Category Archives: Writings

Why I Renounced Israeli Citizenship

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Firstly, a personal note

It has to be said that is a personal story. While also rooted in the context of tragic current events, ultimately this is simply my own perspective based on my life. That’s all I can ever claim expertise over, in the end. So this essay is not meant to be an argument over what anyone else should do.

Therefore, let me begin at the beginning. I was born in Israel in the 1980s, so I’m told, and I left as a baby. I have no memory of this (which is much of the point, see below). My parents were both immigrants and not native to the region, and they had the idea to immediately go back to my father’s country of America soon after my sister and I came along.

This left me with dual citizenship. Technically. But practically, I’ve only ever been American. I grew up in America, I am an American. That’s how it works. All my formative memories are of Indiana and Ohio, and later of California. Although there’s much I would have preferred to have happened differently in my childhood, geographical speaking I’m generally grateful about where I grew up.

I did take remedial Hebrew school as a child, had a bar mitzvah, along with all those kinds of typical Jewish experiences. While now I don’t feel much of a connection to those rituals as an adult, I am okay with having had these cultural touchstones even if it didn’t have much of a lasting impact. It was fine. I recall the JCC after school, that “aleph bet vet” song, Passover dinners with extended family, and sometimes going to synagogue which was extremely boring. Everybody comes from somewhere, and there certainly is value in being part of a community and holding on to some traditions. As long as it doesn’t harm others, to each their own, and it’s totally acceptable if that’s what my dad and various relatives were into. Today, however, I’m smarter, I’m an adult, and I know I do not need any religion in my life. My ethnicity is Jewish, but my belief system is happily atheist. That’s my thing, secular humanism represents my values for a fair and just society, and I’m good with that.

Way back in the 2000s, as a young man, I went to Israel on more than one occasion. Went on a school trip, visited family, etc. I never had any problem using an American passport. Maybe it’s because the system wasn’t digitized back then, I don’t know. I certainly had no intention of getting drafted into the military, and have always felt absolutely no allegiance to the Israeli government. Why would I? It’s always been a strange place to me and I was only ever a visitor…

Then, it was sometime in the 2010s, when I was on another family visit and they told me at the airport that I was in trouble. The officials at customs said that I had to go to some office and fill out various bureaucratic paperwork, or else they wouldn’t even allow me to leave.

“You’re not American. You’re Israeli.” I remember feeling rather offended by that.

The very last time I had to take one of these trips, it was after COVID, and it had been too long since I’d seen my family who live there today. I gave in this time, and had to go and get the passport beforehand. Just more bureaucracy to do. I didn’t want it. I didn’t like it. But I simply needed it, and it represented no ideology or big statement from me. It was simply a pragmatic solution to a problem.

But I knew I would never live there, and it turned out I would never use this passport again.

On Anti-Semitism

Anyway, it’s probably necessary in this piece to acknowledge genuine anti-Semitism. I am a progressive, and it goes without saying that I am against racism. It’s a serious problem in the world, as hate crimes for all groups have gotten worse while the digital nature of media today seems to make humanity grow more tribal and more terrible.

And when it comes to criticisms of Zionism, and the endless back and-forth debate (which is, certainly, often in bad faith), there is the issue of whether or not anti-Zionism counts as anti-Semitism. Of course it is definitionally not the same thing. And at the same time, I must concede that there are times when anti-Zionism does overlap with racism. It’s obvious that happens, a lot, especially in certain corners. There are many who get over-the-top when it comes to the subject of Israel, and it doesn’t take long to just glance at the internet and see so much hate disguised as legitimate political debate.

That being said, it’s also a convenient excuse for rightist Zionists and rabid nationalists to dismiss any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism. This is simultaneously another thing that happens very often happens. It happens constantly.

Where we are now as a society, is that terms like Zionism and anti-Semitism have become so inflamed as that they mean almost nothing now. What a shame how language is degrading.

Even more confusing, there are also many anti-Semites who support Israel as an ethnostate model for what they want for themselves. They are bigots who don’t believe Jews can’t be real Americans, and they are obsessive Zionists. Christian nationalists, or rather, let’s just call a spade a spade and refer to them as white nationalists. They are an enormous political block in America and this describes what they are perfectly. It’s because of religion and apocalyptic prophecies or something like that, really a bizarre world we find ourselves in the 21st century when grown adults believe in such nonsense and then have real political power.

It may seem incoherent and contradictory, but that’s the mess the world finds itself in now. Note that these kinds of people are also why Islamophobia is on the rise at the same time. White supremacy of all stripes is coming out of the gutter, as extremist right-wing ideology destroys public discourse and hate becomes mainstream. It’s a terrible time in world history, full of bigotry and ignorance, no doubt about that.

But without getting into the state of the entire planet, just speaking for me personally, I can really recall only two experiences of dealing with anti-Semitism in my own life. In both cases, it wasn’t from activists who hate Israel. It was from weird conspiracy theory people. That is, it was from the far right.

What has happened to me more frequently, by the way, is when other Jewish people, those who identify as Israeli nationalists, have called me a self-hating Jew. Again and again. From strangers, and even from family members, it’s been the far more common type of bigoted abuse I’ve ever received. It’s ridiculous, it’s a stupid slur, and doesn’t add anything to mutual understanding. It’s just plain hate, and frankly I am very sick of it.

On Israel

In any case, Israel shouldn’t be the center of the universe. It’s a place with serious flaws, and at the same time sure I admit it is obviously not the root cause of all injustice in the world. That’s a very low bar of an Israel defense, but I’ll concede that. It’s just another messed up country, that’s all, and shouldn’t be considered as special as so many people think it is. Whether it’s loved as God’s eternal holy land, or hated as the ruler of the world conspiracy, those takes are both entirely too much sentiment.

Another thing, I never thought being a Jew is somehow the most interesting thing about me. It’s something I’ve long felt uncomfortable about, how other people who like to wear that identity on their sleeve. Why is nationality/religion/culture something to be so proud of? Nobody earned it, it’s just randomly what people were born into. It’s heritage, it’s a part of how one may have grown up, and no one should ever be made to feel ashamed of this either. But isn’t it better to be proud of things I’ve chosen, of things I’ve done, shouldn’t that be what I base my identity on?

Identifying with this country just isn’t my thing. Even, without getting into the controversial politics, the history and the tragedy, I simply never felt like I fit in there. It was never my home.

Perhaps for the older generation of Jewish people, this is a difficult thing to understand. There really was an existential threat not that long ago. Now, to say the least, things are very different. Israel has been an extremely right-wing country for so many years, a powerful and aggressive force in the region. Netanyahu and the Likud party, the far-right coalition and populism and settler extremism, all of these define Israel today and so very deeply not represent me at all.

More broadly-speaking, the Zionist experiment seems to be a failure. The ancestral homeland promise was supposed to be about safety and peace, that was the pitch, and it didn’t work.

And if the only way to stay safe was to occupy millions of people forever, then it wasn’t worth it. If the result of the formation of this country was endless war, then what was ever the point?

Honestly, I think one of the core issues is that it’s a better thing for the human soul to be in the minority. I may be a cis hetero white male, but I do know a bit about not fitting in with the mainstream religion and of being from a slightly different culture than the majority. Historically, Jews in America have thrived in that context and created many positive things. Yes, Europe had a different and darker history, but statistically in America today most Jews have done quite well.

To be the majority in a country, to have power over others and to be in charge, it apparently brings out the worst in humanity. This has happened in the Jewish-majority country as much as it happens in every other country on earth. It’s almost as if Israelis, with the privilege of being the ones in charge this time, now want to do to other minorities what was done to them…

In any case, regardless of the impact of all centuries past, I simply know that theocratic ethnostates are not a good thing. I don’t need to justify anymore than that. I am an American abroad. (And sure, America is also a very flawed and complex place with good and bad elements. All nation-states have blood on their hands, don’t they? That’s the way it is but I still know who I am.) In my entire living memory, I’ve been American. I don’t speak the language, I don’t feel Israeli, and I want to be in control of my identity. That was always reason enough.

On the Gaza War

Why now? Well, these are all issues I’ve thought about for long time. Then October 7 happened, and the Gaza War. And everything, which was always bad, somehow still got so much worse.

It goes without saying that Hamas is terrible in their own right, that is clearly self-evident. I’m not into Islamic fundamentalism either, because duh. Obviously. But ultimately the politics of the Middle East are about power dynamics more than any other factor. It’s not about who’s supposedly most “moral,” it’s about which side has the hi-tech Western modern military and which side is full of people in poverty. Who has the most power is what truly matters in the end.

The way the older generation thinks of Israel as some kind of plucky underdog, how so many Boomers were raised with that postwar context, it just doesn’t fit anymore today. That narrative hasn’t made sense for a very long time, it simply hasn’t been the case for decades and decades and decades. Billions upon billions of dollars in American military support is the complete opposite of underdog. Today, it’s incredibly clear which side has become the oppressor.

This happens again and again in history, and we’d see that if we took the time to study. A people are oppressed, colonized, and suffer horribly. Then they gain power, and use the new position to oppress others. Which in turn causes more suffering, and the cycle continues for generations.

To repeat: October 7 was terrifying, taking hostages is wrong, and there were too many victims. Then, that day was followed up with so many more tens of thousands of casualties, creating far more victims, leading to more abject poverty and no solutions which respect human rights in the future whatsoever. That’s even worse.

In Conclusion

I don’t want to get bogged down by every horrifying news story, but let me get a little specific here. Out of all of them, from the horrible genocidal statements by members of the government, to settlers ransacking food shipments for starving refugees, the ongoing failure to get hostages back in exchange for a ceasefire, the criminal prime minister who has been corrupt for years and years, the authoritarian media clampdown silencing dissenting voices, even this Zeteo documentary footage highlighting how extreme Israeli society has become—not to mention AIPAC’s interference into American politics and how the lobbying group has become a fully right-wing Republican organization, I could just go on and on—it’s the utilizing of AI to maximize the mass killing of human beings that has disturbed me the most.

In case you haven’t read up on that: Source. What an evil, soulless future this is. This is a very bad sign of what is to come for the future of warfare and for the future of humanity, and Israel should be ashamed. I wish I could convince people who support this government to do some serious soul-searching. Probably can’t convince very many people at this point, but I wish.

So, in conclusion, I think Israel is on the path to being just another Middle Eastern dictatorship. Nothing special whatsoever. There’s not much I can do about that awful course that they seem to be choosing. It’s been in the making for a while, with the endless occupation and the far-right government long in control. I can only disassociate, maybe protest a bit, but overall the only thing left is to petition the US government with my vote to stop funding the war machine there.

And also, some might say that terms like genocide and apartheid, however legally they are defined, are too loaded terms. We should or shouldn’t say it, it’s all so inflamed. But in any case, even without those charges which are in fact valid, even still, what was and what is happening there is an absolute affront to my values and it’s easy for me to know I am not on that side.

Yes, I am privileged. I had the ability to do something about how I feel in this situation, and used that privilege to remove myself from it. I don’t want the dual citizenship. I want to control my life. And that’s why I’ve now renounced my Israeli citizenship. I am not, and I cannot be, Israeli.

Taiwan’s drag queens go mainstream after Nymphia Wind wins RuPaul’s Drag Race – South China Morning Post

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When Nymphia Wind dedicated her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the first by an East Asian, to Taiwan it showed how the scene there has evolved

Taiwanese Drag queen Nymphia Wind performs on stage during the Second Taipei International Drag Festival in Taipei on May 25. Photo: CHIBA / AFP

https://www.scmp.com

Ray Hecht

When Nymphia Wind became the first East Asian contestant to win “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on RuPaul’s Drag Race in April, celebrations erupted across her homeland.

Prominent gay bars from north to south held crowded screenings to cheer on their representative from afar, and the accolades were well received – and not just among the LGBTQ+ community.

On the show, Nymphia often talked about her heritage and drew on her background to create costumes and masks inspired by the traditional culture of Taiwan.

The 28-year old drag performer, known offstage as Leo Tsao, inspired millions from RuPaul’s vaunted international stage, announcing “Taiwan, this is for you”. In May, Nymphia returned to where she was raised – she was born in the United States, but moved to Taiwan at the age of six.

There was an unprecedented performance at the presidential office for Taiwan’s then leader, Tsai Ing-wen, just before the inauguration of William Lai Ching-te.

Nymphia headlined the show, joined by several other local drag queens, making the occasion a significant milestone in LGBTQ+ visibility on the island.

Drag queens in the audience at the Taipei International Drag Fest “You Better Werq” at Hanaspace in Taipei on May 25, 2024. Photo: Brian Wiemer

Nymphia followed this stately occasion with her first public performance since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, at the second annual Taipei International Drag Fest “You Better Werq!” on May 25.

The event featured other American contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Plane Jane and Mirage, Jade So from Drag Race Philippines, and 50 other local and international drag queens dancing and lip-synching to popular songs.

Held at the Hanaspace venue in Taipei, there was a both matinee and evening show with over 2,000 attendees in total. The audience was full of people wearing yellow and sporting banana iconography, marking them as fans of Nymphia’s signature style.

Other drag queens in the show came from all over the world. One who stood out at nearly two metres (6ft 6 inches) in height (in heels), was Popcorn, 34, from New Zealand.

Popcorn has been in Taiwan for seven years, and spoke about what it meant to be in the show.

“I’m very honoured,” said Popcorn. “I saw Nymphia’s very first performance, back when she was a baby drag queen. To see how she’s developed, her progress over the years, and seeing her work so hard, I think the overwhelming feeling is pride.

“She’s really representing Taiwan so well and so eloquently.”

Drag queen Bagel RimRim lip-synching at Café Dalida in Ximending, Taipei. Photo: Brian Wiemer

Tinus “Bouncy Babs” Stander, 46, is from South Africa and hosted the “You Better Werq!” evening show. Babs has lived in Taiwan for 10 years, and often hosts shows in Taipei and Kaohsiung.

“I just know how I want the shows to pan out and to flow and how to get the audience involved,” he said of his hosting duties. “It’s really important for the audience to have a great time.”

Babs also shared his optimism about being part of the current movement: “We are the ones who are going to change LGBTQ rights and equality in Asia.”

Another drag queen, American Elja Heights, 34, is also optimistic about the future of the art form. Drag is “constantly moving in this direction of more people knowing about it, more people slowly – especially outside the LGBT community – are starting to understand that it is an art form”, she says.

“Everything has been really positive, which I’ve been happy to see. There have been a few online that are negative. Whatever, there’s always going to be people who do not understand what we’re doing; there’s always going to be a little resistance to progress.

“Everything has been really positive, which I’ve been happy to see. There have been a few online that are negative. Whatever, there’s always going to be people who do not understand what we’re doing; there’s always going to be a little resistance to progress.

Taiwanese Drag queen Nymphia Wind talks to media before the Second Taipei International Drag Festival in Taipei in May. Photo: CHIBA / AFP

Drag existed in some bars and nightclubs in Taiwan in the 1990s, such as at Paradise Party, which was the first gay club in Taipei, having opened in 1995.

In the early 2000s, the popular comedian Da Bing brought drag to Taiwanese television with his impersonations of female celebrities. Da Bing died in 2012.

The television series RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered in America in 2009 and had a big impact throughout the 2010s. Many drag queens around the globe have described how the show was a major influence for them.

Social media also helped the culture grow, which led to brand sponsorship for some of the bigger stars, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to more popularity.

Some of the other big names that came up at the same time on the island as Nymphia are Yolanda Masula, Chiang Weii, and Feilibing.

“I’m very happy because Nymphia won. Different people see drag as art. But the environment is still very hard for drag queens”
Tseng Chih-wei, director of the Mommy Drag documentary

Drag queens have been around in Taiwan for decades and often performed in smaller venues, fostering their tight-knit community.

There is, for example, a bar in the Ximending shopping district where Elja had met Nymphia before the trappings of fame.

“I’ve known Nymphia for a long time,” she says “We’d see each other a lot at Café Dalida, an outdoor bar in Taipei that’s had drag performances for a long while.

“I jokingly call it the public gay square, because if you go to Dalida, you will run into people you know.”

Café Dalida has hosted frequent drag shows, featuring lip-synching performances with glamorous costumes and make-up, as well as other events important to the community.

On May 11, the documentary Mommy Drag (2020), which features Nymphia, was screened there. The director, Tseng Chih-wei, 32, attended and gave his perspective on the challenges that he feels still remain.

Tseng Chih-wei, director of Mommy Drag, at Café Dalida in Ximending, Taipei. Photo: Brian Wiemer

“I’m very happy because Nymphia won,” said Tseng. “Different people see drag as art. But the environment is still very hard for drag queens [in Taiwan]. They don’t get paid well.

“During the pandemic, the government had funding to help people, but when drag queens applied for funding as artists, they got refused. I wish drag queens were more recognised as artists.”

The owner of Café Dalida is Alvin Chang. He also organised “You Better Werq!” The 53-year-old is from Taipei; he opened his bar in 2006, and “the opening day had drag shows”.

Chang also knew Nymphia before she gained international fame by winning RuPaul’s Drag Race; she had hosted several of his events since 2019.

“Nymphia in person used to be very quiet,” Chang recalls, but since RuPaul’s Drag Race, he says he feels “everything has changed”.

As Nymphia harnessed the attention, so has Taiwan’s drag culture in general. “Before,” Chang says, “drag shows were underground, nobody cared. Now, everyone is focusing on it”.

US drag queen Elja Heights posing at Hanaspace in Taipei, before performing at the Taipei International Drag Fest. Photo: Brian Wiemer

When asked about organising “You Better Werq!”, Chang says: “This was the grandest in our eight years of organising large-scale events. Our past experiences were insufficient for this event, especially with so many media and distinguished guests attending. It was a whole new level for us.”

For example, Taipei City counsellor Miao Poya, one of the few openly gay politicians in government, came to check it out. Taiwan’s Minister of Culture, novelist Li Yuan, attended and gave a speech during the matinee show.

“The Taipei International Drag Fest is a shining example of how diverse cultures and expressions can thrive in Taiwan,” he said. “It is wonderful to see such a vibrant celebration of creativity and inclusivity.”

Originally, the plan was to only have an evening show, but there was much more interest than anticipated and an afternoon matinee was added.

“On the day after Nymphia won the crown, the evening show, which had been on sale for a month with little progress, sold out within a day,” says Chang.

“The next day, many in the media suddenly contacted us wanting to film the event, and many friends couldn’t get tickets. So, after discussing with Nymphia and her fellow queens, we decided to add the afternoon show.

“Major media outlets, both domestic and international, reported on it, and the unexpected visit by the Minister of Culture was an unprecedented achievement.

“This event involved over 100 people, including performers and staff, working together to accomplish this difficult task!”

Nymphia Wind dedicated her Drag Race win to Taiwan. Photo: Instagram/@66wind99

In late October, Taipei will host the Taiwan Pride parade, the largest gay pride event in East Asia.

On October 26, as part of the festivities, Chang will organise another large drag queen party featuring Nymphia Wind, along with others from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The other attendees will include Kim Chi, the first Korean-American contestant on the show, as well as Filipino-American Manila Luzon.

Taipei’s Popcorn will perform on June 28 with the drag troupe The Haus of Dimensions during a screening of the 1927 Chinese horror film The Cave of the Silken Web, and will collaborate with the Yilan Traditional Arts Centre on October 5.

“With this experience, we are more confident in organising larger events in the future so that more people can personally experience the charm of drag queen performances.”

Taiwanese naturists defying social and legal norms while nurturing body positivity – South China Morning Post

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‘Freedom’: the Taiwanese naturists defying social – and legal – norms while nurturing body positivity

Strictly speaking, public nudity is against the law in Taiwan. But one group holds monthly events where they can bare all without outside interference

https://www.scmp.com

Ray Hecht

In the mountains of Miaoli county, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Taipei, a group of friends have rented out all eight bedrooms and the lobby of a bed and breakfast. It’s a fairly remote area of Taiwan, surrounded by forest and 40km (25 miles) from Miaoli’s central railway station.

It’s where the group can embrace nature without any interference from the outside world, and here, that’s important; because here, everyone is naked.

Strictly speaking, public nudity is against the law in Taiwan, as it is, for the most part, in the rest of Asia. And while Taiwan is known to be among Asia’s most progressive places – it voted in the island’s first female president in 2016 and legalised same-sex marriage in 2019 – there are no private nude resorts or nude beaches, although there are some hot springs where nudity is allowed.

Naturism – as the practice is known – is more common in Europe, where Freikörperkultur (“free body culture”) has been an accepted and celebrated part of German society since the late 19th century.

Retiree Julia Fu and farm owner Tom Yang at Yang’s farm in Sanzhi, Taiwan. Photo: Brian Wiemer

In Britain, and in other parts of the world, the term naturist is usually preferred over nudist, because the former also encompasses a love of nature.

According to the International Naturist Federation, headquartered in Austria and the largest such organisation in the world, naturism “isn’t sexual” and is rather “a way of life in harmony with nature characterised by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and for the environment”.

In Taiwan, naturists call themselves tiāntǐ in Mandarin, meaning “celestial bodies”, and organise activities using their Line social-media app group “Return to Nature”, which currently counts 260 members.

The subculture was introduced to the island in the mid- to late 2000s and flourished as social media allowed people to network online.

The group’s events are held monthly and range from dozens of people meeting in rented spaces to small house parties of fewer than 10 people.

Members so far are all Taiwanese, with the confidential group chats written exclusively in Chinese – today’s Miaoli attendants have organised their au naturel retreat through Line.

The group’s moderator is fifty-something Keven Liao Tian-wei, from the southern port city of Kaohsiung, who describes himself as a semi-retired auto-parts dealer.

He first connected with the group “out of curiosity, and I fell in love with it after joining about 10 years ago”, he says.

“The original organiser stopped holding events for some reason, so our friends who lived in the south met for a party, and as a result, I started these activities. Naturism has been in Taiwan for at least 20 years and I believe it will continue. Even if one day I don’t host it, younger people will come forward to take over.”

Fu in a forest pathway at a farm in Sanzhi, Taiwan. Photo: Brian Wiemer

While naturism can seem, at first, well, unnatural, after a while with the group in Miaoli, one forgets that no one is wearing any clothes. Today, about 20 men and 10 women attend, aged in their 30s to 70s.

Bare breasts and genitals are exposed, yet people speak to each other casually, lounging on sofas, cooking together in the kitchen or singing karaoke.

Everyone is here to have fun, but there are rules. No photos are to be shared online without consent, and if any are, faces are blurred. Sharing pornography is prohibited and violators will be removed from the Line group.

Liao also enforces rules forbidding public displays of sexuality, and he emphasises that harassment of female members is not allowed. Men often outnumber women at these events, so he does his best to make sure women feel comfortable and safe.

Return to Nature members are also required to attend at least one party every two months, in an attempt to keep out any interlopers.

Peter Chan and Fu take cover from the rain under a canopy at a farm in Sanzhi. Both are sporting anti-war body paint. Photo: Brian Wiemer

Most of the women at the Miaoli event arrive with their husbands and the majority of attendees are couples, with several single men but few single women.

One couple is playing the saxophone, and Stephen Chang Tai-sho, from Taipei, is happy to introduce me, the only foreigner in the group, to his wife, Yen, and talk about their experiences with naturism.

An engineer and amateur musician in his late 60s, Chang “discovered naturism on the internet”, he says. “I liked it, so I researched it. I went to a nude beach in Florida the first time I visited there. I found this group on Twitter, and if we have a meeting, I will show up.”

Asked what he likes most about the lifestyle, he responds, just as several others do, that it’s simply the “freedom”.

I first attended one of the group’s events in 2023, at a hot-spring hotel in Wulai, in New Taipei, at a meet-up organised by Julia Fu Yong-en, a retiree in her 60s.

Hot-spring culture is popular all over Taiwan, but is usually gender-segregated. It may be traditional to go nude, but hot-spring locations will either separate men and women or require bathing suits in public spas.

However, that doesn’t stop some from renting out a hot spring for a private party and using it however they like.

Along with Liao, Fu has been organising activities for the group for the past decade. “I went river tracing [a combination of hiking, swimming and rock climbing] with friends 10 years ago,” she says. “I liked swimming, but the first time I wasn’t naked. The second time I enjoyed a waterfall, and took off my clothes. The men were respectful.”

Yang leans on a gate at his farm in Sanzhi. Photo: Brian Wiemer

She also spends much of her time at a farmland location in Sanzhi, north of Taipei, where some of the Return to Nature members have created their own unofficial nudist resort.

A small isolated farm full of chickens and vegetables, it hosts gatherings on weekends for meals and sunbathing. It was a sunny day when I visited, and the outdoor shower was refreshing.

There I met Tom Yang Hai-yang, who runs the farm. He spoke of his brother, Lu Yi, who owned the property and died in June 2023 at the age of 103. Lu “was the pioneer of naturism here”, he says. “Since then, Julia and I have worked hard to create this place.”

Like many others in Taiwan, Yang first experienced social nudity abroad. “I was living in New York in 1992 and visited a nudist beach in New Jersey. I came back to Taiwan in 2010, and a friend told me about [the nudist] activities in the south of Taiwan, in Kaohsiung.

“The people are very friendly. When we meet up, everybody is like an old friend. It’s like déjà vu.”

Fu, writer Ray Hecht and Yang admire the scenery at a farm in Sanzhi. Photo: Brian Wiemer

Tony Liu Chao-chun, a product designer from Taipei in his early 50s, joins Fu and Yang for lunch. He recalls his first experience of nudism: “I was studying Japanese in Japan, and I bought a magazine about hot springs,” he says. “I had some issues with my body, and I thought hot springs would help me become healthier, so I searched for it.

“When I went to the resort for the first time, the boss told me that in Japan we must be nude together. I was with strangers; I didn’t know them, but I learned to accept those customs.”

Back in Taiwan, he found like-minded souls on social media, and has been attending the Return to Nature meetings for several years.

Nevertheless, there are risks to becoming a naturist. EE Ruan Ren-zhu, an artist from Kaohsiung, is open about this part of her identity, which has caused some challenges.

She’s been featured in the Taiwanese media a number of times, sharing her story on multiple tele­vision shows and news outlets, but “most naturists don’t come out; they keep it a secret”, she tells me. “But when I do performance art, I am naked. So it was easier for me to be a naturist.”

The 65-year-old has been part of the naturist community since 2005. Unfortunately, not everyone in her family was accepting. “I came out to the news­papers, and TV. It’s hard for people to understand.

“My son, who was at university, told me, ‘How can I tell my girlfriend about you?’ I said, ‘That’s your problem, not mine.’”

The artist says she has always done things her own way. “My mother was a traditional woman. She worked so hard, and was so sad. It was the woman’s fate. I didn’t want to be like my mother. I wanted to be independent. I like the freedom.”

Yang cuts the grass at his farm in Sanzhi, Taiwan. Photo: Brian Wiemer

Yet when asked about the future of naturism in Taiwan, she is not optimistic: “I don’t think it will become more acceptable.”

As I explored the community from the hot springs of Wulai to the mountains of Sanzhi and Miaoli, I couldn’t help but notice that most of the naturists are in the older demographic.

Many were retired, and at least over 50. While young people tend to be more open-minded and progressive, it doesn’t seem the younger generations are as interested.

There are, however, some exceptions. Born in the late 1980s, Anne Chen Hao-an is a millennial, and one of the youngest people at the most recent event I attended. As with many of the others I speak to, she first experienced social nudism abroad.

“I went to Berlin in 2008. I didn’t really join in any [naturist] activities, I just saw them. It’s their daily life – they sunbathe or they go swimming without clothing. That was a culture shock, but I thought it was good.

“The main idea is body positivity, which is more important for females. Because women are so self-conscious about their bodies, it’s hard for them, and I wish they could appreciate themselves.”

Fu and Yang at a farm in Sanzhi. Photo: Brian Wiemer

People of all shapes, sizes and levels of attractiveness attend these events. If someone were to show up and expect to be aroused, they would likely be disappointed. But attraction is not the point.

Body positivity is about challenging social norms and accepting people regardless of perceived flaws, which is why these naturists are so comfortable in their own skin.

“We all play characters,” says Chen. “Clothing is like your weapon in society, but with nudity, you can take that away, and I think different kinds of bodies are beautiful.

“If people all looked the same, it would be so boring.”

Visions of Taiwan # 2 – Published and Free on Amazon!

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I am very excited to announce the publication of Visions of Taiwan # 2

The second issue of the anthology comic series is now free to download for the Kindle app, the Amazon link is here:

Please feel free to read and enjoy and share, and even leave a review if you feel so inclined!

Visions of Taiwan # 2

Visions of Taiwan brought new voices to explore Taiwan, and now returns with a second issue featuring original works by artists from all over the world. Eight short stories in total, each with their own unique styles experimenting with the medium of comics in order to share something different about life in this strange land.

“Chariot” by Jon Renzella features the point-of-view of a scooter, “Moving to Taiwan” by Roelien Immelman is about the annoying challenges of working abroad, “Ludwig” by Stefano Misesti focuses on the musical charms of local garbage trucks, “A Slug’s View” by Bronwen Shelwell explores camping and nature with cute bugs as narrators, “People-watching on the Train” by Ray Hecht is a meditation on the strangers we pass by while commuting, “The Taiwanese Farm Adventure” by Fabienne Good is a surreal take on traveling blind, “A Dream Called Taiwan” by Angela Sauceda has a heartfelt focus on friendship, while “Moonshot” by Kim Glidden and Andrew Quartermain has a touch of the supernatural.

There’s only one place on Earth that could have inspired all these visions . . .

Visions of Taiwan # 1 is now FREE on Amazon!

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I am excited to share that my new comic anthology is free to download for this weekend on Amazon:

Visions of Taiwan is an anthology comic series focusing on the lesser-known land of Taiwan.

Featuring a range of new voices from around the world, each artist has made Taiwan their home and has a unique take on what it is truly like to be there. With seven stories in total, Visions of Taiwan is sure to have something for everyone.

There’s “Nineteen and Moving Along” by Erique Chong; “An Island of Inspiration” by Fabienne Good; “Some People” by Joel Fremming; “How Not to Get Your Scooter License in Taiwan” by Ray Hecht; “Green Island” by Bronwen Shelwell; “Walk & Talks” by Patty Hogan and Todd Allen Williams; and “ConSequential” by Jon Renzella.

Each story contains its own perspective about what makes life worth living in Taiwan, told with humor and depth. It’s not always easy and there are all kinds of experiences, but above all it is never boring…

Free eBooks!

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To celebrate my birthday, I am making all eight of my ebooks free to download for the Kindle app!

Please read and enjoy some comic memoirs, science fiction short stories, novels and travelogues on living in China and Taiwan:

Amazon.com/author/rayhecht

2020: A Year in Taiwan – now free on Amazon

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BDXCRRC

2020: A Year in Taiwan, my autobiographical comic about experiencing the pandemic next door to China, is now free to download for the week!

Please take a look, and let me know what you think. If you even feel so inclined, share and perhaps write a review…

2020: A Year in Taiwan now available on Amazon

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My autobiographical comic 2020: A Year in Taiwan is now available for the Kindle app on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09BDXCRRC

Adrian Cone 1981 – 2021

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Adrian Cone has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. Soon after I moved to Cincinnati, we met at Princeton Junior High and became best friends immediately. Childhood can be a rough time, especially at middle school, and the joy that came with hanging out at his house playing video games and watching cartoons are among the best memories of my youth.

These memories will exist for as long as long as I still do, and a piece of Adrian’s spirit will live in this way. I will never forget the ups and downs we had, all over the world. It was the friendship of a lifetime. We were teenagers together dodging responsibility and testing the limits of what we could get away with, then we were twenty-somethings trying to figure out who we were. In our thirties, we were finally men.

He spent much of his life in the military, in large part I believe because he wanted to see the world. It worked. He was well-traveled, racking up experiences all over this planet.

Adrian lived all over the United States, from coast to coast. I have the fondest memories of when he visited me in California and of when I visited him in Seattle. He also worked in Bahrain, learning about and appreciating Middle Eastern culture. He traveled to Australia, and visited me in China. I can still recall the joy of discovering the Hong Kong skyline together after we found each other at the airport. The years passed but we easily just picked up where we left off.

He was a passionate man. Whatever he did, he did it with 100% of his spirit. He may have changed his focus from time to time, going from one thing to the next, but what an honor it was while it lasted to be obsessed over by Adrian Cone.

If he got a job, he worked at that job as hard as he could. If he had a cause, he believed in that cause with all his heart. If he loved, he loved with every fiber of his being.

To be honest, I’ve always been envious of this ability. I have never met anyone like Adrian, and I never will again.

Over this past month, so many people have come together to remember our dear friend and family member. He will absolutely live on in all our memories.

He was so many things to so many people. He was a father. He was an artist. He was a brother.

I know he was in a lot of pain recently. But that wasn’t all he was. I hope he is at peace now.

I truly believe his spirit lives on, through the love of his children and through the love of all of us still here.

Let us never ever forget.

Burn, baby, burn – Taipei Times

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Turtle Burn, Taiwan’s spinoff of the avant-garde art festival Burning Man, will take place over the Tomb Sweeping holiday

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2021/03/26/2003754519

In the mountains of Yilan, far from the confines of everyday life, people gather during the holidays to celebrate. Outlandish costumes are the norm. The fashion styles run from Mad Max-inspired outfits, to anime cosplay, along with colorful makeup and dresses for both men and women.

It’s time for the Turtle Burn, the official “regional Burn” of Taiwan. This is a spinoff of Burning Man, the world’s largest art and music festival held annually in Nevada. For one week a year, over 70,000 people camp out in Black Rock Desert to attend this seminal countercultural event. All over the world, there are also smaller regional Burns, and the Turtle Burn will be a more intimate affair, capping at 150 people.

Although the main Burning Man event was canceled last year due to COVID-19, the Turtle Burn did have a successful opening in 2019 and plans to continue annually. The latest will be from April 2 to April 5, over the Tomb-Sweeping Festival holiday weekend, at Shanlinciji campsite.

Wooden turtle sculpture is set aflame on last night of Turtle Burn, 2019.

The site is filled with several “theme camps,” which groups organize in order to spend time with likeminded friends and to pool resources together. One is the Tavern of Truth, headed by Kate Panzica, which holds a free bar to give drinks to everyone who strolls by.

“Educating both foreigners and locals on the Ten Principles is a net positive,” Panzica says. “I think it’s great for folks to explore themselves and what they want to be in the ‘default world’ as well as a Burn.”

The Ten Principles of Burning Man, written by late founder Larry Harvey in 2004, are: Radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy.

Attendees gather around a flaming effigy on the last night of Turtle Burn 2019.

These guidelines help to make the event stay as ethical as possible, and people are encouraged to clean up after themselves and promote sustainable living. Radical self-reliance refers to how attendees must bring their own food, cookware, tents and other camping supplies. People are encouraged to contribute to the culture by building their own artistic creations, whether individually or as part of a group. And after the event is over, they must make sure to leave no trace by cleaning up all “MOOP” — matter out of place.

For four days the Turtle Burn will hold a variety of workshops and activities. The gifting principle doesn’t just refer to handing out free drinks or personalized jewelry, although that is also common. It can also be expressed by giving one’s time by hosting workshops.

In the past, these workshops have included improv comedy sessions, where participants learn to play and practice their comedic skills, yoga classes for keeping fit, lip-singing performances, fashion shows on a makeshift runway and even impromptu puppet shows. Some camps contribute at meal-times, cooking pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches to share with the entire community. At night, fire-dancers are a particular attraction of any Burn, dancing to the beat of electronic music and entertaining others as they express their craft.

Shanlinciji campsite overlooking the city of Yilan under a full moon.

“I was part of the Queen of Hearts camp,” said Michi Fu, sharing her experiences. “We had a shared costume closet with a full-length mirror to encourage radical self-expression through costuming. I sang with my furry, lavender bunny ears and turquoise silk robe and we all had hand-cranked ice cream.”

On the final night, tradition dictates that a wooden effigy is to burn. This started in 1986 at the very first Burning Man in San Francisco, as a symbol of how to keep the creative “fire” burning on even after the event concludes. At the Turtle Burn, a two-meter wide wooden turtle sculpture is scheduled to be set aflame. Dale Albanese, Taiwan’s official Burning Man contact, said of the installation: “There’s a sense of buildup and tension, and this sudden quietness and a collective shared spirit. You hear the oohs and the aahs at similar times. There’s a kind of shared attention. We’ve all been busy doing our own thing, and then there’s a pause. A reset. It’s also a moment to open up and say it wasn’t just about me.”

As 150 artists and performers gather their community together to continue the Turtle Burn tradition, they are also planning for next year and beyond. Tickets for this year’s event have already sold out but there is a waiting list. For more information, visit: turtleburn.com.

Preparing for Turtle Burn in 2019, attendees construct a communal dome space.

Turtle Burn 2021 Map.

PROFESSIONAL EDITING SERVICES

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As a longtime author and editor, I’d like to offer my services in the fields editing, copyediting, and proofreading. A detailed summary of my experience and rates are below. Feel free to click on the links for further information.

For journalism writing samples, I have worked extensively at the Shenzhen Daily, South China’s only daily English-language newspaper. I have also been published a number of times by the reputable Wall Street Journal.

In 2016, my novel South China Morning Blues was released by Hong Kong-based publisher Blacksmith Books. I have also had fiction published by TWG Press in Taiwan.

As for my credentials, I have enrolled in the University of California San Diego’s advanced Copyediting Certificate program.

I have since worked with a number of high-profile clients on a regular basis, including China-based translation companies CEPIEC (China Educational Publications Import & Export Corporation Ltd.) as well as Grouphorse. I have also contributed education material for Taiwan’s AMC.

My most notable editing work may be the novel Death Notice by Zhou Haohui, which was published in the United States by Penguin Random House.

My starting rates are as follows for these currencies:

.03 USD per word (United States)
.25 CNY per word (China, PRC)
1 NTD per word (Taiwan, ROC)

Please contact me via email at rayhecht@gmail.com for any inquiries.

Fracture: short story by Xie Hong

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Fracture is a short work of Chinese fiction written by Shenzhen-based author Xie Hong, translated by Ding Yan and edited by yours truly. Below is the link as recently published by the Los Angeles Review of Books’ China Channel, please enjoy reading:

https://chinachannel.org/2019/04/11/fracture

 

https://chinachannel.org/2019/04/11/fracture/

Taiwan Tales 2 free promotion!

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Taiwan Tales Volume Two is free to download for the Kindle app on Amazon, for this week only! Get yours today to read my short story “The Taipei Underground” – a tale of two souls trying to figure out love beneath the shady caverns of the city – as well as many other excellent works by talented Taipei-based authors.

The stories include a mix of genres, from high fantasy with mythical beasts to ghost stories, and even one from the point of view of a small dog! 

From TWG Press:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Taiwan-Tales-Anthology-Connor-Bixby-ebook/dp/B078XPDQDM

 

“Room 602” by Pat Woods, a Taiwanese ghost story inspired by an unusual local superstition about knocking on hotel doors.

“Notes from Underfoot” by Mark Will, a humorous and erudite story that gives a dog’s-eye-view of life in Taipei.

“The Taipei Underground” by Ray Hecht, a glimpse of the lives of two young people in Taipei Main Station’s cavernous underground.

“Bob the Unfriendly Ghost vs. The Mother Planet” by Laurel Bucholz, dealing a sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying experience of local spirits and Ayahuasca.

“Underworld” by J.J Goodwin, an epic odyssey through a strange world beneath Taipei where local and foreign mythology is alive and kicking.

“A Completely Normal Male Expat” by Connor Bixby, which, in the author’s own brand of neurotic fiction, checks out communication and the dating game in Taipei.

“Onus” by Ellyna Ford Phelps, a story of friendship, dark pasts, and goodbyes as two expats share an all-too-brief connection.

Taiwan Tales: The Taipei Underground

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Excerpt from the short story collection Taiwan Tales Volume Two, now available on Amazon:

 

The Taipei Underground
by Ray Hecht

 

Jerry Lee, also known as Li Shi-huang or merely Xiao Shi to his friends, stared across the cash register station to gaze longingly at the cute girl at the shop across the hallway. She had short hair, glasses, a well-fitting T-shirt. As she carefully stocked a shelf, for a split-second their lines of sight crossed over.

Suddenly, Jerry turned away and looked at a passerby eating a sausage, all the while exaggerating the movement of his neck as he pretended that was what he was looking at all along. He immediately regretted the embarrassing instinct, but it was too late and he had no choice but to go along with the ruse.

He continued to gaze rightward, pushing himself to ignore the girl from across the hall, and found himself making a 180-degree U-turn. The motion was interrupted by a shout from his cousin, whom he usually semi-affectionately referred to as Cousin Lee.

“Jerry! Come here.”

He walked to the back of their shop, squeezing between narrow passageways of obsolete computer equipment. The gray plastic was full of dust and wonder, hiding away computer chips decades old. All of it was close to his heart, and he never tired of working in such a magical place.

“Check this out,” Cousin Lee said as he plugged a replica of a 1981 console into a 40-inch widescreen HD monitor. He was tall and gangly, taller and ganglier than even Jerry, but spoke with an obnoxious confidence. Within the confines of these walls, he was in his element. “Pretty cool, right?”

A tune began to ring through the halls, a somehow familiar but simplified melody of an animated television theme song adapted and skewered through the primitive digital ringer of 8-bit glory.

The sounds brought everyone comfort, reminding them of a time before time, that pre-millennial age that was somehow part of their ancestral genetic memory or collective unconscious.

Jerry couldn’t help but bob his head.

The menu screen was in Japanese, a language Jerry knew only vaguely, but he grabbed the controller and played along through sheer muscle memory. Before he knew it, the little trademarked sprite had hopped and bopped its way through three whole levels.

“He’s good, isn’t he?” Cousin Lee said to a browsing customer.

Jerry, in the zone, felt distracted and content.

After a quick win, he returned to the register and stole more glances. He couldn’t help wondering about the girl. With no information about her other than that she was new at the workplace, his imagination had many gaps to fill. She’d been there about a month. What had she done before? Where was she from? The boss, was he her father? Uncle?

Why was she here?

The shop across the aisle was a different kind than that of the second-hand computer game variety. It was altogether low tech, specializing in cute toys of plastic and plush. It was located between one model robot dispensary and a knockoff handbag boutique, alongside a deep chasm of specialty stores that stretched infinitely in both directions underneath the streets of the city. Not unlike cave grottos at certain Biblical archeological sites, each one carved its own unique religious iconography onto the walls of the contemporary cultural landscape.

Several hours later, Jerry was ordered to close up shop. He counted the cash, put aside receipts, and jotted down inventory.

“Make sure you go to the bank in the morning,” his cousin said and then zipped up the cash bag tight.

“I know.”

“Good.” As they lowered the railing to lock up the family business, both saw the shop across the aisle doing the same.

“I hate that shop,” Cousin Lee said, spitting fire and saliva. “Ever since they opened, they do all they can to steal our customers. Those video game toys, all the same characters I advertise. I spend the marketing money, and they try to reap the benefits.”

“Yeah,” Jerry muttered.

“Do they think I’m stupid? What a shame. Nobody wants to buy the originals anymore; people just steal everything online and then only buy some cheap dolls.”

“It is a shame,” Jerry added in a weak attempt at consolation.

“I know those people just make the toys themselves. I can see them sewing in the back. That’s theft of intellectual property! I ought to report them.”

“But don’t we sell emulator rigs?” Jerry asked, giving the matter some thought. “Like, the software is all downloaded online for free. And then we sell it. Isn’t that basically the same thing?”

“It’s not the same!”

Jerry offered no retort. He simply watched his cousin go in one direction and the girl go in another. If only he could ditch him and find a way to talk to her alone. He sighed slowly as he followed behind, and resigned himself to his fate.

“Xiao Shi,” Cousin Lee said with an air of closure, “I will see you tomorrow. I think I ate something rotten, so I’m going to go to the bathroom in the mall. Don’t wait up.” It was a reasonable request, considering the caliber of restaurants available for dinners in the tunnel.

“Oh. Okay.”

His cousin turned a corner with a slight moan, and disappeared.

With a nervous trot, Jerry made his way to the subway station.

It was a day like any other. He planned to scan his card and wait at the platform of the subway train in order to transfer once over the course of ten stations so that he could arrive at his small apartment in the outer district, and then at last go to sleep and do it all over again tomorrow.

This day, however, was slightly different. A minute before the train was due to arrive, he noticed she happened to be waiting two cars down. All alone, tapping away at her mobile phone. Heart thumping at a reckless pace, he cautiously approached her.

“Um, hello.”

She half-looked up. “Hello?”

“I work across the hall from you.”

“You do?” She tore her eyes away from the phone stuffed it in her purse, and inspected him closely. A flash of recognition abruptly lit up her eyes. “Oh, it’s you. I’ve seen you around. What’s your name?”

“Li Shi-huang. Or, you can call me Jerry.”

“Everyone calls me Sha Sha,” she said. “So, uh, how do you like working in the tunnel?”

“It’s pretty good, I guess. Usually there are a lot of people window-shopping and not enough sales.”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

“Yeah.” A pause. “Where are you going now?” he asked.

“Home,” she answered, with a bluntness that he regretted hearing.

He didn’t know what to say next. “I hope you have a good night.”

“You too. I’ll see you next time.”

He smiled and was about to turn away, even finding himself on the cusp of formulating an apology for bothering her. But before he could react she interrupted his transition with a: “Hey, do you want to hang out some time?”

“That would be cool,” he blurted out.

“Let me see your phone,” she said.

They each procured their mobile devices, turned to the appropriate application, and she scanned his personalized digital code.

Silently, they both smiled and entered separate trains and waved goodbye.

Nice to meet you, he later texted in bed, along with an accompanying image of a smiling bunny rabbit.

She replied with a blobby wink.

The next day there was much back-and-forth. Instead of glances from across the chasm, the two pairs of eyes stooped downwards as the gravity of a glass screen pulled them all in to a small private world of written letters and animated pets.

I loved this character as a kid, she said, after a link to a humorous GIF of a cartoon pocket-sized monster in fierce battle.

This is my favorite one, he said as they simultaneously livestreamed a showing of a popular action-adventure strategic game.

Look at that!

I love it!!

Awesome!!!

We shall have to get together soon to eat some delicious food and listen to music…

I like strawberry ice cream, but no hamburgers.

Slowly through intermittent conversations they learned more about each other. Dreams, passions, personal histories, dietary restrictions, and various other preferences and peeves.

She learned that he was new to the city after moving the previous year, and he still spent many weekends exploring tourist spots. He learned that she was a part-time student, full of visions of design and creativity and financial independence.

They made plans to meet at a night market—one that he had never been to but had researched and assured her was vegetarian-friendly.

Not to mention, he wrote, the further away the better.

No one said it aloud, nor typed it up, but they both felt relief that there was slim chance of bumping into any family members or mutual acquaintances.

I can’t wait to be there with you. Only you.

In person, they ignored each other. Work was one world, and there they had their own separate reality. There was no need to actually speak.

It didn’t need to be spelled out.

The families wouldn’t approve.

They met in secret two weekends in a row, waiting in line at crowded food stalls shrouded in moonlight and then watching movies in dark rooms lit up by vast screens. Never in daylight, never with risk of discovery. In person they kept their words at a minimum, in contrast to the essays written by thumb.

Eventually, the power of skin touching against skin proved to be the most powerful—yet most dangerous—communication of all.

On the third date, Jerry and Sha Sha decided to risk everything by staying at a small love hotel a mere six metro stations away. It was for the most part a natural progression.

In bed, after said communication had completed, Jerry held her in his arms and felt compelled to take a dare by suggesting the logical next step. “You should come to my apartment next time. I’ll cook you some dumplings. It will be great.”

“At your home?”

“I do have to warn you that it’s a bit far, and it’s small,” he joked. “And it’s messy. But I promise I’ll clean up.”

“Well, it sounds nice, that is, but you know I live with my father, and he’s very strict.”

“Just say you’ll be visiting a friend. Or not. Come on, Sha Sha, you are old enough to do whatever you want to do.”

“Don’t pressure me. I mean, I wish I could, but just don’t think I can’t stay the night like that.”

“But, I got a new console and we could play—”

“I can’t!”

“Fine,” Jerry conceded, hopes dashed. “I understand.”

“This is happening too fast. I’m very busy with the afternoon classes and work and I barely have enough time to spend with you already,” she said, her voice shaking and quick.

“I get it. Fine then.”

“To tell you the truth…” she went on, “I don’t even know if this arrangement is really working out for me. I simply don’t know.”

“I said I understand!” Jerry shouted, surprised at his own anger.

She rolled over in the bed, turning away from him, and shut her eyes.

He said nothing.

Soon after, they got dressed and left for home.

The next day, Cousin Lee suggested that Jerry should accompany him on one of his bimonthly trips abroad. He needed new inventory. Jerry agreed.

As a last ditch effort, he later reached out to Sha Sha to see if she wanted to see him again before leaving.

Just go, she wrote, in simple and unadorned prose.

OK, he jotted.

His heart lost, he clicked send.

There was no reply.

****

Continue reading →

Taiwan Tales Volume Two – short story anthology

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https://www.amazon.com/Taiwan-Tales-Anthology-Connor-Bixby-ebook/dp/B078XPDQDM

 

Since coming to Taiwan, I have become a part of the Taipei Writers’ Group and I am now honored to be a part of their new anthology sequel Taiwan Tales Volume Two. My short story “The Taipei Underground” is included among many other works by excellent and talented writers whom I’ve been humbled to share writings with.

Please give it a read, via the Kindle or even order a hard copy. In fact, as always I’m happy to share an complimentary advance edition for reviewers! Also, stay tuned for updates including free promotions and other events coming up soon…

The book will also be on sale at the Taipei International Book Exhibition from February 6th to 11th, featuring yours truly. Do come say hi to me if in the area 🙂

 

Brief synopses of the short stories herein:

“Room 602” by Pat Woods, a Taiwanese ghost story inspired by an unusual local superstition about knocking on hotel doors.

“Notes from Underfoot” by Mark Will, a humorous and erudite story that gives a dog’s-eye-view of life in Taipei.

“The Taipei Underground” by Ray Hecht, a glimpse of the lives of two young people in Taipei Main Station’s cavernous underground.

“Bob the Unfriendly Ghost vs. The Mother Planet” by Laurel Bucholz, dealing a sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying experience of local spirits and Ayahuasca.

“Underworld” by J.J Goodwin, an epic odyssey through a strange world beneath Taipei where local and foreign mythology is alive and kicking.

“A Completely Normal Male Expat” by Connor Bixby, which, in the author’s own brand of neurotic fiction, checks out communication and the dating game in Taipei.

“Onus” by Ellyna Ford Phelps, a story of friendship, dark pasts, and goodbyes as two expats share an all-too-brief connection.

The collection was edited by Pat Woods and L.L. Phelps, and the gorgeous cover image was provided by TWG member Brian Q. Webb.