October, 2017—Arts Etc.

Visual Arts

Highline College Library & JCCC of Washington present “Unsettled/Resettled: Seattle’s Hunt Hotel”. This exhibit reveals the experiences of Japanese Americans as they returned to Seattle after their forced removal and incarceration in U.S. concentration camps during WWII. This exhibit is a document of the resettlement of families who found temporary lodging at the Seattle Japanese Language School, then known as the Hunt Hotel from 1945 – 1959. Includes photos, personal interviews and original  kirie works by Aki Sogabe. On view  through Dec. 15, 2017. The library is  located on the college campus at 2400

South 240th St., Building 25, 4th floor in Des Moines, WA. Free. Hours are sun. from 2 – 9pm, M – F 7am – 9pm and Sat. 9am – 4pm. Closed on national holidays. Go to https://jcccw.org/hunthotel/ for details.

Columbia City Gallery presents “Dukkha and Liberation – Art of India and Southeast Asia”, a group show in the Guest Gallery co-curated by Kamla Kakaria and Romson Regarde Bustillo. On view  through Nov. 12. 4864 Rainier Ave. S. Hours are Wed. – Sun. from 11am – 7pm. 206-760-9843.

Now on view through Oct. 11 is “(Non) Traditional Tattooist”, a show of tattoo designs on archival paper created by photographer, painter and artist Eva Yuewang. Form/Space Atelier at 98 Clay St.  in Seattle. 206-349-2509 or go to formspaceatelier.com.

A new mural created by Laura Brodax Tile Studio was recently dedicated in the Chinatown/International District neighborhood. The Publix Street Side Mural is an homage to the historic Publix Hotel. The Japanese-inspired plant  arrangements were influenced by the grandmother of the postwar managing family of the hotel, who kept a rooftop garden there for many years. The background names are signatures are from the original registry pages of the hotel circa 1928 – 1945. The mural can be seen at 504 5th Ave. South between King and Weller.

The City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture present two timely new group shows culled from the collection of the city of Seattle on the top floor of King St. Station downtown. “Borderlands” in the work of nine installations tackles the theme of nationalism and whether it creates a sense of belonging or alienation? “And She Persisted: Voices of Women Artists” shows the work of women artists who continue to refine and interpret traditions from their homelands of origin while at the same time putting their art in service of action. Includes the work of Carina del Rosario, Anida Yoeu Ali, Satpreet Kahlon and many others. On view through Oct. 29.  Fridays from 11am – 2pm. Saturdays from noon – 6pm. Sundays from 11am – 2pm. First Thursdays on Sept. 7 and Oct. 5 from 5 – 8pm. 303 South Jackson St. on the top floor downtown across from Chinatown/ID link rail/bus tunnel. Go to http://www.seattle.gov/arts/borderlands for details.

Tara Tamaribuchi’s installation work is popping up all over. “Craft Abstracts” at Thomas East Storefront is just one of eight new installations by artists in the South Lake Union area as part of its acclaimed “Storefronts” program. The theme of the current exhibition is “Honoring Life and Humanity in the Urban Wilderness”. Presented by Shunpike whose “Storefronts” program activates neighborhoods and streets by matching artists with vacant retail space. 206-905-1026×103 or go to www.storefrontseattle.com. Tamaribuchi’s newest installation piece entitled “Camouflage Net Project” is on view through Dec. 31, 2017 as part of the Seattle Center Sculpture Walk. The piece, a canopy of camouflage netting made with kimono fabric, tents the underside of a glass-covered walkway just south of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. It is the artist’s response to the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which incarcerated her family and community in prison camps throughout WWII. The piece was inspired by  Nisei  (second generation Japanese Americans) who made tens of thousands of camouflage nets for the US Army at Santa Anita Assembly Center, and Manzanar and Gila River internment camps. The artist’s intention was to connect her handiwork to that of her incarcerated community, while using traditional kimono fabric to send pride of heritage back in time to them. As camouflage protects people and objects and blends them into their surroundings, this work represents a discrimination filter for today, through which we see the true nature of people as interconnected with each other and the world. Part of the Seattle Center Sculpture Walk  as presented by the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture and Seattle Center. For more information, go to taratamaribuchi.com.

It’s a match made in culinary/art heaven. Artist/photographer/writer Dean Wong often hangs out at Tai Tung Restaurant in the CID. Now the restaurant has returned the favor with an ongoing presentation of his iconic photographs entitled “Made In Chinatown USA.” Sit at the counter deep into your chow mein and looks at images of the neighborhood on the wall. 655 South King St.  Ongoing.

At the Asian Pacific Cultural Center Gallery in Tacoma, local artist Steve Hu shows his watercolors. Through  October, 2017. 4851 South Tacoma Way. 253-383-3900. To learn more about the artist, go to www.artworkstevehu.com.

Davidson Galleries presents in Oct. a show by Kikyz and Tomiyui Sakuta. 313 Occidental Ave.  S. Open Tues. – Sun.  from 10am – 5:30pm. 206-624-7684 or go to www.davidsongalleries.com.

“Searching for Home” is a site-specific installation by Humaira Abid featuring personal narratives, stories and portraits of refugees in the Northwest woven into socio-cultural themes of immigration, women and families. It is her first solo exhibition in the U.S. In her work, she tackles issues of culture, gender and relationships both in her Pakistani homeland and her adopted U.S. home. Now through March 25, 2018. Bellevue Arts Museum. 510 Bellevue Way N.E. Closed Mon. & Tues. Wed. – Sun. 11am – 5pm. Free Frist Fridays from 11am – 8pm. 425-519-0770.

On view Nov. 11 – Dec. 23 will be work by Wong Ping, an animated film artist from Hong Kong. His work has been exhibited internationally in Manchester, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Berlin and Paris. He received Perspective’s “40 Under 40” Award. Interstitial art space is at 6007 – 12th Ave. S. on the 3rd floor. Open Saturdays from 12 – 7pm. Go to interstitialtheatre.com for details.

KOBO  at Higo at 604 South Jackson features many small arts & crafts/textile shows and activities inspired by Asia or work by Asian American artists.  Seattle Metals Guild’s Jewelry and Small Sculpture Exhibition “Contained” on view through Oct. 21 in parallel with the Northwest Jewelry & Metals Symposium. There will be a reception during the Symposium on Oct. 15 from 3 – 5pm with a gallery talk by jurors Mary Hu, Melissa Cameron and Binko Chiong-Bisbee, owner of KOBO.  The 11 th Annual Simple Cup Show presented by Seward Park Clay Studio * KOBO opens on Sat., Nov. 4 at 6:30pm. This show showcases ceramic artists from North America & Japan. Viewers can make silent bids on their favorites. 206-381-3000  or [email protected] or go to www.koboseattle.com. There is another branch of KOBO on Capitol Hill at 814 E. Roy St. 206-726-0704.

“Past/Present” is a group show of regional artists “grappling with the continuation of one’s cultural heritage in today’s globalized post-modern society.” Oct. 5 – Nov. 25, 2017.Closed Mondays. Artxchange Gallery at 512 First Ave. S. in Pioneer Square. 206-839-0377 or  [email protected].

Japanese Swiss painter/sculptor/photographer Leiko Ikemura makes her U.S. debut at James Harris Gallery through Oct. 14. She left Japan in her 20’s to study in Spain and moved to Switzerland in 1979. She currently lives in Germany. Her work depicts an obscure female subject placed in a mystical landscape. She uses her work to address questions of gender, war and religion.  604 – 2nd Ave. 206-903-6220 or  [email protected]

New and recent shows /activities at the Wing include the following –  “What’s In Your Cup? – Community Brewed Culture” is a new exhibit honoring the beverages that have given life to communities – from farmers and families who nurture the raw materials to friends & kin who bond over shared drinks. Hear histories of commerce, colonization and survival. Share tales from a Japanese family who brewed sake from Fukushima to Seattle, the Seko’s who ran the beloved Biush Garden, Carmel Laurino who pioneered the value of Filipino coffee, Lydia Lin who cultivated  tea appreciation through her Seattle Best Tea and Koichi Kitazawa, a brew master at Starbucks. On view through  Sept. 16, 2018. 206-623-5124×127 or email [email protected] for details.“Come Out and Play: Adventures in the Neighborhood” is a new show that  remains on view through Jan. 7, 2018. This KidPLACE exhibit uncovers the many ways you can play right in our neighborhood. “Teardrops that Wound: The Absurdity of War” is a group show that looks at how art can deflate war’s destructive weight by exposing its absurdity. Contemporary Asian Pacific American artists pull back the curtain and invite visitors to examine war from another angle. Curated by SuJ’n Chon.  “Year of Remembrance: Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner” with poems by Lawrence Matsuda and art by Roger Shimomura is a small but potently meaningful show now extended until April 23, 2018 . “We Are the Ocean: An Indigenous Response to Climate Change” explores how indigenous communities are responding to the ways climate change is affecting waters and lives. Through Nov. 12, 2017. “Do You Know Bruce?” is a major new show on the personal, intimate story of martial arts artist and film star Bruce Lee and the significance of Seattle in his life. The Wing is the only museum in the world, outside of Hong Kong, to present an exhibition about Bruce Lee’s life. The Lee family has plans to eventually open a permanent museum on Bruce Lee’s life and legacy in the Chinatown-ID neighborhood. A new installment of the Bruce Lee exhibit entitled “Day in the Life of Bruce Lee: So You Know Bruce? opened on Sat., Oct. 1, 2016. The new installment explores what it took to become “Bruce Lee”.  It delves into his daily work habits, routines and strategies to his written & visual art, reading, and personal time spent with family and friends.  Toddler Story Time set for Thursdays at 11am always has events centered around a kid’s book and an art activity afterwards.   A new addition to The Wing’s daily Historic Hotel Tour is “APT 507” which is the story of Au Shee, one Chinese immigrant woman who helped build Seattle’s Chinatown. Her living room is interactive with objects meant to be felt, opened  and experienced.   The Museum is located at 719  South King St. (206) 623-5124 or  visit www.wingluke.org. Closed Mondays. Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm. First Thursday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm. Third Saturday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm.

Opening Nov. 4 and remaining on view through July 15, 2018 is “Beauties and Talents: Art of Women in Japan” which features “women’s self-fashioning” including literature-inspired paintings, prints, kimono and lacquerware. In the on-going series entitled “Conversations with Curators”, a members only event – SAM’s Deputy Director and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture gives a talk on Jan. 17  6:30pm – 8pm.  Ahn Jun is a South Korean photographer known for her fearless, exhilarating self-portraits that depict her dangling off the precipices of tall buildings. The city below, above and around her becomes an intimate partner in this aerial dance between danger, discovery and self-exploration. The bustling  streets of Seoul, Hong Kong and New York, her urban canvas. She addresses this work in the Gardner Center Series, “Asia Talks” on Jan. 31, 2018 at 10am in a talk entitled “Ahn Jun: On the Verge”. Seattle Art Museum is at 1300 First Ave. downtown. 206-654-3100.

At SOIL from Oct. 5 – 28, 2017 is a group show entitled “What We Treasure: Stories of Yesler Terrace” curated by Rachel Brumer. It is a community-driven artistic exploration of the historic public housing unit, Yesler Terrace. Includes work by Devonn Midori Hale, D.K. Pan and many others. 112 Third Ave. S. 206-264-8061 or go to soilart.org.

Local installation artist Satpreet Kahlon has been selected to exhibit as part of the 2017-2018 Gallery4Culture Season. From Nov. 2 – Dec. 7, 2017, she will show a series of labor-intensive sculptures and video installations the rise in demand for “handmade” objects and how the term actively erases the labor, oppression, and high societal cost of importing mass-produced goods made by brown hands in developing nations. Deadline for the next round of selections for shows at 4Culture is Mon., Jan. 8, 2018.

“Mikawa” is a sound and sculpture installation by Garrett Fisher and Tori Ellison inspired by the Japanese epic “Tales of Ise” where a poet meditates over his lost love. On view through Dec. 8,  2017.   There will be an artist talk on Fri., Oct. 13 at 7pm. Choreographer Christy Fisher will perform a dance inspired by the installation at all events. Jack Straw Foundation at  4261 Roosevelt Way NE. E mail [email protected]

Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park is now closed for what is projected to be a renovation and extension that will take several years.

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art has the following –  Opening Oct. 14, 2017 is the elegant and diverse designs and stories in the jewelry of Seattle metalsmith Nadine Kariya in a show entitled “Nadine Kariya: The Hammer and the Peony”. Opening reception from 2 – 5pm and the party afterwards from 6 – 9pm are open to the public. Kariya gies a talk about her work on Sun., Nov. 5 at 4pm. The show remains up until Feb. 1, 2018. 550 Winslow Way E. 206-451-4013 or go to biartmuseum.org. Free admission. Open daily from 10am – 6pm.

The imaginative, powerful work of installation/performance artist Anida Yoeu Ali is on view at Feast Arts Center in Tacoma during the month of October. Open Sat. from 12 – 4pm and Sun. from 9am – 1pm or by appointment. They also have various arts activities and classes all week long. 1402 South 11th St. Go to feastarts.com for details.

“Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diaries of Takuichi Fuji” on view through Dec. 31, 2017. This exhibition is based on Northwest art historian Barbara Johns book entitled “The Hope of Another Spring” (UW Press). A discovered illustrated diary that the artist kept on his war-time experienced locked up in Minidoka internment camp form the nucleus of this important exhibit. Washington State Historical Society is  at 1911 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. 1-888-238-4373.

“Familiar Faces & New Voices: Surveying Northwest Art” opens May 13, 2017 and stays on view through the summer of 2019. This group show is a chronological walk through of Northwest art history, illustrated with the works of noted artists from each time period as well as lesser-known but just as important figures. Different works will be displayed throughout the run of this show. Includes the work of Patti Warashina, Joseph Park, Alan Lau and many others. “In Search of the Lost History of Chinese Migrants and the Transcontinental Railroads” is the title of a new exhibition by UW Professor and internationally acclaimed artist Zhi Lin who looks at the thousands of Chinese men who came to America to work on the railroads and mine for gold. He travelled extensively to historic sites and painted at these locations to evoke the contributions of Chinese to the history of the American west. This multi-media work on view through Feb. 4, 2018. Writer/Professor Shawn Wong of the UW English department has contributed an essay to the exhibition catalog.  Other Free Third Thursday events include a Q & A and art-making with Zhi Lin on Nov. 16 and a community panel on immigration and exclusion on Feb. 15, 2018. This  show up until Feb. 18, 2018. Tacoma Art Museum at 1701 Pacific Ave. 253-272-4258 or email [email protected] or go to www.TacomaArtMuseum.org.

“Coded Threads” is a group show featuring fourteen visual artists who use textile technologies in their art. Includes the work of Reiko Sudo, Laura Thapthimkuna and others. On view now through Dec. 8,  2017. Western Gallery on the campus of Western University in Bellingham, WA.516 High St. in the Fine Arts Bldg, F1 116. 360-650-3900 or go to wwu.edu.

Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center presents “American Obon: Dancing in Joy And Remembrance” on view through Oct. 15, 2017. The Rev. Yoshio Iwanaga introduced this tradition to many Nikkei communities along the West Coast in the 1930s and this multi-media exhibit celebrates his pioneering activities. “Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community – Japanese American Life in Oregon” is an ongoing exhibit. “Tuna Canyon Detention Station Exhibition” opens Oct. 15, 2017 and remains on view through Jan. 7, 2018. This show tells the story of a little-known temporary detention facility set up during WWII   in Southern California to hold enemy aliens considered risks to national security. Over 2000 Japanese, German, Italian and Japanese Peruvians were detained here. It has now been turned into a golf course. 121 NW  Second Ave. in Portland. 503-224-1458 or go to www.oregonnikkeir.org.

Portland Japanese Garden collaborates with architect Kengo Kuma on the launch of a major expansion opening April 2, 2017. The Cultural Village expansion provides additional space and will enhance its ability to immerse visitors in traditional Japanese arts and culture. Three new Japanese gardens will be added as part of this. The garden will host major art exhibitions this year with related lectures, demonstrations and activities “Mirrors of the Mind: The Noh Masks of Otsuki Koukun” is a display of hand-carved masks by a master artisan and elegant brocade costumes from the traditional silk looms of Orinasu-kan in Kyoto set for fall. Also in development is the International Institute for Japanese Garden Arts & Culture which will offer classes in traditional garden arts such as tea ceremony and calligraphy. This opens to the public in 2018. For more information, go to japanesegarden.com.

Hallie Ford Museum of Art presents “Capturing the Power of the Spirit World: Ritual Objects from Northeast Papua New Guinea which includes sculptures, masks, dance ornaments, untensils and vessels drawn from the museum collection. On view through  Oct. 22, 2017. The Museum is located at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon . 700 State St. 503-370-6855 or go to Willamette.edu/arts/hfma/.

On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, launching America into war. In Canada, this action resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The exhibition entitled “The Lost Fleet” looks at the world of Japanese Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major part in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese Canadian property and the internment of an entire people. Curator Duncan MacLeod states   that “the history of Japanese Canadian fishermen is inextricably linked to the history of Vancouver. The city was a gateway in the Pacific for all immigrants looking to forge a brighter future for themselves.” The exhibition will showcase a series of photographs as well as several models of Japanese Canadian built fishing vessels in its collection, made by model shipbuilder, Doug Allen.  These models replicate some of the fishing boats seized during the war that have  since been lost to history. On view  through March 25, 2018. Vancouver Maritime Museum at 1905 Ogden Avenue in Vanier Park in Vancouver, BC Canada. Open Tues. – Sat. from 10am – 5pm and Sundays from noon – 5pm. Also open late on Thursday nights until 8pm. Go to https://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/exhibit/lost-fleet-exhibition for more details.

The UBC Museum of Anthropology presents the following –  On view until Oct. 9, 2017 is “Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia”, a survey of writing throughout Asia over a span of different time periods. Curated by Fuyubi Nakamura who describes the show “as the powerful duality that emerges when the written word becomes a medium or canvas.” 6393 NW Marine Dr.  in Vancouver BC. 604-822-5087 or  moa.ubc.ca.

“Exquisite Chinese Jades Throughout the Ages” is a show at Poly Culture Arts Center on view through  Dec. 2, 2017.  #100-905 West Pender St. in downtown Vancuver, BC Canada. 604-564-5766 or go to www.polyculture.us.

Vancouver Art Gallery’s new public artwork by Hong Kong artist Tsang Kin-Wah will be shown at two locations through Oct. 15, 2017. These large scale compositions transform English texts to form intricate floral and animal patterns. The words are from discriminatory language that appeared in Vancouver during the 1887 anti-Chinese riots, the mid-1980’s immigration influx from Hong Kong and most recently, the heated exchanges around the foreign buyers and the local housing market. “Onsite/Offsite:Tsang Kin-Wah will be placed in the heart of downtown Vancouver at 1100 W. Georgia St. as well as on the Howe Street façade of the Gallery itself. Nov. 9, 2017 – April 15, 2018 will feature an offsite installation by New Delhi-based artist Asim Waqif which combines architecture with a strong contextual reference to contemporary urban design and the politics of occupying, intervening and using public space. The artist will repurpose debris generated from demolition sites in Vancouver, employing materials from abandoned and derelict buildings to make a new installation. Look for the current retrospective on the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago  entitled “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg” to make its West Coast debut here in the winter of 2018.Vancouver Art Gallery is  at 750 Hornby St. in Vancouver, BC Canada. 604-662-4719.

“Tree Of Life” is a group show that looks at the enduring metaphor of the tree and how one views life and how that life is embodied. Includes 58 artists and craftspeople from 20 countries across Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. On view through  Oct. 10, 2017. Co-curator Manjari Nirula says the exhibition aims “to create greater awareness about the importance of ecology and its connection to our lives, to stimulate creativity and highlight cultural sustainability. The roots of the tree are our beliefs, the trunk is our mind and body, and the branches are our wisdom.” Most of the works are wall works and include the hand-cut paper landscapes of China’s Yu Yuan, the hand-painted batiks of Taiwan’s Tzu Lo Cho and the devotional miniature paintings of India’s Jai Prakash. Also on view through Oct. 8, 2017 is “Luminosity & Rhythm”, the 2nd International Chinese Photography Exhibition”.  Vancouver Lipont Art Centre in Richmond, B.C. Canada. 4211 No. 3 Rd.  604-285-9975 or  go to lipont.com.

“Hastings Park 1942” is the title of an installation in collaboration with performance artist Yoshie Bancroft. It is also the name of the assembly center where  over 8,000 Japanese Canadians were incarcerated in East Vancouver before being sent to internment sites in the interior. The exhibit contains a performance piece titled “JAPANESE PROBLEM”. It invites an audience into a stall filled with the uncertainty of their next destination in order that they might get a feeling of what Japanese Canadians went through during the war. On  view through Jan. 13, 2018. Nikkei National Museum. 6688 Southoaks  Crescent in Burnaby. 604-777-7000 or go to nikkeiplace.org

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has the following. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the uprooting, dispossession and exile of 22,000 Japanese Canadians from the coast of this province.  On view until Oct. 8 is “Mirror With Memory” which explores the contributions of a Japanese Canadian community through the lens of the Hayashi/Kitamura/Matsubuchi photo studio. 1040 Moss St. 250-384-4171 or go to aggv.ca.

“Something From Nothing – Art And Handcrafted Objects From America’s Concentration Camps” is on view until Nov. 15, 2017 at Thatcher Gallery at the University of San Francisco. On exhibit will be artwork and handcrafted objects made by the prisoners of Japanese ancestry who were forced into internment camps during WW II. There will be a talk entitled “Not for Sale: The Ethics of Collecting Cultural Heritage” on Tues., Oct. 24 at 3pm in McLaren 250. The next show entitled “South Asian Contemporary: Works On Paper From Bay Area Collectors” will be on view from Dec. 4 – Feb. 18, 2018. Borrowed from private collectors, this show presents recent works on paper from India and Pakistan. Include internationally known artists rarely shown in the U.S. including Zarina Hashimi, Anita Dube and Viba Galotra. Curated by the USF MA in Museum Studies Curatorial Practice class.  Located in the Gleeson Library-Geschke Center, the Thatcher Gallery at USF is free and open to the public from noon to 6pm daily. 2130 Fulton St. (at Cole). 415-422-5178 or go to www.usfca.edu/thatcher-gallery.

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco has the following –   “The Sculptural Turn – Japanese Ceramics From The Kempner And Stein Collection” remains on view through Nov. 26, 2017.  This group  show showcases the work of fourteen Japanese clay artists who studied in universities or came to ceramics after exploring other fields. This show is significant for showing work by artists who did not come from the traditional master/student relationship but also for featuring work by women in a field usually dominated by men. “A Journey Into The Great Unknown” is on view through Oct. 29, 2017 and includes a collaboration  between two Pakistani American women. Visual artist Shahzia Sikander works with playwright Ayad Akhtar. Sikander’s etchings compliment Akhtar’s colophons that explore the theme of Mi’raj, the mystical night journey of the Prophet Mohammad. “Philippine Art: Collecting Art, Collecting Memories” is on view through March 11, 2018.  Expressive indigenous carving, jewelry, textiles, Christian devotional statues, postwar genre and landscape paintings and contemporary works of this island nation fill this show. On going are two installations. In front of the museum is “Dragon Fortune” by Taiwanese artist Hung Yi which meshes together Taiwanese folk art, Japanese textile design and pop art kids cartoons. In the lobby is “Collected Letters” by Liu Jianhua, a cutting edge installation of porcelain letters and fragments of Chinese characters suspended in mid-air. Opening Nov. 3, 2017 is “Couture Korea – Historical Korean Fashions and its modern Reinterpretations”. It is the first U.S. exhibition to consider Korean fashion as an expression of social and cultural values. Remains on view through  Feb. 4, 2018. 200 Larkin St. 415-581-3500.

The De  Young Museum in Golden Gate Park has the following – “Beyond the Surface: World-wide Embroidery Traditions” on view through March 25, 2018. “The Maori Portraits: Gottfiried Lindaver’s New Zealand” is on view through April 1, 2018. Thirty-one compelling historic portraits of men and women of esteem and rank at a time of great political, cultural and social change and complex intercultural exchange. 50 Hagiwara  Tea Garden Dr. 415-750-3600.

The San Jose Museum of Art presents a show entitled “The Propeller Group” set from Oct. 27 – March 25, 2018. This art collective based in Vietnam and L.A. takes on ambitious projects connected to Vietnam’s history and its paradoxical present through all media including film. 101 South Market. 408-271-6840.

“Noguchi’s Playscapes” is an exhibition that gathers his designs for several playgrounds, stand-alone play structures and other works that, while serious in subject, employ playful elements to engage the viewer. Through Nov. 26, 2017. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) at 151 Third St. Go to [email protected] or call 415-357-4000.

The Berkeley Art Museum has the following – “Buddhist Realms” is a group show with exquisite examples of Tibetan Buddhist paintings and sculpture from the 12th – 19th centuries. Up until Oct. 8, 2017. “Martin Wong : Human Instamatic” remains on view through Dec. 10, 2017. This retrospective surveys the career of this “urban visionary” artist of the Lower East Side who saw the beauty of graffiti scrawled on crumbling old buildings and the vibrant culture that it spawned. Traces his origins in the Bay Area to New York and back. “Miyoko Ito/MATRIX 267” looks at the work of this Berkeley-born artist who made her name in Chicago and did paintings that explore both exterior and interior landscapes. Through Jan. 28, 2018. “Repentant Monk: Illusion and Disillusion in the Art of Chen Hongshou” is on view from Oct. 25 – Jan. 28, 2018. He was a major force in Chinese art of the late Ming and early Qing. His visually compelling work mirrored the turmoil of his times. 2155 Center St. 510-642-0808 or go to [email protected]

“Polished to Perfection: Japanese Cloisonne – From the Collection of Donald K. Gerber & Sueann E. Sherry” on view through Feb. 4, 2018. “Unexpected Light: Works by Young II Ahn” through Jan. 21, 2018. LACMA or Los Angeles County  Museum of Art. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 323-857-6010.

The Japanese American National Museum has the following shows  –  “Transpacific Borderlands: The Art of Japanese Diaspora in Lima, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Sao Paulo” is on view through Feb. 25, 2018. By looking at the work of Latin American artists the exhibit will show how ethnic communities, racial mixing and the concepts of homeland and cosmopolitanism inform the creativity and aesthetics of hybrid culture. 100 N. Central Ave. in Los Angeles. 213-625-0414 or go to http://www.janm.org.

Denver Art Museum is planning a major exhibition from their collection entitled “Linking Asia: Art, Trade, and Devotion” which will look at cross-regional and cross-cultural influences in Asian art. The works come from over 20 countries and spans 2,000 years. The show opens Dec. 17, 2017 and remains on view through April 1, 2018. 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway in Denver, CO. Call 720-865-5000 or go to www.denverartmuseum.org.

A new Ai Weiwei project which includes a large-scale lego installation “TRACE”  originally  commissioned in 2014 for a project on Alcatraz Island includes 176 portraits of individuals the artist considers activists, prisoners of conscience or advocates of free speech and a 700-foot graphic work  entitled “The Plain Version of the Animal That Looks Like a Llama But Is Really An Alpaca.”  Opens June 28 at the  Hirshhorn in Washington DC.  Open daily except for Christmas from 10am – 5:30pm. National Mall  at the corner of 7th St. SW & Independence Ave.  202-633-1000 or go to [email protected].

The Freer/Sackler Gallery on the Smithsonian Mall has been undergoing renovation. It reopens on Oct. 14, 2017 with “Resound: Bells  Of Ancient China” which examines the discovery in China’s Bronze  Age, of a way to make bells that resonate at two different pitches.Go to FreerSackler.si.edu for details.

An exhibition of the work of Ruth Asawa takes place at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York until Oct. 21, 2017. The exhibition brings together a selection of key sculptures, paintings and works on paper spanning her career as well a group of vintage photographs of the artist and her work by Imogene Cunningham. She began to make art while detained in internment camps for Japanese Americans during WW II at Santa Anita, Ca. and Rohwer, Arkansas. She later went to Black Mountain College where she studied with and was influenced by Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller and Max Dehn. 537 West 20th St. For details, go to [email protected]

A look back and a reappraisal of the Vietnam War and American’s involvement in that conflict this year has renewed interest what with a PBS series and numerous books coming out. The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library joins in with their exhibition entitled “Vietnam War – 1945-1975” which is on view Oct. 4, 2017 – April 22, 2018. 170 Central Park West. Go to nyhistory.org for details.

The Asia Society Museum in New York presents the following – “Masterpieces from the Asia Society Museum Collection” through July 20, 2018. On view through Jan. 21, 2018 is “After Darkness – Southeast Asian Art in The Wake of History.”  Includes artists from Indonesia, Myanmar,and Vietnam.“In Focus: An Assembly of Gods” is on view from Sept. 26 – March 25, 2018. 725 Park Ave. New York City, New York. 212-327-9721 or go to www.asiasociety.org for more details.

In the 16th century, four Japanese boys were sent to the princely and papal courts of Europe. It was the first global age of religion, commerce and politics. Photographer/architect Hiroshi Sugimoto looks at the sites these early Japanese youths saw and captures it in the exhibition entitled “Gates of Paradise.” The show pairs Sugimoto’s pristine photographs of European art with traditional Japanese artworks. Shown in two parts. Part 1 opens Oct. 20, 2017 and remains on view through Nov. 17, 2017. Part 2 is on view from Nov. 21, 2017 – Jan. 7, 2018. At The Japan Society. 333 E. 47th St. 212-715-1258 or go to japansociety.org.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has the following – “Chaekgeori: Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens” is on view until Nov. 5, 2017. “Beyond Angkor: Cambodian Sculpture from Banteay Chhmar” is a show that references the “second citadel” built by King Jayavaman as a second political and religious center about 70 miles northwest of Ankor. On loan from the National Museum of Cambodia will be a section of the sculpted enclosure wall with a unique low relief carving of the Bodhissattva of compassion. On view  Oct. 14  – Jan.  7, 2018. The Yayoi Kusama “Infinity Mirrors” show continues its tour with a stop here July 7, 2018 – Sept. 30, 2018. 11150 East Blvd. 216-421-7350.

Williams College art instructor Barbara Takenaga is known for her radiating dot-pattern paintings which are part of the

American abstract tradition. The college gives her a retrospective culled from the last two decades. Oct. 5, 2017 – Jan. 28, 2018. Museum of Art, Williamstown in Massachusetts.

Museum of Fine Arts Boston has the following – “Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics – A collection with Nobuo Tsuji and MFA, Boston” is on view from Oct. 18 – April 1, 2018. The popular Japanese artist Murakami whose work is influenced by popular culture and manga also has roots in Japanese eccentric traditional art. Noted Japanese art historian Nobuo Tsuji looks at pieces in the MFA collection of Japanese art for some examples of traditional art that inspired some of Murakami’s present work. “Black And White – Japanese Modern Art” is a show centered around  a large scale calligraphy piece by Inoue Yuichi. This exhibition showcases a selection of avant-garde works in the monochrome aesthetic. On view  through June 3, 2018.  9300  Avenue of the Arts. 465 Huntington Ave. Go to mfa.org or call 617-267-9300.

“Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” is the title of Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei’s latest project which will build over 100 fences around New York City. Inspired by the international migration crisis and political turmoil facing the US government’s policy on immigration. Commissioned by the Public Art Fund.

“Self-Interned, 1942” tells the story of American artist Isamu Noguchi who voluntarily went to Poston War Relocation Center where Japanese Americans were interned during WW II with the idea to improve conditions with art and design. He made small pieces of driftwood sculpture. His efforts came to naught and he petitioned to be released.  His time spent here however may have proven to be a catalyst for future work. On view through  January 7, 2018. Noguchi Museum in New York. 718-204-7088 or go to nogiuchi.org for details.

“The World Is Sound” is an intriguing exhibit curated by Risha Lee to absorb art not only with the eyes but the ears. Music washes over the viewer on the staircase up to the sixth floor. Contemporary audio and visual installations also add to fill up the sound next to objects from the Tibetan collection.  Through January 8, 2018.  “Sacred Spaces”  features contemporary works by Ghiora Aharoni and Arthur Liou which focus on religious journeys for the benefit of one’s future self.  From Nov. 17, 2017 through Oct. 15, 2018. “The Second Buddha: Master Of Time” presents work from the permanent collection, loans and “technological activations” centered on Guru Rinpoche, founder of Tibetan Buddhism, and his mastery of space and time. Feb. 2, 2018 – Jan. 7, 2019. Rubin Museum  of Art in New York. 150 West 17th St. 212-620-5000 or email [email protected].

The Guggenheim presents a museum-wide, thematically organized survey of the work of Vietnamese-born Danish artist Danh Vo. It includes a focus on the dreamy collective self-image of the U.S.  Feb. 9 – May 9, 2018. Go to guggenheim.org for details.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the city of Philadelphia plans a year long series of public art installation as activities. The celebration will include an outdoor installation by artist Cai Guo-Qiang through Oct. 8. The artist plans to light up the Parkway with “Fireflies” which will consist of twenty-seven luminous kinetic sculptures in the form of free pedicabs that will move through the area. Participants can experience the Parkway by riding inside the sculptures as passengers. Qiang has previously done work in the city back in December of 2009 with his “Fallen Blossoms” explosion project at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fabric Workshop.

The Art Institute of Chicago presents the following.  “India Modern: The Paintings of M. F. Hussain” shows eight large triptychs from the “Indian Civilization” series which celebrates India’s rich and diverse culture. Hussain was one of India’s first modern artists. Up through March  4, 2018. “City and Country: Views of Urban and Rural Japan” opens Oct. 14 and remains on view through Dec. 2017. A selection of 20thcentury prints juxtaposes two sides of modern Japan reflecting the lure of the city and the nostalgia for the country that it induced. 111 South Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600.

“Living Proof: The Art Of Japanese Draftsmanship In The 19th Century” gives visitors a rare chance to see original drawings by Edo-period printmakers Hokusai, Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi together in one location. Nov. 3, 2017 – March 3, 2018. Pulitzer Arts Foundation  in St. Louis, Missouri. Go to pulitzerarts.org for details.

The Dallas Museum of Art has the following – “The Keir Collection of Islamic Art Gallery is on view through April 26, 2020. “Waxed: Batik From Java” on view from through  Dec. 3, 2017. “Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I have for the Pumpkins” installation is on view through Feb. 25, 2018. “Asian Textiles: Art And Trade Along the Silk Road” opens Dec. 16 and stays on view until Dec. 9, 2018. 1717 N Harwood  in Dallas, TX. 214-992-1200.

The Denver Art Museum has “GANESHA-The Playful Protector” on view through  Oct. 28, 2018. On loan from the National Museum of Cambodia is a statue of Ganesha as a centerpiece. Augmented by sculptures, paintings and textiles from the museum collection. 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway.720-865-5000 or [email protected]

Los Angeles County Art Museum presents “Atmosphere in Japanese Painting” which shows a series of techniques that the Japanese painter both yesterday and today, could use to evoke to atmosphere of weather and the changing seasons. Work by Ikeaki Yoshio, Yamamoto Kakurei, Senju Hiroshi and Miya Ando. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 323-857-6010.

Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrors” tour hits the Broad in Los Angeles Oct. 21 – Jan. 1, 2018. The museum also has one of her “Infinity Rooms” in their permanent collection. 221 South Grand Ave. Email [email protected].

At UCLA’s Hammer Museum is the show “Hammer Projects: Tabaimo”. For the lobby wall, Japanese installation/video artist Tabaimo in her L.A. premiere creates a new installation that incorporates large-scale drawings and a video. She probes the surface giving surreal life to banal occurrences incorporating Japanese art traditions like woodcuts into her active imagination. On view now until Dec. 3, 2017. 10899 Wilshire Blvd. 310-443-7000.

The oil paintings of Kumagai Morikazu (1880 – 1977) are universally loved in Japan. The paintings have a flatness and animal subject matter that many ascribe to the Japanese woodcut tradition but his thick  oil paint texture and muted tones have a Nihon-ga feel  that touch the hearts of people with their gentle charm. Coinciding with the fortieth anniversary of his death, this retrospective covers his entire career with some two hundred works. Dec. 1, 2017 – March 21, 2018. National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Art Basel Hong Kong takes place March 29 – 31, 2018 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It maintains a fifty-fifty balance between Asian and Western galleries. They always have a section dedicated to the Asia Pacific  region.

The Yayoi Kusama craze seems insatiable. To that end, the artist herself has had a museum dedicated to her work that will open in October of this year in the Shinjuku section of Tokyo. It is a five-story white, large-windowed, curved structure designed by Kume Sekkei. The second and third floors will show her paintings, sculptures and other works. The fourth floor  will be dominated by her Infinity Rooms and other installations. The top floor will have a reading room and archival material. Timed tickets are now on sale. Excerpted from Art World.

Architect Gin Wong died in September, 2017 in his 90’s. Though not as well known as his colleagues, his work literally defined the skyline of Los Angeles from the sweeping roofline of the Union 76 gas station in Beverly Hills to the glowing cube of CBS Television studio. He also designed the iconic Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco which resembles a sharpened pencil. His style is marked by a visual shorthand and understated, subtle grace. Born in Guangzhou, China like his illustrious colleague, I. M. Pei – the architect came to the U.S. as a child. Samples of his work were included in an important exhibition at the Chinese American Museum a few years back entitled “Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles 1945-1980”. Besides Wong, it highlighted the work of Eugene Kinn Choy, Gilbert Leong and Helen Liu Fong. Excerpted from the L.A. Times.

UW Art Professor/artist Zhi Lin whose current show is at the Tacoma Art Museum received the Robert McCauley Award for Painting  from the Museum of Northwest Art at their 2017 MoNA Luminaries Artist Awards.

Dutch-Filipino artist Martha Atienza has been awarded the Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel, Switzerland. The annual prize sponsored by the Baloise Group comes with a cash prize of $31,000.

Jenny Dixon, director of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum since 2003 will retire from her position at the end of 2017.

Performing Arts

The UW keyboard program presents their “Catch A Rising Star”, a quarterly guest artist series featuring younger talent making their presence felt. Seattle area pianist Nathan Lee has been playing piano since the age of six and made his orchestral debut at the age of nine. He has an upcoming performance with Seattle Symphony. He will perform a program of Bach, Kapustin and Strauss on Oct. 8, 2017 at Brechemin Auditorium in the UW Music Building on the Seattle UW campus. 4:30pm. Free. On April 29, 2018 at 4:30pm also in Brechemin Auditorium, catch thirteen-year old Yesong Sophie Lee, winner of the 2016 International Menuhin Competition in a free recital.  On Oct. 29 at 1:30pm also at Brechemin, catch a free concert  entitled “Fountain of Youth”. Members of the UW Wind Ensemble will perform a side-by-side concert with students and professors of the Shanghai Conservatory in a concert of works by Mendelssohn, Strauss, Perischetti and UW composition student Aidan Gold. Go to www.music.washington.edu for details.

ARTS WEST in West Seattle presents the following – Sara Porkalob will direct Jiehae Park’s play entitled “Peerless” which is an irreverent re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The plot revolves around two Asian American high school students who are twin sisters both vying an affirmative action spot at a college only to be thwarted by a white male colleague who is 1/16th Native American. 4711 California Ave.  “Peerless” opens Jan. 18, 2018 and closes Feb. 11. The season ends with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins “An Octoroon” directed by Brandon J. Simmon which is a genre-defying play on the performance of race. April 19 – May 12, 2018. 2018.S.W.  in West  Seattle. 206-938-0339 or go to artswest.org.

Senju, a leading performer of Japanese traditional music  with koto, shamisen and shakuhachi master Kuniyoshi Sugawara performs music, Japanese dance and song. Two performances. The first one is on  Oct. 28 in Portland at 5:30pm Winningstad Theatre at 1111 SW Broadway Ave. For tickets, go to http://ev6.evenne.net/cgi-bin/incommerce3/SEGetEventinfo.  The second concert is on Nov. 1 at 7pm in Seattle at Broadway Performance Hall at 1625 Broadway. For tickets try brownpapertickets.com.

The Anindo Chatterjee Institute of Tabla along with Dhrupad Music Institute of America and Acess to Ustads Project present a concert co-aponaored with art Works and the NEA will present Rajasopalan Ensemble with violin Maestro Ganesh Rajadopalan,Srivani Jade, Ravi Albright and others. Sat., Oct. 14 at 7pm. Eastside Bahai Center in Bellevue,WA.  16007 N.E. 8th St. Seniors with advance ID $14 and general admission at $20. Go to acitseattle.org for details.

Japan Week at Bellevue College takes place Oct. 2 – 7. On Sat., it will culminate in a  all-day festival (Matsuri). During the school week there will be cultural and educational workshops and demonstrations. On Saturday’s MATSURI, there will be activites, Japanese food, music and performances. There will also be movies, exhibitions and workshops for all ages to enjoy. Free and open to the public. Free parking  and free wi-fi.

Okinawa Kenjinkai of Washington presents their “10th  Anniversary Performance” which is a collaboration with Chijinshuu Wakati-da & Hidekatsu Kamei from Okinawa. Oct. 8. Adults are $20 and students are $10. Proceeds benefit children of OKK Chijinshuu who will participate in a taiko competition in Okinawa. At Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center at 400 South 2nd St. in Renton. 425-308-1878 or 253-219-1881.

Bellevue World Taiko Festival presents their annual benefit concert “Sounds of Taiko” on Oct. 6 at 6:30pm and Oct. 7 at 3:30pm.  Special guest this year is Kenny Endo, the first foreigner who earned a masters license in classical drumming. Besides performing his own compositions, Endo will play with CHIKIRI and Cascades Taiko Drummers. Seattle percussionist Ian Dobson will also perform with the taiko groups. In addition, long time taiko advocate and taiko drummer/instructor  Stan Shikuma will talk about the history of taiko in the U.S. Mariko Okayama of Kimono Art will talk about the history of the kimono. At Bellevue  College’s Carlson Theatre. For tickets go to worldtaikofestival.brownpapertickets.com. For more information go to www.worldtaikofestival.org.

Northwest Folklife presents Seattle Children’s Festival on Sunday, Oct. 8 at Seattle Center, a one-day, multi-cultural, multi-generational festival. With live performances, arts & Crafts and hands-on activities. Free but suggestion donation of $10 per person or $20 per family. Go to nwfolklife.org/seattlechildrensfestival  for details.

Just out is “Monochrome”, a new recording by Seattle-raised singer/songwriter Emi Meyer who is a major recording star in Japan.  This marks her US debut on Seattle’s own Origin Records. In a pleasing mix of standards and originals, the recording is from two sessions done in Paris with French musicians and Seattle with local musicians. Look for local appearances to promote this new release. Go to www.originarts.com for more details.

ARC Dance under the direction of Artistic Director Marie Chong present their “Autumn 47” mixed rep program set for October. The ballet company will pay tribute to the late dancer/choreographer Kabby Mitchell III by performing a piece he wrote for the company. The piece “Something Fun” by Marie Chong will be performed. Completing the program will be World Premiere pieces by David Fernandiz and Alex Ketley and two re-imagined works by local choreographers Gerard Theoret and Wade Madsen. Oct. 12 – 15. ARC Dance Company’s intimate performance space located at 9250 – 14th Ave. N. W. in Seattle.  Tickets go on sale Oct. 1 at www.arcdance.org.

Seattle Young Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director Kit Chen coordinates a concert entitled “Moon Festival Melody: Cello Exploration”. In celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival, the program includes music of  diverse cello styles and combinations of cello with Chinese instruments. A full orchestra will explore ancient Chinese music side by side with Western classical compositions. Oct. 15 at 3:30pm. Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

Akio Suzuki and Aki Onda perform on Oct. 19 at 8pm. Akio Suzuki is a legendary Japanese sound artist and instrument builder. He performs on a range of self-made instruments. His music explores how natural atmospheres and sounds can be harnessed and then set free. Aki Onda is an electronic musician, composer and visual artist. He is particularly known for his “Cassette Memories” project which  are works compiled from a “sound diary” of field recordings collected by himself over the years. His instrument of choice is the cassette Walkman in which he manipulates multiple Walkmans with electronics processing sounds in his performances. Presented by Non-Sequitur on the 4th floor of the Chapel Performance Space in the Good Shepherd Center located at 4649 Sunnyside N. in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle.  For details go to [email protected]

Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s play entitled “The World of Extreme Happiness” centers around a Chinese girl caught between the poor countryside and the smog-filled factory cities of opportunity in a modern China. Deals with issues of money, exploitation and decisions on how far individuals must go to succeed and at what costs? Directed by Desdemona Chiang. A co-production between  Seattle Public Theater and SIS Productions. Oct. 13 – Nov. 5, 2017. Running Dec. 1 – 24 is “The Flight Before Xmas” by Maggie Lee. When you are heading home for the holidays, the last thing you want to do is get stranded at an airport with a bunch of strangers. But everything has a silver lining in this holiday production. It is a world premiere for Lee, who has had hit plays with Porkfilled Players including “Tumbleweed Zephyr” and “The Clockwork Professor”. Directed by Amy Poisson. 7312 W. Greenlake Dr. N. 206-524-1300 or go to [email protected].

AKI CON is the annual fall festival for those interested in Japanese anime/manga and otaku culture. Oct. 20 – 22, 2017 at the Double Tree  by Hilton Seattle Airport at 18740 International Blvd. in Seattle. Speical guests include Brian Beacock (Monokuma), Chris Rager (Hercule) and Josh Martin (Majin Buu). Go to www.akicon.org for details.

Jazz Alley has the following – Seattle saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa has a concert celebrating the release of a new recording entitled “Fly Away” on Sun., Oct. 22. The Hiromi Duet featuring Edmar Castaneda perform together Nov. 10 – 12th. Hiromi is a Japanese jazz pianist and Castaneda plays a modified Columbian harp. Both are virtuosos on their respective instruments. Together they are like kids at play but these kids are musical with chops to spare and imaginations that know no bounds. Jazz Alley is at 2033 6th Ave. downtown. 206-441-9729 or try [email protected].

Actress Mi Y. Kang is part of the cast for the Annex Theatre’s “Deers” written by Marcus Gorman and co-directed by Tootsie Spangles and Quiqui Dominguez. The play revolves around a group of animals drinking away their troubles with friends and foes at a mountain tavern in the Cascades. Oct. 24 – Nov. 8, 2017. 7:30pm. At 11th & Pike on Capitol Hill. Go to annextheatre.org for details.

Brooklyn-based percussionist/composer Andy Akiho is part of the Emerald City Music “Artist Spotlight” series. He plays a selection of his own compositions as well as works of other composers that inspire him. Oct. 27 at 8pm. 415 Westlake. #10 – $45.

“At First Light: Chinese Music in the Year of the Rooster” is the 33nd Annual Concert in the “East Meets West” series. This evening presents acoustic selections with orchestrations from China performing beloved Western classics on both traditional Chinese instruments and Western instruments as well. Oct. 28 at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle at 7:30pm.

The Byrd Ensemble perform a program entitled “Ritual: Music From Sacred Tradition” pulling tunes from both Western and Eastern Christian traditions. Oct. 28 at 8pm at St. James Cathedral. $20 – $30.

Pork Filled Productions presents a week long staged reading festival of seven new plays by seven playwrights of color called “Unleashed! New Pulp Stories for the 21st Century”. Oct. 30 – Nov. 4, 2017. Includes the following – Mirror-Mirror by Lamar Legend as directed by Aaron Jin on Oct. 30 at 7:30pm. “My Samurai” by Celeste Mari Williams as directed by Shana Bestock on Nov. 1 at 7:30pm. “Repossessed” by Greg Lam directed by David Gassner on Nov. 2 at 7:30pm. “Reparations” by Darren Canady directed by Jay O’Leary on Nov. 3 at 7:30pm. “Blood Makes Noise” by Kuan Foo directed by May Nguyen Lee on Nov. 4 at 2pm. “Dawn of the She-Devil of the China Seas” by Roger Tang directed by Linnea Ingalls on Nov. 4 at 2pm. “Persimmon Nights” by Seayong Yim directed by Sara Porkalob on Nov. 4 at 7:30pm. Shows on M,W, Th. & F. at 7:30pm and two shows on Sat., Nov. 4 at 2pm and 7:30pm. All shows at Theatre Off Jackson at 409 – 7th Ave. S. in Seattle’s CID. Tickets only $6 per show or a festival pass for only $20. Available at the door or at Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/press/3061231. For more details email [email protected]

Seattle Symphony and Conductor Ludovic Morlot have issued the schedule for their 2017-2018 season. Some highlights include the following – “Celebrate Asia” this time around is conducted by DaYe Lin with  sitar player Nishat Khan and Seattle erhu virtuoso Warren Chang. Kazuki Yamada will make a Seattle debut as guest conductor. A two-concert festival of Prokofiev features rising star pianists Nathan Lee, Charlie Albright and Conrad Tao with violinists Sophie Lee & William Hagen. Subscription packages available now and single tickets on sale August 5, 2017. Go to www.seattlesymphony.org for details.

The 2017 Earshot Jazz Festival brings dozens of international, national and local jazz musicians to Seattle performing in various venues all over the Puget Sound from October 8 – November 12, 2017. A few events out of many that may be of interest to our readers include the following – Indian sitar virtuoso Pandit Debi Parasad Chatterjee comes to Seattle to perform with local saxophonist/composer Neil Welch on Sat., Oct. 21 at Chapel Performance Space at 8pm. Local composer/percussionist Paul Kikuchi’s latest projects have involved investigation of the Japanese American part of his heritage. His latest project entitled “9066” named after President Roosevelt’s executive order that put all people of Japanese heritage into internment camps during WWII takes a musical journey into that experience. Kikuchi performs “9066” on Friday, Nov. 3 at Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington (time tba)  using archival film, a 78 rpm musical soundtrack and the movement of choreographer/dancer Crow Nishimura.  Satoko Fujii is a marvelous pianist and composer who has pushed the envelope in improvised music with jazz orchestras on both sides of the Pacific. She appears on Nov. 8 at 7:30pm with Gato Libre at the Chapel Performance Space at 7:30pm. In this group she plays accordion. Ivan Artega’s CMD (computers, music, dance) with Seattle drummer/composer Chris Icasiano as the anchor perform in a mixed genre event. Tickets on sale  and more information at earshot.org.

The UW Symphony Orchestra performs with Jon Kimura Parker as piano soloist on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. He will perform with the orchestra on Gershwin’s piano Concerto in F Major. 7:30pm at Meany Theater on the Seattle UW campus. $15 regular and $10 for students & seniors. Go to www.www.artsuw.org for details.

The Meany Center For The Performing Arts has released their 2017/2018 schedule. Some of the many highlights include the following – The popular return of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Of Taiwan led by founder Lin Hwai Min with a new work entitled “Formosa – (beautiful island)” which uses gesture, script, song and other elements from the landscape and history of his native Taiwan. Thurs. – Sat. on  March 22 – 24, 2018 at 8pm. The Juilliard String Quartet with Joseph Lin in the lead violin chair performs on Thurs., Nov. 9 2017 at 7:30pm. Calidore String Quartet with David Finckel and Wu Han perform on Tues., April 24 , 2018 at 7:30pm. “Feathers Of Fire – A Persian Epic” updates the classic shadow play traditions of Asia & the Near East with cinematic “live animation” shadow-casting actors and puppets along with projected imagery in the magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th century Persian epic “Shahnameh (The Book of Kings)” set for Wed., March 14, 2018 at 8pm. With  an original score by Loga Ramin Torkian & Azam Ali. All concerts at Meany Center located on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. Series tickets  on sale now. Single tickets go on sale on August 1, 2017.  You can order online at meanycenter.org or call 206-543-4880 or visit the ticket office at 41st Street between University Way  NE & Brooklyn Ave. NE. tickets available via FAX too at 206-685-4141.

The 10th Annual Diwali Ball gives us a chance to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights with dance performances, henna, fortune telling, dinner buffet and traditional music in this annual celebration. All funds raise will benefit SAM’s artistic and community engagement programs. Oct. 14 from 7:30pm – 1am. Seattle Art Museum. Go to visitsam.org/diwaliball for details. There will also be a “SAM Families” activity entitled “Diwali Family Festival” set for Nov. 4 from 11am – 2pm at Seattle Art Museum. Go to visitsam.org/calendar for details.

The Music of Remembrance organization exists so that the voices of musical witness can be heard. In the past they have organized music of composers who perished in the Holocaust. This year, they shine their light on Japan and the internment camp experience of Japanese Americans in two concerts. The fall concert entitled “Snow Falls” will feature two world premieres by contemporary Japanese composers. “Snow Falls” by Ryuichi Sakamoto is set to a haunting poem by Kiyoko Nagase. The arrangement for actress, violin and piano draws on melodies from Ryuichi Sakamoto’s film score  for “Nagasaki: Memories of My Son.” Local actress Naho Shioya will deliver the poem both in Japanese and in an English translation by Empress Michiko. The second composition by Keiko Fujiie entitled “Wilderness Mute” is a song cycle for soprano, baritone, violin, clarinet, cello and double bass which serves as a vehicle for texts by Japanese poets from Hiroshima and Nagasaki in English translation. Fujiie is a Nagasaki native and has been honored with the NJK Symphony Orchestra’s coveted Otaka Prize twice. The program is rounded out  by Paul Schoenfeld’s “Sparks of Glory” with guest artist Robert Orth and little-known gems created by French, British and Dutch composers in prison and concentration camps. Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7pm at Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall.  A concert set for Spring is entitled “Gaman” by Christophe Chagnard. After Pearl Harbor, more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent – a majority of them American citizens – were forced into detention camps scattered across the United States. Chagnard explores this dark chapter of American history incorporating the stories of individuals, families and artists based on their personal accounts, journals, letters and art works. This multi-media work will tell the story through the imagery and words of Seattle artists Takuichi Fujii and Kamekichi Tokita who were interned at Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho. Instrumentation will combine traditional Japanese and classical Western instruments along with a narrator/singer combined with visual media projections. Also featured is a composition (as yet untitled) scored for string quartet, piano and voices by Ryuichi Sakamoto. This is planned as a participatory work with members of the public to join performers on stage to honor the names of those who perished in WW II – balanced equally between Japanese and non-Japanese victims of the conflict. Both compositions are world premieres commissioned by  Music of Remembrance. Set for May 20, 2018 at 5pm at Nordstrom Recital Hall in Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle. For details, go to musicofremembrance.org.

Japanese singer/songwriter Kuniko Fukushima moved here from Tokyo a few years ago. She has a concert set for Thurs. ,Nov. 16 at The Royal Room in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. She will sing and play piano with Shiho Kurauchi on Japanese harp and Saburo Miyata on bass.There will be two sets, one at 8pm and one at 9pm. Admission is by donation. The venue is at 5000 Rainier Ave. S. (260) 906-9920. To make a reservation, email [email protected] and tell  them the date and time, how many people in your party and the correct name and phone number for your party.

Exciting news for lovers of world  music and classic Indian percussion. Noted Indian tabla master/composer Zakir Hussain will be the the “Visiting Artist” for the UW Ethnomusicology program this year and will appear in concert at Meany Hall on  Nov. 19, 2017. He will present solo work and a new piece created with UW faculty and students. Go to music.washington.edu for details on this and other UW performing arts activities.

Korean contemporary classical musician Yiruma makes his Seattle debut performing a program of Korean compositions. Nov. 24 at 8pm at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle.

Sara Porkalob will  star in “Howl’s Moving Castle: A New Musical by Diana Wynne Jones” set for Book-It Repertory Theatre’s 2017-2018 season set for Nov. 29 – Dec. 30, 2017. It will be adapted and directed by Myra Platt. Music and lyrics by actor/musician/composer Justin Huertas. Many will be familiar with Studio Ghibli’s film adaptation of this story originally written by Jones. 300 Harrison St. at Seattle Center. 206-216-0833 or email [email protected].

Dr. Jakyung Oh, Professor of Organ at Korea University of the Arts gives a free performance on Sun., Jan. 21, 2018 at 3pm. In the Walker Ames Room  located in Kane Hall on the Seattle UW campus. Though free, seating capacity is limited so arrive early.

Crossroads Bellevue, the Eastside’s live music venue presents free live performances every weekend. On the 2nd Saturday of every month at 5:30pm is 2nd Saturday Family Night with free kid-friendly music performances. On the 3rd Saturday of every month at 6:30pm is Northwest Folklife which presents diverse, family-friendly cultural arts performances. To see the schedule, go to crossroadsbellevue.com. 15600 NE 8th in Bellevue. 425-644-1111.

Edmonds Center for the Arts presents the following –  Hawaiian folk/pop duo HAPA  perform on Feb. 8, 2018 at 7:30pm. Mystical Arts of Tibet conclude a 5 day residency with a performance of traditional music and the creation of a mandala sand painting. May 11, 2018 at 7:30pm.410 Fourth Ave. N. 425-272-9595.

Violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim joins the UW Symphony at Benaroya Hall for a concert on Mon., Feb. 5, 2018. 7:30pm. 206-215-4747 or buy at Benaroya Box Office at 200 University St. downtown in person.

Daisha, a classical trio composed of UW undergraduates Halie Borror on violin, Daniel Richardson on piano and Isabella Kodama on cello give two concerts at Brechemin Auditorium on Feb. 7, 2018 and May 4, 2018. All concerts at 7:30pm and admission is free. On the Seattle UW campus. Go to www.music.washington.edu for details.

Zhenni Li of the McGill School of Music in Montreal has been hailed as a classical pianist with a gorgeous tone and mesmerizing touch.  On April 24, 2018 she will give a recital at Brechemin Auditorium at 7:30pm. The following day she leads a master class with UW piano students at the same location  on April 25 at 4:30pm. Both events are free. Seattle UW campus in  the Music Building. Go to  www.music.washington.edu for details.

“Global Rhythms 2017-18” series curated by Jon Kertzer and Daniel Atkinson for Town Hall Seattle brings a concert entitled “Summit in Seattle” with pianist/composer Vjay Iyer in a night of collaboration and improvisation with some of his illustrious and gifted musical colleagues. Set for March 2, 2018 with a venue yet to be announced. To keep in the loop and find out all the other great players in this series, go to www.townhallseattle.org.

Playwright Laureen Yee has a Seattle World Premiere of her play “The Great Leap” set for March 23 – April 22, 2018 at Seattle Repertory Theatre. The company shares this world premiere with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Company. The plot revolves around Beijing University basketball coach Wen Chang and Manford, a young rough-around-the edges basketball talent from San Francisco’s Chinatown and how their worlds intersect. At the Leo K. Theatre. 155 Mercer St. Box Office # is 206-443-2222.

The UW faculty chamber group Frequencies welcomes special guest violinist Yura Lee in a concert entitled “Dialogues” set for May 27, 2018 at 7:30pm. Lee, the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant will perform duos with each member of Frequency and the trio will then perform Erno Dohnanyi’s “Serenade”. At Meany Theater on the  UW Seattle campus. Go to  www.artsuw.org for details.

The Broadway Center in Tacoma has the following – Former Seattle comic Hari Kondabolu  returns to perform at Theatre on the Square on Sat. Nov. 18 at 7:30pm. Best-selling new age/spiritual writer /Deepak Chopra gives a talk on April 12, 2018 at 7:30pm at Pantages Theatre.

In 2018, Kirkland Performance Center has the Golden Dragon Acrobats from Taiwan in performance on Jan. 14 for two shows at 1pm and 5pm. Stand-up comic Hari Kondabolu performs on April 27 at 8pm. 425-893-9900 or go to www.kpcenter.org.

“Allegiance”, the Broadway musical inspired by actor George Takei’s childhood in internment camp during WWII will come to Los Angeles Feb. 21 – April 1, 2018 with previews from Feb. 21 – 25. East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will co-sponsor the production set for the JACCC’s Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. No word yet on whether the production will include the original cast but George Takei will reprise his role. For updates, visit East West Players website.

“Office Hour” is a new play by Julie Cho about a teacher who tries to get to know a problem child whose writing is violent, obscene and meant to freak people out. Previews from Oct. 17 on  with regular production from Nov. 8 – Dec.  3, 2017. The Public Theater  of New York. Go to publictheater.org for details.

A new play by David Henry Hwang entitled “Soft Power” runs from May 10 – June 10, 2018. It is a futuristic Chinese musical about present day America. Music by Jeanine Tesori and directed by Leigh Silverman. World premiere under the auspices of the Center Theater Group. At the Ahmanson Theater in New York. Go to centertheatergroup.org for details.

Seattle Symphony has hired seven new musicians this season who will take up their new posts at the beginning of the 2017-2018 season. Among the new hires is Andy Liang who will be Section Second Violin. Liang is an accomplished violinist in solo, classical and chamber music. He is a ember of ALKALI, a combination of string players/composers specializing in dynamic original compositions and covers infused with styles ranging from jazz to classical to pop. He received a diploma from the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the Cordova Quartet.

Ayad Akhtar’s latest play has no Muslim American characters like previous plays. Instead, ”Junk” looks at Wall Street in the 80’s and the battle between old money establishment and the new corporate raiders. Opens in Oct. at Lincoln Center on Broadway. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust will give a 2017 Steinberg Playwright Award to Akhtar  honoring his work produced thus far. The 10th annual “Mimi” Awards ceremony will be held on Dec. 4, 2017 at Lincoln Center in New York.

The Degenerate Art Ensemble (Joshua Kohl & Crow Nishimura)  premiered an early version of their latest multi media work entitled “Diphylleia Grayi (Skeleton Flower)” in September, 2017 at The Grocery Studios in Seattle. The work is a semi-autobiographical exploration of a creative person’s struggle with identity, depression and the awakening of feminine power where healing and transformation are fueled by the secret medicine of fairy tales. Additional performances take place Oct. 18 & 19 in San Francisco and Oct. 21 & 22 in Los Angeles. The full work will premiere in the US and Europe in 2018 in a collaboration with filmmaker Mischa Jakupcak and visual artist Elizabeth Jameson. DAE will launch a kickstarter campaign to fund the entire production. For details, go to degenerateartensemble.com.

“Madame Ho” is a new musical play by Bay Area playwright Eugenie Chan about her great grandmother who was supposedly a brothel madam. It is a San Francisco Chronicle Fall Theater Pick and received the 2017 Rella Lossy Award. Stars Bonnie Akimoto, Rinabeth Apostal, Lily Tung Crystal, Lisa Hori-Garcia, Christine Jamlig, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, Mimu Tsujimura and erhu musician Alan Yip. Lighting designer is Allen Willner, designer is Randy Wong-Westbrooke, and costume designer is Keiko Shimosato Carreiro. Songs by Seattle’s own Byron Au Yong. Directed by Jessica Heidt. Now  at the Exit Theatre through Oct. 21. Then at Chinatown’s Donaldina Cameron House for free community performances from Oct. 28 – 29, 2017.  Go to eugeniechantheater.org for details.

The Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra marked its 60th anniversary in September with the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s sixth symphony entitled “Chinese Poems” which contains German translations of Tang Dynasty poetry. The piece was conducted by GSO music director Long Yu with baritone soloist Chen-Ye Yuan.

Film & Media

“The Last Dali Lama?” is directed by Mickey Lemle and takes a candid look at the Tibetan leader as he heads into his nineties. Screens Oct. 6 – 9 at SIFF Cinema Egyptian. The 7pm screenings on Oct. 6 and Oct. 8 will have a Q&A with director Mickey Lemle.

“TWIST – 22nd Seattle Queer Film Festival” takes place Oct. 12 – 22 at various venues around the Puget Sound. Some films with Asian themes include the following – “Boys For Sale” by Itako looks at young men selling sex in Tokyo’s gay district and who is buying their services.  Oct. 14 at 2:45pm at Northwest Film Forum. “Close-Knit” by Naoko Ogigami screens Oct. 14 at 4:30pm at Siff Cinema Egyptian. Explores the everyday struggles of a transgender Japanese woman through the yes of a lonely youth.”Die Beautiful” by Jun Lana of the Philippines screens Oct. 14 at noon at Northwest Film Forum. A woman’s death bed request is  that she be dressed as a different celebrity every night of her wake. “Fathers” by Palatpol Mingpornpichit of Thailand screens Oct. 18 at 7pm at Northwest Film forum. A boy adopted  by two dads is happy until bullying starts at school. “Girl Unbound, The War To Be Her” by Erin Heidenreich, this documentary tells the story of a rising star in the women’s squash world who masqueraded as a boy during her childhood in a rough neighborhood so she could play sports freely After her popularity, her family is targeted by the Taliban. Screens Oct. 17 at 5pm at Northwest Film Forum. “Jesus Is Dead” by Victor Villanueva from the Philippines is a road picture about a family on a journey to an estranged husband’s wake. Screens Oct. 21 at 2:30pm at AMC Pacific Place. A Northwest premiere. “Maybe Tomorrow” by Samantha Lee from the Philippines explores the complex relationship as two females who gradually realize they are becoming more than friends. Screens Oct. 19 at 6:45pm at Broadway Performance Hall. “Signature Move” is the story of a Pakistani Muslim lesbian in Chicago caring for her mother who falls for a bold Mexican American woman. This film charts the journey of their love. Screens Oct. 14 at 7:15pm at Northwest Film Forum. “Small Talk” by Hui-Chen Huang from Taiwan is a documentary film in which the filmmaker who grew up raised by a lesbian mother. She tries confront the past and try to open up with her reticent mother. Screens Oct. 21 at noon at AMC Pacific Place. There are also many Asian & Asian American directors in the shorts program as well. Go to twistfilmfest.org for full details.

“RWBY” is an American anime-style web series and media franchise created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. “RWBY Vol. 5 Premiere” gives “RWBY” fans an opportunity to see the popular anime franchise, “RWBY Vol. 5 Chapter 1” and it is also the first time that episodes have been shown theatrically on the big screen. The series is set in a fictional world where young people train to become huntsmen and huntresses to protest their world from the creatures of Grimm. Screens Thurs., Oct. 12 at 7:30pm Cinemark Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue, Pacific Place 11 at 600 Pine St. in Seattle, Thorton Place 14 at 301 NE 103rd in Seattle, Cinemark Point Ruston at 5057 Main St. in Tacoma and AMC Southcenter 16 at 633 South Center Parkway in Tacoma.

Included in the “Indigenous Showcase” is the directorial debut of native Hawaiian filmmaker Clara Lacy and her documentary film entitled “Out of state”. The film follows two career criminals shipped from Hawai’I to a private prison in the Arizona desert where they discover their indian traditions from a fellow inmate. But their real challenge remains when they return home as formerly imprisoned convicts to civilian life. Screen Oct. 28 at 4pm. Northwest Film Forum.

“White Sun” was Nepal’s foreign-language Oscar submission this year. The film looks at a nation’s turmoil and how the scars of war are slow to heal even after the conflict is over. It tells the story of an ex-maoist rebel and his attempts to reunite with his family and reconcile with his village. The film has opened in New York and will hopefully surface in Seattle as well.

The folks at SIFF continue their trail-blazing schedule of new and provocative films. Go to siff.org for details.

A  Japanese cult classic “Hausu” is a horror film about a group of Japanese school girls who venture into the wrong house. Oct. 13 at Central Cinema.

One of the last and oldest  independent movie theatres in Seattle is the   Grand Illusion Cinema in the University District.  They screen a variety of interesting non-commercial “arthouse” films year around. 1403 N.E. 50th St. 206-523-3935.

Screenings of some of  classic films from Ghibli Studio will be taking place throughout the year – “Spirited Away” screens October 29 (English dubbed) and October 30 (English subtitled) both at 12:55pm and again on Nov. 1 in an English dubbed version. “Howl’s Moving Castle plays November 26 (English dubbed) and November 27 (English dubbed) both at 12:55pm and again on Nov. 29 in an English dubbed version. Tickets can be purchased online starting Friday, August 18. All screenings locally at the Varsity Theatre in the  University District. For full details on screenings in your area, go to www.FathomEvents.com for details.

Tasveer announces their 12th Annual Tasveer South Asian Film Festival with a special focus on Nepal set for Oct. 6 – 15, 2017 screening at various sites around the Puget Sound. Over 45 films will be shown with 10 from Nepal alone. Tickets go on sale on Sept. 6, 2017. Go to tasveer.org for complete details.

“No Game No Life Zero” is a new feature length Japanese animated film based on a popular anime series. This film  with a new prequel screens nationwide on Oct. 5 (in Japanese) at  7pm and Oct. 8th (with English subtitles) at 12:55pm. Screens locally at the  following theatres. Regal Theatre at Thorton Place 14 at 301 NE 103rd St. and Pacific Place 11 at 600 Pine St. in Seattle. Also at Bella Bottega 11 at 8890 NE 161st Ave. in Redmond and AMC Southcenter 16 at 633 South Center Parkway in Tukwila. Tickets at www.fathomevents.com/events/ or at the local theatre box office.

FILM MOVEMENT celebrates its 15th Anniversary with a spate of home entertainment  DVD releases of recent films, some of which played the recent Seattle International Film Festival. August sees the release of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “After The Storm.” Other releases include Yang Zhang’s Tibetan-set epic Western-style action drama, “Soul On A String” as well as a blu-ray release of Takeshi Kitano’s classic crime drama, “Hana-Bi (Fireworks).”

“Finding Kukan” is a documentary film by Robin Lung was a crowd favorite at the Seattle SIFF 2017. It involved the search for a Chinese American film producer of an Academy Award-winning  WWII war-time documentary. Now it’s back in a deluxe edition with a bonus feature of footage of the original film shot in China. DVDs and streaming versions are available to schools, museums, corporations and non-profits. It has proven to be a great teaching tool, starting thoughtful discussions about race, gender, history and filmmaking. More fall screenings are scheduled for various cities including Seattle. Go to findingkukan.com for details.

“Signature Move” is a new film that looks at modern families and the complexities of life in its many forms. It debuts in Chicago at The Music Box Theatre on Sept. 29, 2017. The film is directed by Jennifer Reeder and written by Fawzia Mrirza and Lisa Donato. Stars Mirza, Shabana Azumi, Sari Sanchez, Audrey Francis, Charin Alvarez, Molly Brennan and Mark Hood.

“May and the Witch Flower” is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. It is produced by a new  company, Studio Ponoc. But his name should be familiar to anime film fans. He previously worked at Ghibli Studio and worked on the feature films, When Marnie Was There” and “Arriety”. His new film  opened in  Japan in July, 2017. Its U.S. release is set for the winter of 2018 by Gkids Films. It is based on Mary Stewart’s 1971 children’s book, “The Little Broomstick”. It tells the story of a little girl who discovers a flower that grants magic power but only for a limited time. The word is he has already shown snippets of the film to his former bosses at Ghibli Studio who gave him the thumbs up.

Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, Calif. Is one of the greatest depositories of film on the West Coast. They show archival and foreign films that are  hard to view anywhere else  on a weekly basis. An important series screening soon includes “A Golden Age of Chinese Cinema 1947-52”,  a rare cache of films from a rich period of Chinese cinema screening from Sept. 30 – Oct. 21, 2017. Imported from the China Film Archive. 2155 Center St. in Berkeley. 510-642-0808 or go to [email protected].

The following films open in late September, 2017 – A Focus Features production of “Victoria & Abdul” is the unlikely friendship between a queen and her new best friend, her Indian servant. Stars Judi Dench and Ali Fazal. Directed by Stephen Frears.   “The Future Perfect” by Nele Wohlatz which blends fiction and documentary in telling the story of a Chinese teenager in Argentina. A prizewinner  at last year’s Locarno Festival.    Christopher Doyle is a famed cinematographer who has collaborated with Wong Kar-wai on some of his most successful movies. Now he directs “Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled, Pre-occupied, Preposterous”,  a series of three short works that blend documentary and fiction to focus on different generations in Hong Kong at a time of transition and pro-democracy protests.    Lena Khan’s first feature film, “The Tiger Hunter” tells the story of a tiger hunter’s son  from India who emigrates to Chicago and pretends he is more successful than he is when the woman he loves pays a visit. Set in the late 1970’s and stars Danny Pudi. Opens across the country Sept. 22, 2017.   “I Am Another You” tells what happens after documentary filmmaker Nanfu Wang meets a drifter in Florida and follows him across the country, exploring the contradictions of his lifestyle.   “Judwwa 2” is a remake of a 1997 comedy. In this version, Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan plays separated identical twins who are psychically linked. What happens when they actually meet?

The following films below open in Oct., 2017 – “Bending The Arc” is a documentary film that looks at the work of three advocates  including Jim Yong Kim who developed strategies for combating AIDS and Ebola in impoverished countries.   “Maineland” is a documentary by Miao Wang that trails Chinese tennagers who move to the States to attend private high schools in Maine and what happens.   “The Departure” is a documentary profile of Ittetsu Nemoto, a punk rocker and Buddhist priest who offers support for the suicidal. Directed by Lana Wilson.   Martin Campbell directs “The Foreigner”, a thriller starring Jackie Chan as a father who wants answers and revenge after his daughter dies in a bombing. Her pursues a politician with past ties to the IRA played by Piece Brosnan for the answers.  “Human Flow” is a 3 hour-long documentary film that looks at the refugee crisis and mass human migration in over 20 countris around the world.  Directed by the Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei.    What happens when Laibach, a Slovenian industrial-rock band gets an invitation to perform in North Korea? ”Liberation Day”, a new documentary film supplies the answers.

The following films open in Nov., 2017. Japan’s  prolific director Takashi Miike has made dozens of films across numerous genres. His 100th is “Blade Of The Immortal”  which is a samurai film based on a famous manga.   Actor Steven Yuen supplies the voice of the donkey in a new animated feature entitled “The Star” about the first Christmas as seen through the perspective of the animals involved. Other star voices lending support include Kelly Clarkson, Ving Rhames and others.   “On Beach At Night Alone” is South Korean director Hong Sang-Soo’s latest feature. They all tell the story of his clumsy, drunken interactions with women. Stars actress Kim Min-hee, the director’s real-life muse.

The Written Arts

Diane Morita Cole, author of a new book on the Japanese American immigrant and internment experience entitled “Sideways: Memoir of a Misfit” (Diaspora Press) will make two appearances in Seattle. On Wed., Oct. 4 at 6pm, she will read and sign books at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Uwajimaya Village at 525 South Weller St. 206-587-2477. On Friday, Oct. 6 at 3pm, she does it again at the Panama Hotel at 605 South Main. 205-223-9242. Both events are free.

Since January’s record-breaking women’s march, the leading voices of political resistance to the Trump administration have been women’s. Some of their voices are gathered in a new collection entitled “Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America”. The editors of this anthology Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding join contributor and Seattle feminist writer Ijeoma Oluo to share excerpts from the book. Tues., Oct. 10, 2017  at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Seattle First Baptist Church at  1111 Harvard Ave. $5 admission. Presented by Town Hall Seattle with Elliott Bay Book Company.

Elliott Bay Book Company presents a series of readings and events. All readings at the bookstore unless noted otherwise. On Oct. 6 at 6pm in the Gates Foundation Visitor Center, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof will be in conversation with Seattle community leader Martha Choe. They will discuss pervasive human rights violations and oppression of women and girls, while sharing experiences of economic progress when women are empowered to reach their full potential. Held in conjunction with the Gates Foundation Visitor Center’s special exhibition “Women Hold Up Half The Sky” inspired by Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s best-selling book, “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide”. The exhibition is on view through Jan. 27, 2018. FREE but pre-registration required at GatesFoundation.org. ID required and no admissions after 6:15pm. 44 – 5th Ave. N. See www.gatesfoundation.org for more information.   Back at the bookstore on Oct. 7 at 7pm, New York Times journalist Blaine Harden reads from the latest on a series of books on contemporary Korea. This one is entitled “King of Spies: The Dark Reign of American’s Spymaster in Korea” (Viking). The book looks at an American operative who predicted the beginning of the Korean War and his fascinating life in the cloak and dagger world of Asia. On Oct. 10, Rakesh Satyal reads from “No One Can Pronounce My Name” (Picador), her comic novel about loneliness in the mid-west and immigrant outsiders who struggle to fit in with not only society-at-large but their own families.   Oct. 12 at Seattle University’s Campion Tower Ballroom, noted economist/activist Muhammad Yunus will speak on his book with the optimistic title, “A World of Three Zeros: The New Economies of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions”. Free. Located at 914 E. Jefferson on the Seattle University campus.

Evelina Galang talks about her new book entitled “Lola’s House” in which she compiled personal histories from 16 surviving “comfort women” who were forced into sexual slavery during WWII. Seattle Central Public Library on Oct. 10 at 7pm. Free on a first-come, first-served basis. 1000  4th Ave. downtown. On Oct. 7, the Gardner Center’s Saturday University presents Sarah Allan from Dartmouth College who talks about “The Way of Water in Early Chinese Thought”.  On Sat., Oct. 14, Hui-Shu Lee will speak on the topic of “The Way of Water: Reading Landscape and Gender in Southern Song China”.  The Saturday University talk for Oct. 21 will be by Michael Meister of the University of Pennsylvania who will talk about “Architecture, Stepwells, and Cosmic Water in Western India”.  On Oct. 28, Jennifer Gaynor of the University at Buffalo SUNY talks about “Creating Land in Paradise: Protest, Rights, and Sacred Waters on Bali’s South Coast”.  On Nov. 4, Tamara Sears of Rutgers University talks about “Following Rivers Rich in Honey: Narratives of Travel, Environmental Design, and the Indian Landscape”. Nov. 11 will have David Briggs of UC Riverside speaking about “History Flows from the Mekong Mud”. Nov. 18 brings Peter Shapinsky of the University of Illinois, Springfield talking about “The Pirate Archipelago: Images of Maritime Power in Late medieval Japan”.  Dec. 2 brings NaveedChange in Bangladesh”. The series concludes on Dec. 9 with Timothy Clark of the British Museum talking about “Hokusai’s Waterscapes”. Part of the Saturday University “WATERSCAPES: IMAGERY AND ENVIRONMENT IN ASIA Lecture Series presented by the Gardner Center For Asian Art And Ideas, in partnership with the University Of Washington Jackson School Of International Studies, Seattle University and Elliott Bay Book Company. All Oct. talks start at 10am at Pigott Auditorium on the campus of Seattle University. Centrally located on the Seattle University campus at 901 – 12th Ave. All Nov. talks in this series start at 10am at Seattle Art Museum downtown. Finally all Dec. talks return to Seattle University’s Pigott Auditorium starting at 10am.  For information on this series and individual lecture tickets, go to www.seattleartmuseum.org or call 206-654-3210 or go to visitsam.org/tickets..   Amy Tan appear in conversation with local Seattle writer Laurie Frankel about her new memoir “Where The Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir” (Ecco)  On Wed., Oct. 25 at 7pm. Seattle Public Central Library’s Microsoft Auditorium. Co-presented by Seattle Public Library. 1000 Fourth Ave. Free but on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, go to www.spl.org or call 206-386-4634.

Seattle-raised poet/writer Paisley Rekdal makes a welcome return on the heels of two new published books – a volume of poetry entitled “Imaginary Vessels” nominated for a Washington State Book Award and “The Broken Country”, a meditation in prose on the ramifications of the Vietnam war on America’s culture and psyche. She reads at the bookstore on Nov. 16, 2017.  Dec. 2 is the annual St. Peter’s Holiday Fair which runs from 10am – 3pm. Join EB here at this annual holiday event which features food, arts & crafts and books. 1610 S. King St. 206-323-5250. Khizr Khan is remembered for his stirring speech at the National Democratic Convention speaking as a parent of a Muslim American son killed in action in the Middle East. He will be speaking on Dec. 8, 2017. Khan is the author of two new books.  “This Is Our Constitution”  (Knopf Books for Young Readers) written for young adults  to familiarize them with the US Constitution and “An American Family” (Penguin/Random House) which is a memoir. Elliott Bay Book Company is at 1521 – 10th Ave on Capitol Hill. 206-624-6600.

Raj Patel, author of “The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy” and his latest volume entitled “A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet” talks about these things and others. Oct. 11 at Rainer Arts Center at 7:30pm. $5 admission. Presented by Town Hall Seattle.

Local slam poet Roberto Ascalon and playwright/writer/poet Bob Flor read on Wed., Oct. 18 at one of Seattle’s best live written arts venues, the series “Words West” in West Seattle. At C&P Coffee House  at 5612 California St. S.W.

Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi are co-authors of a new biography for young readers done in graphic novel/manga form entitled “Fred Korematsu Speaks Up” (Heyday Books). Korematsu challenged all the way to the Supreme Court the government’s WWII orders forcing Japanese Americans from their homes to be imprisoned in internment camps. Atkins and Yogi will discuss their book and do a book-signing. Sat., Oct. 28 at 2pm. Co-sponsored by Densho, Elliott Bay Book Company, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law & Equality, Seattle University School of Law and Seattle Chapter JACL. At the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Go to [email protected] for details. 719 S. King. 206-623-5124.

The University Book Store has these events planned at their various branches. Julie Kim has a book launch for her debut children’s book entitled “Where’s Halmoni?” (Sasquatch Books) on Thurs., Oct. 5 at 7pm. On Oct. 19 catch another Seattle children’s author/illustrator Liz Wong as she reads from “Quackers”  (Knopf) about  a  creature that has a hard time fitting in.  4326 University Way NE. 206-634-3400 or  [email protected].

Bhu Srinivasan reads from “Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism” (Penguin), an alternative history of modern Americana that we thought we knew. The author in his accessible writing style lets us know otherwise. Free. Tues., Oct. 10 at 7:30pm. University Lutheran Church at 1604 NE 50th St. 206-525-7074.

The Hugo House Literary Series has the following. All readings are at Hugo House unless otherwise noted.   “Two Countries: US Daughters and Sons of Immigrant Parents” is a new anthology edited by Tina Schumann that gets a book launch on Oct. 26 at 7pm. Free. Seven local contributors will read including Shin Yu Pai, Michael Schmeltzer and others. Valerie Hsiung reads from her third full-length collection “efg” along with local poets Don Mee Choi, Jane Wong and Amaranth Borsuk on Nov. 1 at 7pm. 1021 Columbia St. 206-322-7030 or try [email protected].

Third Place Books has the following readings at various Puget Sound bookstore locations. Graphic novelist Nidhi Chanani talks about her new book entitled “Pashmina” (FirstSecond Books) in which an Indian American high school girl struggles to fit in at her school  and then discovers more about her family’s history with the help of her mother’s magical pashmina. Oct. 28 at 4pm at the Seward Park location of Third Place Books.5041 Wilson Ave. S. 206-474-2200.

Seattle author Bharti Kirchner shows her versatility by tackling a new genre. She embarks on a new mystery series with an Indian-American detective. The first in the series is entitled “Season of Sacrifice: A Maya Mallick Mystery” (Severn House Publishers). She reads on Oct. 10 at 7pm at the University Book Store in Seattle’s University District. 206-634-3400 or go to ubookstore.com.

Northwest art historian Barbara Johns talks about “the Hope of Another Spring” (UW Press), her book on a Northwest Japanese American artist and his diary and drawings about life in an internment camp during WWII at Seattle branch of Kinokuniya Bookstore on Oct. 7. At 2pm.  525 S. Weller St. 206-587-2477.

Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair, the annual display of rare and used books by Northwest booksellers takes place Oct. 14 & 15, 2017 at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. $5 admission is good for both days. Sat., 10am – 6pm. Sun., 11am – 4pm. For details, go to www.seattlebookfair.com.

Local writer Richard Chiem’s “You Private Person”  is a quirky collection of stories that meander in a quiet dreamy day-to-day world full of moments of love and loss. It was such a Seattle underground classic the first time around that it has been reissued in a revised 2nd edition by Sorry House Press. Chiem reads in good company with Rae Armantrout and Rebecca Brown. On Oct. 12 at Gramma Poetry Space in Pioneer Square at 3rd and Washington. Doors open at 7pm and the reading starts at 7:30pm.  Free. Food & drinks and broadsides from each reader will be available. 300 South Washington St., Unit Z.

Noted novelist, filmmaker & Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki (“A Tale For The Time Being”) will be part of the Hugo House 2017-2018 line-up for the series “Word Works: Writers on Writing.” She will speak on the craft and art of writing on Feb. 23, 2018.  EJ Koh joins Joshua Ferris and Melissa Febos as part of the Hugo Literary Series on March 23, 2018 at 7:30pm. Go to hugohouse.org for details.

Hugo House has announced their line-up of writers appearing for the 2017-2018 Hugo Literary Series, part of which will coincide with the institution’s move to a new and permanent home on the same site of their old location. Don Mee Choi as part of the Bagley Wright Lecture Series will speak on the topic, “Translation is a Mode=Translation is an Anti-Neocolonial Mode” on Oct. 18 at 7pm at  the Fireside Room of the Sorrento Hotel. This event is free.   Under the topic, “Area Protected by Neighborhood Watch” on Nov. 10, 2017 Iranian American novelist Porochista Khakpour will join Jericho Brown and Rachel Kessler with musicians at Fred Wildlife Refuge  at 7:30pm.at 128 Belmont Ave. E. 21 & over only for this venue. The theme for the March 23, 2018 event is “Homecoming” with Joshua Ferris, Melissa Febos and E. J. Koh with music by Tomo Nakayama. This is at Fred Wildlife Refuge as well. The series closer with the topic “There Goes the Neighborhood” features Bangladeshi American poet Tarfia Faizullah with Jami Attenberg and others  is on May 11, 2018  and it is expected that this takes place at the new Hugo House auditorium at their new, improved, original location of 1634 – 11th Ave. but call ahead to make sure.  All events at 7:30pm. For details, go to hugohouse.org or call 206-453-1937.

Seattle writer Donna Miscolta is part of the fall “Seattle Writes” series where local writers teach writing workshops. Go to www.spl.org/seattlewrites for more details.

Noted Japanese Canadian writer Joy Kogawa (“Obasan”) has come out in support with other Asian Canadians of Bill 79 which is “An Act to Proclaim the Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day.” She believes large-scale acts of violence in history need to be widely known and studied so they are not repeated. Go to  https:www.thestar.com/opinion/commemorative-day-act-joy-kogawa.html for details.

Noted local photographer/writer Dean Wong is one of the winners of the Before Columbus Foundation’s Thirty-Eighth Annual American Book Awards for his book of photographs/stories entitled “Seeking the Light: Four Decades in Chinatown” (Chin Music). Writer Shawna Yang Ryan also won for her novel about Taiwan entitled “Green Island” (Knopf). All winners will be formally recognized on October 22, 2017 at the SF Jazz Center in San Francisco from 12 – 2:30pm. Free and open to the public. Congratulation Dean on an honor richly deserved!

The Seattle Public Library has announced their Washington State Book Award Finalists for books published in 2016. In “Books For Adult Categories”, Sci-fi author Ted Chiang was nominated for “Stories of Your Life and Others.” In the category of “Poetry”, Don Mee Choi was nominated for “Hardly War”, Paisley Rekdal was nominated for “Imaginary Vessels” and Michael Schmeltzer was nominated for “Blood Song.” In the “Books For Youth Categories” under the “Picture Book” format, David Jacobson’s “Are You an Echo? The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko” translated by Sally Ito and Michiko Tsuboi and illustrated by Toshikado Hajiri was nominated and in the “Books for Early Readers” category, Liz Wong’s “Quackers” was nominated.

Noted poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil reads on May 21, 2018 at 7:30pm at McCaw Hall as part of Seattle Arts & Lectures Poetry Series. She was born in Chicago to a Filipina mother an South Indian father. She earned her BA and MFA from Ohio State University. She is the author of “Miracle Fruit”, “At The Drive-In Volcano” and “Lucky Fish.” Forthcoming in 2018 is a new book of illustrated nature essays entitled “World of Wonder” and a new book of poetry, “Oceanic.”

One finds it hard to keep up with the steady stream of new titles coming out even in the limited categories of works by or about Asian Americans and new titles on Asia but here’s a recent sampling. Please contact me if anyone is interested in reviewing any of the below titles for the International Examiner. Thanks! –

“My Rice Bowl – Korean Cooking Outside The Lines (Sasquatch) is by Rachel Yang and Jess Thomson. The James Beard Best Chef-nominee and co-owner of local Northwest restaurants Joule, Trove, Revel and Revelry, Yang’s book explains her deeply comforting Korean fusion cuisine inspired by cultures around the world.

“Fierce Femmes And Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girls Confabulours Memoir” (Metonymy Press) by Kai Cheng Thom. This book reveals the anger, the alienation and the brilliance of the struggles of radicalized trans women.

“Small Beauty” (Metonymy Press) by Jia Qing Wilson-Yang is the story of a Chinese Canadian trans woman. Reeling from a cousin’s death she retreats to the ancestral house in the country and battles her demons. A quiet meditation on grief, race and community.

“Some Beheadings” (Nightboat Books) is a new book of poetry by Aditi Machado due out Oct. 3, 2017. These poems travel through the mind as well as winding their way from India’s Western Ghats to the Mohave Desert asking questions like “What does thinking feel like?”.

“Little Fires Everywhere” (Penguin) is the new novel by Celeste Ng, the best-selling author of “Everything I Never Told You”. In it she examines suburbia asking key questions such as issues of race versus privilege and how it affects parenting.

“Where’s Halmoni?” (Little Bigfoot) by Julie Kim is a beautifully illustrated (in graphic novel-style) children’s book that follows two young siblings as they search for their grandmother in a world populated by creatures from Korean folklore.

“A House Made of Water” (Sibling Rivalry Press” by Michelle Lin delves into culture, myth and history using her family’s immigration as a link to both the past and future. Poems of passion and depth that haunt.

Kazumi Chin’s “Having a Coke With Godzilla” (Sibling Rivalry) is a debut collection of poems that celebrate feminism, empathy and solidarity with community. The poet knows the first Godzilla was an atom bomb and that to sing, fist you have to learn to breathe.

“Moon Princess” (Chicken House) by Barbara Laban is a mystery-adventure novel set in China about a girl whose mother who has disappeared, and the invisible animal friends who help her follow the clues.

“Letters To Memory” (Coffee House Press) is award-winning novelist Karen Tei Yamashita’s memoir of Japanese American internment during WWII and its repercussions for her family. Handwritten letters, pictures, and paintings bring the past to life. Due out September, 2017.

“Harmless Like You” (Norton) marks the fictional debut of Rowan Hisayo Buchanan in a book about multiracial identity, motherhood, familial bonds and the struggle to be an artist.

Ch’ae Manshik is one of modern Korea’s most accomplished writers but his work is scarcely represented in English translation because of the challenges posed by his distinctive voice and colloquial style. Local Seattle translators Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton remedy that situation with a deft translation of his various styles and genres in “Sunset – A Ch’ae Manshik Reader” (Columbia University Press). Here you will find a choice selection of his work in the novella form, short fiction, essay, travel writing, theatre and even children’s stories. A dark humor and quick wit bubbles through each sentence.

“The Best We Could Do” (Abrams Comicarts) by Thi Bui is a graphic novel about the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family.

L.A. poet and small press editor Chiwan Choi burst upon the scene with “The Flood”, a searing collection of poems involving family and creating a place in the world. With “The Yellow House” (CCM) he ups the ante with poems that smolder with a nuanced power. Go to copingmechanisms.net for details.

“Chow Chop Suey – Food And The Chinese American  Journey” (Columbia) by Anne Mendelson looks at the sweep of history that brought Chinese cooking to America.

The award-winning Japanese writer/playwright Abe Kobo has an early seimi-autobiographical novel entitled “Beasts Head For Home” (Columbia) newly translated by Richard F. Calichman. The story tells the tale of a Japanese youth in Manchuria at the end of WWII and his perilous journey home. In it , the character deals with issues of identity, belonging and the complexities of human behavior.

Jet Tila grew up in L.A.’s Thai Town and learned cooking from his Cantonese grandmother and working at his family’s famed Bangkok Market, the first Thai market to open in the U.S. He turns that expertise to good use in “101 Asian Dishes You Need To Cook Before You Die” (Page Street Publishing) using simplified techniques and easy to use & buy ingredients.

“The Windfall” (Crown) by Diksha Basu is a satire of a middle-class family in New Delhi who come into money and how it changes them.

“Pattan’s Pumpkin – A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India” (Candlewick) by Chitra Soundar and illustrated by Frane Lessaac is based on a traditional tale told by the Irula people. Forget Noah’s ark and delight in a family’s journey to safety down a river in a giant pumpkin.

“Meeting With My Brother” (Columbia) is a novella by Yi Mun-yol about when two brothers from North and South Korea have a reunion. Explores Korea’s partition and hope of reunification. Translated by noted American writer Heinz Insu Fenkl with Yoosup Chang.

“Wabi Sabi” (Bloomsbury) by Francesc Miralles as translated by Julie Wark tells the story of a Spaniard who receives an enigmatic postcard from a Japanese pen pal that puts him on a plane to Japan to decipher the message.

“Happy Dreams” (Amazon Crossing) by Jia Pingwa is a novel translated by Nicky Harman which comes out Oct. 1, 2017. It tells the story of two best friends who leave the country to the city with dreams of a better life.

Hiromi Kawakami’s novel,  “The Nakano Thrift Shop” (Europa) as translated by Allison Markin Powell looks at the staff and customers of a little thrift shop and examines their various relationships.

“When Dimple Met Rishi” (Simon Pulse) by Sandhya Menon is a young adult novel of two teenagers sent to summer school by their parents in hopes of matching them up. Their initial encounter is rocky but gradually they become more than friends.

“Scarborough” (Arsenal Pulp Press) by Catherine Hernandez. This novel follows the lives of three children who inhabit Toronto’s low-income east end. It explores the positive impact of neighborhood programming amongst the poor and its devastation when the very governments who established these programs come and go.

“Chef Roy Choi and The Street Food Remix” (Readers to Eaters) by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee and illustrated by Man One brings the story of L.A. homeboy Chef Roy Choi and his innovative ways of presenting, selling and combining cultural food traditions from his food truck to kids. Each page will appeal to children with the energy of graffiti artist Man One illustrations and who doesn’t like to eat?

Jade Chang’s “The Wangs Vs. The World” (Mariner) is a feel-good hilarious saga of a Chinese American family on the skids who band together and go on a road trip to find unity. Available in a new paperback edition.

“Starfish” (Simon Pulse” by Akemi Dawn Bowan (due out in September) is an emotionally resonant young adult novel about a biracial teen who struggles with social anxiety, a narcissist mother and rejection from art school only to find her own identity as a person on a journey to the West Coast.

Hye-Young Pyun’s “The  Hole” (Arcade) is a psychological thriller about a man awakening from a coma after a terrible car accident that caused his wife’s death.

“Hawaiian By Birth – Missionary Children, Bicultural Identity and U.S. Colonalism in the Pacific” (Nebraska) by Joy Schulz looks at how race, gender, sexuality, class and religion merge to advance U.S. imperialism in the Pacific.

“Home Fire” (riverhead Books) is a novel by Kamila Shamsie that tells the story of the choices people make for love and how secrets and family loyalty can tie lives together and also set them out of control.

“The Burning Girl” (Norton) by Claire Messud tells the tale of the friendship between two girls and a piercing story of adolescence and identity.

“The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball” (Spark Press) by Seattle author Dori Jones Yang is a young adult novel based on an episode from history when 120 boys were sent by the  Emperor of China to New England in the 1870’s. It captures the tension between love and hate that is culture shock.

“Miss Burma” (Grove Atlantic) is an historical novel by Charmaine Craig that tells the story of a family caught between war, revolution, desire and loss. Conveys the struggle of the Karen hill tribe people and their search for freedom in Burma.

“Maria Mahoi of The Islands” (New Star Books) by Jean Barman is an important document on the history of Indigenous Hawaiians in the early Northwest.

“Remembering 1942 And Other Chinese Stories” (Arcade) by Liu Zhenyun as translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin showcases six of this Chinese author’s best short stories with a diverse cast of ordinary people struggling with obstacles that are bureaucratic, economic and personal.

“The Accusation – Forbidden Stories From Inside North Korea” (Grove Atlantic) by Bandi is a book of short stories of North Koreans enduring day to day challenges and threatened by starvation, betrayal and brutality Translated by the ever prolific Deborah Smith.

“A Life of Adventure And Delight” (Norton) is a new book of short stories by Akhil Sharma that evokes Chekov and Trevor. The author sees how the burdens of family and culture shape his character’s choices whether in India, New York or New Jersey.

Debbi Michiko Florence’s character Jasmine Toguchi explores such Japanese cultural customs as Girl’s Day and mochi making in her ongoing series that includes titles like “Super Sleuth” and “Mochi Queen” both on FSG books. Coming next in the series is “Drummer Girl”. For young adults with a bonus activity in every book.

“Shanghai Grand” (St. Martin’s) is a sprawling history of Shanghai by Tara Grescoe on the eve of WWII and the international cast of characters caught in a whirlpool of intrigue, conflict, love and history.

“Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember-The Stroke That Changed My Life” (Ecco) by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee. A compelling memoir of a world turned upside down and how the writer tries to find order out of chaos.

“Where The Past Begins” (Ecco) is popular novelist Amy Tan’s (“The Joy Luck Club”) memoir which explores family history in a raw and personal fashion. Due out Oct. 10, 2017.

“101 Changemakers – Rebels  And Radicals Who Changed US History”  (Haymarket). Edited by Michele Bollinger & Dao X. Tran. This is a collection of profiles of Americans who made a difference and fought for social justice. Consider it a Howard Zinn-style history of America for middle school students.

“Manihi Moves A Mountain” (Creston) is a children’s story by Nancy Churnin with art by Danny Popovici is the true story of a man in India who carved out a 360 foot road through a mountain after his wife died due to a lack of medical attention. The road provided access to a larger town that had medical facilities and more daily supplies for villagers.

“Salivating Monstrous Plant” (Cordite Books) by poet Tanya Thaweeskuichai positions itself on a map of contemporary poetics stretching from Sydney to Singapore and Stockholm to Seattle.

“I’m New Here” (Charlesbridge) by Anne Sibley O’Brien is a kids picture book that looks at the experiences of America’s latest citizens from Guatemala, Korea and Somalia and how they struggle to adjust to a new school, a new culture and a new environment.

Amani Al-khatahtbeh founded a website that gave a candid account of what it’s like to be a young Muslim woman in the wake of 9/11 and a Trump presidency. Now she tells her story of that journey in “Muslim Girl – A Coming of Age” (Simon & Schuster).

“The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star” (Redhook) by Vaseem Khan tells the story of Inspector Chopra who discovers in Bollywood, the  truth is often stranger than fiction. Part of an ongoing series  on a detective and his baby elephant solving cases together.

“Reading With Patrick – A Teacher, a Student and a Life-changing Friendship” (Random House) by Michelle Kuo traces the life of a Harvard grad who joins “Teach For America” and finds herself in the Mississippi Delta. Her favorite student is an 8th grader who wins a school-wide award as “most improved” only to learn later his is imprisoned for murder. But the story doesn’t end there. She returns to the Delta to continue his education in prison. Their relationship transforms the lives of both of them.

“The Devourers” (Del Ray) by Indra Das tells a tale of a college professor who encounters a stranger with a bizarre confession. He bears witness by transcribing the stranger’s tales. Laced with elements of folklore and fantasy, this book takes the reader to places familiar yet made new again.

“The Art of Confidence” (Kensington) by Wendy Lee tells the saga of a Chinese immigrant artist asked to paint a forgery of a masterpiece destined to earn millions for a Chelsea art dealer. This novel explores the fascination of great art and the lengths to which some are driven to create it and to possess it.

“Grand Canyon” (Roaring Brook Press) by Jason Chin is a picture book about a father and daughter who explore this area through its past and present. Profusely illustrated with informative text, the perfect book to introduce your children to the wonders of our natural world.

“Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment” (Simon & Schuster) by Robert Wright gives a personal account of how natural selection has led to delusion and unhappiness and how we can escape that fate through meditation and philosophy.

“The Secret Kingdom – Nek Chand, A Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art” (Candlewick Press) by Barb Rosenstock as illustrated by Claire A. Nivola tells the story of a famous folk artist who built a rock garden out of recycled materials and the villagers who saved it from destruction by government authorities. This inspiring tale illuminates the power of art for children.

“After Projects the Resound” (Black Radish) by Kimberly Alidio gives voice to a queer female Filipino poetic voice that finds language as a fragmented archive of crystalized vision.

Sujata Massey, known for her popular Japanese female detective series embarks on a new series and new character, a female lawyer-sleuth in 1920’s Bombay. The character was inspired by some of India’s earliest lawyers. “The Widows of Malabar Hill” (Soho Press, Inc.) comes out Jan., 2018.

In “Irradiated Cities” (Les Figues Press), Mariko Mori goes to cities across Japan devastated by war and disaster and listens to what people have to say. From it she weaves an album,  essays of witness and photos of fragments from each place.

“Book Uncle And Me” (Groundwood Books) by Uma Krishaswami is a heatwarming story of community activism, friendship and the love of books. When her retired teacher uncle sets up a free-lending library on the street only to be shut down by the mayor, a little girl finds she must organize her neighbors to take action. A book for young adults who enjoy reading.

“Saints And Misfits” (Simon & Schuster) is a young adult novel by S.K. Ali that tells the story of a Muslim high school girl who doesn’t fit in with her new family or at school until the possibility of love appears.

“Kurosawa’s Rashomon – a Vanished City, A Lost Brother And The Voice Inside His Iconic Films” (Pegasus) by Paul Anderer offers not only a look at the spiritual, philosophical and aesthetic evolution of this cinematic genius but a thoughtful analysis of his most seminal and influential film.

Kate DiCamillo’s story of hope entitled “La La La”  (Candlewick) is a children’s picture book buoyed by the dazzling art of illustrator Jaime Kim as the tale of a lonely girl singing to herself in the outdoors comes alive.

Poet Annie Kim’s “Into The Cyclorama” (Southern Indiana Review Press) won the Michael Waters Poetry Prize. In it she answers eloquently questions like “What art can we make out of violence?” or “What shape from loss?” And her poems show how the personal is refracted through the historical.

“A Rising Man” (Pegasus) by Abir Mukherjee is a historical crime novel set in the social and political tinderbox of 1919 Calcutta. When a colonial senior official is found dead with a note warning the British to leave India, a former Scotland Yard detective and a local Indian investigator must solve the crime before all hell breaks loose.

“Lovely” (Creston) by Jess Hong is a picture book for kids that celebrates the beauty of diversity in our culture with bright, colorfull illustrations.

Literary alchemist Paul Yoon is back with a luminous collection of linked short stories entitled “The Mountain” (Simon & Schuster). Through the Hudson Valley to the Russian Far East, the characters are connected by traumatic pasts, newly vagrant lives and a quest for solace.

Shaena Yang Ryan’s “Green Island” (Vintage) is a novel about Taiwan and how one family is rocked when the Chinese Nationalists take away a father who speaks out against the government. This book  which just picked up an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation is out in a new paperback edition.

Beth Yap is an Australia-based prose writer who grew up in Malaysia. “The Crocodile Fury” (Vagabond) follows the fortunes of three generations of a family who grew up working at a convent school in a Southeast Asian city and the stories they tell. “The Red Pearl And Other Stories” (Vagabond) is Yap’s first collection of short stories that follow misfits and outsiders as they travel to emotional sites just beyond their physical locations of Kuala Lumpur, Paris and Sydney.

“The Vietnam War – An Intimate History” (Knopf) by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns is based on the PBS film series by Burns and Lynn Novick. This richly illustrated history of a war told from all sides is written by script writer/historian Geoffrey C. Ward. This is a fresh account of a war that reunited Vietnam and divided the U.S. told through the yes of those who witnessed it, civilians and soldiers alike.

“The Storm” (Kids Can Press) by Akiko Miyakoshi. When a storm looms just before a promised trip to the beach, a little boy uses his powers of imagination to survive the night. Evocative and powerful illustrations in black & white enhance this children’s picture book.

“The Boy In The Earth” (Soho) by Fuminori Nakamura. Translated by Allison Markin Powell.  A darkly melancholic tale  that evokes Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” and Camus’ “The Fall”. Set in Tokyo, this Akutagawa Prize-winning novel offers glimpses into the lives of ordinary people.

“Look Up!” (Holiday House) by Jung Jin-Ho is a delightful children’s picture book that makes us see a new perspective in life. A girl in a wheelchair looks down from her balcony and asks passersby to “Look up!”

“The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook” (Ecco) by Danny Bowien and Chris Ying. How does a Korean adoptee raised in Oklahoma end up in San Francisco’s Mission District with an award-winning Chinese restaurant while along the way winning the Pesto World Championship in Genoa and nabbing The James Beard Foundation “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award? Read this book and you’ll find out and also learn some new recipes.

Remember when you were a kid and there were certain foods you wouldn’t eat? “No Kim Chi For Me!” (Holiday House) by Aram Kim tackles this dilemma in a delightful way with charming art work to draw you in.

“The Way To Bea” (Little Brown) by Kat Yeh looks at the perennial case of the outsider. A girl in middle school just doesn’t fit in. She expresses her emotions in haiku poems written in invisible ink. But surprises occur when someone writes back.

“The Crisis of Multiculturalism in Europe – A History” (Princeton) by Rita Chin analyzes the claim by Western Europeans that ‘multiculturalism has failed.’

“Ichi-F – A worker’s Graphic Memoir of The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant” (Kodansha Comics) by Kazuto Tatsuta. Tatsuta was an amateur artist who signed on to the dangerous task of cleaning up the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant and this book is his journal of his work there.

“A Time To Rise – Collective Memoirs of The Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP)” (UW Press) Edited by Rene Ciria Cruz, Cindy Domingo and Bruce Occena. This book traces the work by a revolutionary group of Filipino immigrants and Americans of Filipino ancestry to help overthrow the Marcos dictatorship told in their own words. Seattle’s Cindy Domingo is one of the editors of this important anthology.

“Tattoos in Japanese Prints” (MFA Publications) by Sarah E. Thompson. This book tells the interesting story of how, in the early nineteenth century, the color woodblock print tradition first inspired tattoo artists just as the pictorial tradition of the medium in Japan was beginning.

“Shadows of The Crimson Sun – One Man’s Life in Manchuria, Taiwan, and North America” (Mawenzi House) by Julia Lin. This book follows the story of a man caught between countries and history. Leaving Manchuria to escape the Russian invasion, Akihisa Takayama returns to ancestral Taiwan only to find himself ruled by a brutal Chinese dictatorship of the Kuomintang. He escapes to the U.S. and finally arrives in Vancouver as one of the first Taiwanese Canadians in that city.

“Two-Countries: US Daughters & Sons of Immigrant Parents” (Red Hen Press) edited by Tina Schumann is an anthology of memoir, essays and poetry from sixty-five contributors whose writing illuminates the modern immigrant experience. Contributors include Tina Chang, Joseph Lagaspi, Li-Young Lee, Timothy Liu, Ira Sukrungruang, Ocean Vuong, Kazim Ali and many others. Includes local writers like Oliver de la Paz, Shin Yu Pai and Michael Schmeltzer. Look elsewhere in this column for the date of a local reading.

“A World of Three Zeros – The New Economics of Zero, Poverty, Zero Unemployment and Zero Net Carbon Emissions”  (Public Affairs) by Muhammad Yunus. This native of Bangladesh founded the Grameen Bank and started an economic movement that helped lift people out of poverty through a reasonable system of loans. This new book presents his blueprint on how to tackle poverty, create jobs and curb climate change. See elsewhere in this column for news of a local reading by Yunus.

“Little Soldiers – An American Boy, A Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve” (Harper) by Lenora Chu. As an Asian American mother with a son in a Shanghai public school, the author examines the current state of education in China compared to our own and weighs the pros and cons.

“Childhood Years – A Memoir” (University of Michigan Press) by Tanizaki Junichiro as translated  by Paul McCarthy. This well-known Japanese author’s look back at his childhood years in Tokyo originally appeared in a Japanese magazine in monthly installments. It is translated in full for the first time in English.

“Boundless” (Drawnandquarterly) is Jillian Tamaki’s new book of visual short stories. It takes us into the lives of a myriad of characters ranging from the surreal to the commonplace. Her visual skills help us probe the interior consciousness of each character both on the page as well as off the page. She forces readers to unravel the connections between narration and the scenes of images portrayed before them on the page.

“Bone Confetti” (Noemi Press) by Muriel Leung won the 2015 Noemi Press Poetry Award. In it she eaves an elegy and takes mourning to a new level as she muses on a mother figure and immigration history. She writes about the effects of this history failing to fulfill the myth of a “model minority”; both as an Asian American and as a queer person.

“A Long Pitch Home” (Charlesbridge) is by Natalie Dias Lorenzi. When a Pakistani boy moves to America, leaving his father behind – he must adjust to a new culture and find the courage to find himself. For young adults.

“Passionate Revolutions – The Media And the Rise and Fall of the Marcos Regime” (University of Ohio Press) by Talitha Espiritu. This book explores the relationship between the media and the Marcos regime’s public culture.

“No Comet, That Serpent in the Sky Means Noise” (KORE Press) by Juliette Lee is a meditation on light, human displacement and longing. The poet ventures far beyond our atmosphere to find meaning.

“Nine Continents – A Memoir In and Out of China” (Grove Atlantic) by Xiaolu Guo. One of England’s most acclaimed young novelists recounts her life experience growing up in – and leaving  – China.

“Thai Art – Currencies of  The Contemporary” MIT)  by David Teh. An authoritative study of recent trends in Thai art and also breaks new ground in framing it in regional as well as global terms.

“The Refusal of Suitors” (Noemi Press) by new Seattle transplant Ryo Yamaguchi. This book of poetry is a series of lyric ruminations of what the city can mean and an ode to our lives tossed between streets, subways and the windows peering out of every building that we trace our footsteps by.

“Artists and their Inspiration – A Guide Through Indonesian Art History (1930 – 2015) (LM Publishers) by Helena Spanjaard is the first general guide to walk readers through the different phases of Indonesian modern and contemporary art. The writer has been active in this scene as a researcher, writer and curator for over thirty-five years.

“Gospel of Regicide” (Noemi Press) by Eunsong Kim uses “The Gospel of Judas” as a primer. It takes seriously the disconcerting claim that our current political narratives rely on biblical meaning and fixates on the composition of rupture as poetic fodder.

“The Sound of Silence” (Little Brown Books for Young Readers) by Katrina Goldsaito and illustrated by Julie Kuo looks at the Japanese word for silence in a accessible way that will help kids find calm in today’s over-stimulated world. Can our protagonist find this silence even in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo?

“Recombinant” (Kelsey St. Press) by Ching-In Chen. A new poetry collection about genealogy, migration, survival, gender memory and ecology unlocking a closet full of ghosts and ancestors.

News/Opportunities

The Wing in partnership with Manhattan Tenement Museum encourages community members to share their own experiences in “Your Story, Our Story”, a digital story-telling exhibit. The focus for 2017 is to gather stories from civic life. Add your story today by visiting the website. For details, email [email protected].

Friends of Asian Art Association is an all-volunteer organization that connects its members and the community to educations, cultural and social events tied to Asia and its diverse art forms and culture. Enjoy year-round activities and meet new friends who share similar interests by becoming a member. All are welcome to the activities but members get special discounts and perks. Some upcoming program events include the following – October 19 from 1 – 3pm, Barry Broman will talk about “Up the Chindwin River to Nagaland” at the Phinney Center. Go to FriendsOfAsianArt.org or call (206) 522-5438 for details on all these events.

Saint Martin’s Gala International 2017 takes place on Sat., Nov. 4, 2017 at Saint Martin’s University in Lacy, WA. A black-tie gourment affair with a live auction benefiting student  scholarships. This year’s theme is China and will feature award-winning chef Ming Tsai. Reserve your table by calling 360-438-4366 or by going to www.stmartin.edu/Ming.

Calling all foodies! The Wing needs your help with our new exhibit, “What’s In Your Cup?-Community Brewed Culture”. This exhibit will showcase the history behind Asian Pacific American beverages and we want you to be part of it. For the chance to be featured in our exhibit, please submit a high resolution JPEG (720p or 1080p) of you enjoying your favorite APA beverage, as well as a sentence or two on why you love that drink to [email protected]. You can share this info. With us through email, dropbox, or the hashtag #WhatsInYourCup!

Go to 4Culture.org  to find out about funding and support for cultural work in King County.

Shunpike issues a call for  a new Artists-in-Residence program on a Seattle-area corporate campus in an on-site art studio in the South Lake Union neighborhood. There will be a total of 4 residencies available in three-month increments staring Nov. 1, 2017. For more details, email [email protected].

Applications for Jack Straw Writers Program, Artist Support Program and New Media Gallery Program are now available.  Go to www.jackstraw.org/programs/asp/2018_apps.shtml or email [email protected] for details.

The Office of Arts & Culture for the City of Seattle is expanding the Ethnic Artist Roster, a pre-qualified list of artists. Artists selected will also be featured in an online data base on Northwest artists of color. Deadline is Oct. 17, 2017 at 11pm. There is a workshop to help you learn how to apply on Mon., Sept. 18, 2017 at 6pm at The Black Zone at 2301 S. Jackson #203. For information, call 206-684-0182 or email [email protected]

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