My guest in this episode is writer, editor, and educator Yi Shun Lai.
Born in Taiwan, she moved with her parents to the U.S. at the age of four. She grew up in California before moving to New York in her twenties, where she spent a total of 12 years. In her own words she has now “fulfilled her filial duty” by moving back to California where she now lives, and her parents are a mile up the road.
Yi Shun has published two books and has a young adult novel “in the works”:
· Pin Ups, a memoir (Little Bound Books, 2020)
· Not a Self-Help Book: The Misadventures of Marty Wu (Shade Mountain Press, 2016).
You can find out more about Yi Shun’s life and work at Home - The Good Dirt
In this episode, in addition to Yi Shun’s musical journey, we talk about:
· Early memories of Taiwan
· The bifurcation of being Taiwanese and growing up in the U.S
· Being an Anglophile and her love of Cornish Pasties
· Her first, and very unpleasant experience, of “Born in the USA”
· Our joint love of New York
· Spending four months studying in Paris
· Binge watching “Box Sets”
· The beauty of the American National Parks
· Some of the positive impacts of Covid
· Why “Thunder Road” is such a special song
Yi Shun’s wide ranging and eclectic song choices were:
70’s Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes If You Don’t Know Me by Now
80’s Neneh Cherry Buffalo Stance
90’s Ashley MacIssac Sleepy Maggie
00’s Mosquitos Boombox
10’s Carly Rae Jepson Call Me Maybe
20’s Alvin & The Chipmunks Lunchbox
Enjoy :-)
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