Skip to main content

Dancing on My Own

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in San Diego Book Review.
Author Simon Wu


Through Dancing on My Own, Simon Wu offers intelligent, sharp-witted, and warm-hearted critiques of capitalism, consumerism, diversity, and Asian American diasporic identity. His unique perspective as a millennial, gay Burmese American, shaped by his experiences at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art, and his ventures into the edgy EDM, populist couture, and gay nightlife scenes, provides a fresh and engaging take on these themes.

Wu’s seven essays, deeply rooted in his experiences, offer a unique perspective on these issues, making them particularly relevant to readers interested in these themes. Wu’s reflections on the intersections of identity, power, money, and social trends during a time of heightened awareness about racial justice are both insightful and timely, offering a unique perspective on cultural appropriation, alienation, and exploitation.

As an Asian immigrant GenXer born along the cusp of the millennial generation, I could not put down this book. Part of it is the voyeuristic curiosity to enter the lives of younger people, digital natives who attend viral events on Facebook, meet friends on Grindr, and connect with other creatives on Instagram. Wu incorporates wisdom from a variety of influences, drawing from Marxian sensibilities, Baldwinesque race consciousness, and the emphatic pop lyrics of Robyn.
 
I appreciated Wu’s thoughtful deconstruction of Asian American identity as fluid and imprisoning. Readers invested in social justice issues would relish his soul-searching about belonging inside institutions built to exclude and why aspiring for collective joy is more important than ever.

Buy from Capital Books

Popular posts from this blog

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Enlighten Me

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Los Angeles Book Review . Author Minh Lê Standing up for oneself seems like doing the right thing. Binh did just that in the face of a racist school bully who was poking fun at his Asian heritage. But physically assaulting another student goes against school policy, and it was Binh who got in trouble. Binh shares a silent retreat with his family and younger siblings. Along with other children, he learns about stories from the previous lives of the Buddha. The stories are interesting, but for Binh, it is difficult to sit still and clear his mind when he misses his Gameboy. While he struggles with silence, he learns important lessons about friendship, community, and being present. In the graphic novel "Enlighten Me," award-winning author Minh Lê and bestselling illustrator Chan Chau tell the story of a boy who gains a better understanding of himself as he works on quieting the mind and reflecting on dharma. Lê and Ch...