasta once a week, and travel. Despite all my health shit and you know [gestures broadly to world], I got to see my friends make new little babies and watch them get married. Compared to last year, god, how lucky I am. How grateful I am to watch the sun rise for 2026. We made it, pals!/?/🫠/. So in for 2026: more dinner parties, more saying yes to social things, more dragging Rick to see weird art, more kbbq, more books, more early mornings with me and a blank page, and more texting people “ok so I have this idea… now listen-“

Postcards from Hong Kong

Thank you @kimnewmoney for the beautiful photos, and letting me pet the guinea pigs.

Last week I did a reading of the first act of my “UNTITLED FAMILY DRAMA” play. As I’ve said before, I wrote this because I wanted to see my family up on stage - not just Asian but one that cares deeply and also yells a lot. The last two years I’ve been writing in the dark unsure of where or what it would lead to. And sometimes one must say “well fuck it,” and just see it on its feet. (And yea now I have to finish this play??? Congrats u played urself, girl.) I’m so grateful to my amazing cast: @thejoshhan who brought down the house with his singular lines, @irisliuofficial who brought so much passion to her character, @jamesthetang who was so endearing in his part, @kellynugee who created the perfect amount of confidence and vulnerability to the part, the @quincetessence who came/saw/walked on/and conquered, and last but not least @gratefully.kayla who jumped head first and ran with us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And of course, I am indebted to @revelreadings for having me. Special thanks @adriennevisnic and @ajhelfet for seeing this play’s heart and putting it on up. But most of all for creating this space for artists to show something new and vulnerable for the first time. (Also answering my 800 emails.) This show is such a work of love, and you can feel every molecule. The next show is October 28th, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store. 📸 credit must be given the fantastic director and photographer @jill.petracek

@revelreadings is thrilled to announce the amazing writers and their titles in our August 20th lineup ✨ Stay tuned for more announcements! We’re almost sold out! Limited seating at @thebroadwaterla , so please rsvp with the link in our bio! 🪩 Doors open at 7:30pm, Show at 8, and then stay for drinks and friends at @theplungela at 9:30pm (It’s right next door!) See you soon, @adriennevisnic and @ajhelfet

Everyone’s got a thing… 🔥 Shot and edited by Frog City Studios. 🎲 🎙️ 🎥

Happy anniversary Rick. Can’t believe we have been together for 13 years. Sorry we can’t celebrate as we ought to today - thanks to the unholy alignment of schedules, travel, health, work, existence in the time of horrors, etc. But we should at least open a bottle of wine. I’ll make chicken. We’ll drink and eat and watch tv and look forward to another year.