I'm a writer based in Los Angeles.
MY SHORT STORY
or, "Quick Links"
MY LONG STORY
or, "How I Fell in Love With Storytelling"
I spent much of my youth in a grocery store that was started by my great grandfather and my grandfather, both of whom immigrated from China in the early 1900s. As a kid, I’d hang out in the office, visiting with my dad, uncles, aunties, and grandparents, all of whom worked there. As a teen, I was handed a red apron and sharp box cutter and got to work, stocking shelves, bagging groceries, and learning the ropes. I was one of the presumed “heirs,” along with my brother and two cousins.
The presumption was not fulfilled.
The store, called Sam’s Food City (“Sam” being my great grandfather’s Anglicized nickname), is, ironically, where I fell in love with storytelling, which set a new path for my life. While my family focused on the business side, I found myself drawn to the customers. Who were all these people pushing carts around? Where are they coming from? And where are they going? I would stop to observe them, creating narratives and filling in their lives.
...The city worker with dirty jeans who buys a six pack of beer and Twinkies for dinner must’ve had a hard day...
...The lady with twenty cans of Friskies in her cart must be a lonely widow... will she find true love again?...
As a storyteller, I love exploring what makes us human. How do our flaws become our strengths? How does a single moment change the way we live? How can the challenges in someone’s life inspire others? I believe that everyone has at least one story to tell—and I love being someone who can help tell it.