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Dancing on My Own


Through Dancing on My Own, Simon Wu (pictured above) 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.

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

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