Episode 224: Hua Hsu

Hua Hsu writes for The New Yorker and is the author of A Floating Chinaman: Fantasy and Failure Across the Pacific. “I remember, as a kid, my dad telling me that when he moved to the United States he subscribed to The New Yorker, and then he canceled it after a month because he had no idea what any of it was about. You know, at the time, it certainly wasn’t a magazine for a Chinese immigrant fresh off the boat—or off the plane, rather—in the early 70s. And I always think about that. I always think, ‘I want my dad to understand even though he’s not that interested in Dr.Dre.’ I still think, ‘I want him to be able to glean something from this.’” Thanks to MailChimp, Texture, and Squarespace for sponsoring this week's episode. @huahsu huascene.com Hsu on Longform [03:45] A Floating Chinaman: Fantasy and Failure Across the Pacific (Harvard University Press • 2016) [04:00] The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck • Washington Square Press • 1931) [06:00] "Where’s the Beef?" (Slate • Jul 2007) [07:15] And China Has Hands (H.T. Tsiang • Ironweed Press • 2003) [09:00] "On the Road with Hannibal Buress, Comedy’s Most Respected Slacker" (The Fader • Apr 2015) [14:45] "The Remarkable Forgotten Life of H. T. Tsiang" (New Yorker • Jul 2016) [14:45] "Endless Endless: Kraftwek at MoMA" (Paris Review • May 2012) [26:15] "A God Dream" (New Yorker • Feb 2016) [26:45] Hsu’s Archive at Grantland [26:45] "All Hail the Chairmen: Jonathan Olivares’s ‘Taxonomy of Office Chairs’" (LA Review of Books • Apr 2012) [28:45] Pitchfork [28:45] Stereogum [29:45] "Reality Hunger" (New Yorker • Aug 2015)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices