PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (1994) Winner
Russell Charles Leong
ラッセル・チャールズ・リーオング
Russell Charles Leong
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1950-01-01 （Chinatown, San Francisco）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Buddhism
- Residence History
- San Francisco (birth / childhood) → Los Angeles (UCLA affiliations) → New York City (CUNY, activities)
Career
- Occupations
- editor, adjunct professor, writer, activist
- Active Years
- 1970-
- Affiliations
- Amerasia Journal (editor), University of California, Los Angeles (adjunct professor), CUNY FORUM: Asian American / Asian Studies (founding editor), Hunter College / CUNY (Dr. Thomas Tam Visiting Professor), UCLA Asian American Studies Center (project coordinator)
- Influenced By
- Jeffery Paul Chan, Asian American literary movement / community
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University | — | — | B.A. | 1968–1972 | United States |
| National Taiwan University | — | — | — | 1973–1974 | Taiwan |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | — | — | MFA | 1988–1990 | United States |
San Francisco State University
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1968–1972
Year of Graduation:
1972
Country:
United States
Took one of the first Asian/American writing classes taught by Jeffery Paul Chan
National Taiwan University
Period:
1973–1974
Country:
Taiwan
Period of study (1973–1974)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Degree:
MFA
Period:
1988–1990
Year of Graduation:
1990
Country:
United States
Earned an MFA
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | American Book Award | Phoenix Eyes and Other Stories | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
American Book Award
Work:
Phoenix Eyes and Other Stories
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2001) Winner
Works
Major Works
Mothsutra: For Those Who Deliver Food on Bicycles / New York City
2015 graphic poem / poetryA visual graphic portfolio of poetry and drawings about New York City restaurant bicycle delivery workers; performed and exhibited in NYC.
urban laborimmigrant worker lifeurban solitude
Adaptations
- [performance] MothSutra (performed at Bowery Poetry Club) (2015)
Phoenix Eyes and Other Stories
2000 short story collection (fiction)A collection of short stories dealing with Chinatown and immigrant experiences, exploring Asian American identity and memory.
diasporamemory and placeidentity
The Country of Dreams and Dust
fiction / poetryA work focusing on immigration, urban life, and reminiscence.
immigrant experienceurban landscapes
My Chinatown A to Z
prose / essaysAn essayistic portrayal of Chinatown presented in an A to Z format.
local culturememory
Bibliography
- Mothsutra: For Those Who Deliver Food on Bicycles / New York City
- Phoenix Eyes and Other Stories
- The Country of Dreams and Dust
- My Chinatown A to Z
- Selected short stories, poems, and essays
Adaptations
- MothSutra (performance at Bowery Poetry Club)
- Video documentaries (several on writers and communities)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical realism in short fictionfusion of visual art and poetry (graphic poetry)colloquial, community-oriented narrative voice
- Recurring Motifs
- Chinatown landscapesmemory and intergenerational rupturefood and labor (delivery, cooking)
Legacy
Recognized as an important editor and writer in Asian American literature. Long-time editor of Amerasia Journal, he created publication opportunities for emerging writers and supported Asian American studies. His works document Chinatown and diaspora experiences and are discussed in academic and critical contexts.
Academic Societies
- Asian American / Asian Studies scholarly community
Archives
- UCLA Asian American Studies Center (related materials)
In Popular Culture
- MothSutra stage performance (Bowery Poetry Club)
Trivia
- Long-time editor of Amerasia Journal (1977–2010).
- Born in Chinatown, often treats local memory and immigrant experience in his work.
- Long-time student of Chen-style tai chi.