Yell-OH Girls!
What a nice quote from the awesome Vicki Nam, a great activist & fantastic editor!
"The highlights? Meeting one of my favorite Asian-girl rock stars, MIA PARK..."
9.26.2001 Wednesday, 7:30 PM
Barbara’s Bookstore
1350 North Wells Street
Chicago, Il
I stepped into the cab at the Chicago airport and the driver started talking about how nervous locals were about the attacks. "We've got the Sears Tower, you know," he said.
I'll never be able to shake the nightmarish images of the WTC explosions from my memory - 9/11 - the Twin Towers against a crisp blue morning sky. A plane crashing into one, leaving a fiery gaping hole. Then another plane. More flames. ...
I was in Chicago. It was chilly. I slipped between pedestrians along the sidewalk, and pushed my body through the heavy doors at Borders bookstore to relax and warm up. I searched the shelves and found two copies of YELL-Oh Girls! in the young adult section. YAY. Finally, a bookstore that stocked them in the appropriate section.
Have you noticed that Barnes&Noble stocks YG! in the Cultural Studies section? What's up with THAT??! Do us a favor: If you see 'em in Cultural Studies, Parenting, or Asian Studies, MOVE THEM TO THE TEEN NON-FICTION SECTION...
I arrived at Barbara's Books on 1350 North Wells Street right on time. The highlights? Meeting one of my favorite Asian-girl rock stars, MIA PARK, of Kim (http://www.kimrock.com), after having corresponded for over a year via email. Mia read her essay, "Waving Fans," which appears in the last chapter of YELL-Oh Girls!. I have yet to hear KIM perform live... can't wait until KIM goes on tour again. COME TO L.A.!!!
Another highlight: Seeing an old gal pal of mine from Blue Jean Magazine... Kimra McPherson, now a sophomore at Northwestern University. Time flies. The last time I saw Kimra, she was in high school. I had just graduated from Wellesley, and was beginning my career in magazine journalism.
Last highlight: 2Tongues (http://www.2tongues.com) swung by to say hello and give me props (especially Anida and Marlon). THANKS for showing support for YELL-Oh Girls! and for promoting creative projects that empower APA youth. You guys ROCK - keep up the phenomenal work! :)
And, of course, thanks to the coolest independent bookseller in Chicago: Barbara's Books! It was fun.