Welcome to the summer edition of Joy Ride!
Your Pep Talk 👊🏽
This tweet by literary agent and author Eric Smith made me laugh. This is me. Maybe it’s you, too? For me, it’s easier to cheer on a friend, fellow writer, or my kids because 110% believe in them. When it comes to my internal cheer squad, I am working on changing my default theme: Am I good enough?
This year, I decided I would rewrite that sentence to: “I am good enough.”
Readers, you are good enough. You are amazing. You are worthy of achieving your dreams. Let’s go out and do it together!
My Latest News 🎨
I spoke with 80 students at a Bronx middle school for Career Day, and let me tell you, these future journalists/creative thinkers asked me great questions. I took my kids to see a Stop Asian Hate mural and interviewed the artist who created it. And I turned in revisions on my YA rom-com manuscript to my agent! Huzzah!
Check Out This... 👏🏼
ARTICLE: When Asian Elders Felt Unsafe Walking Alone, These Volunteers Stepped Up. I’ve spent time reporting on the attacks. Here’s an antidote to hate: community love.
BAND: The Linda Lindas are a half Asian and half Latinx teenage girl punk band. Their song “Racist, Sexist Boy,”, performed at the LA Public Library, honestly made my day.
PODCAST: The Morgan Harper Nichols Show. For the ultimate 5-minute pep talk, check out Black artist Nichols’s comforting podcast.
NONPROFIT: I Support the Girls Slash Kits provides trans/non-binary people with the garments they need to live authentically.
I'm Grateful For... 🐈⬛
Meeting this sweet kitty who my kids have named Puff Ball Mittens. He meowed from our neighbors’ yard. After searching for his family via microchip, we are considering adopting him. He’s soft, sweet, gentle, and loves to hunt bugs.