A Conversation with Poet and Author Wendy Chin-Tanner

Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 48. We loved reading King of the Armadillos, the new novel by poet, graphic novelist, and all-around amazing writer Wendy Chin-Tanner. King of the Armadillos thoughtfully levels-up the coming-of-age story with multi-generational Asian American experiences set in the 1950s… not to mention an authentic look at how Hansen’s Disease AKA leprosy impacts individuals, families, and communities.

The main character, Victor, struggles with recovery, feelings of belonging, and family responsibilities. We discuss all of those things as well as the importance of breaking out of Asian male stereotypes, the work it takes to create authentic historical fiction, her advice for aspiring API authors, how she selected specific songs for the novel, and so much more.

Enjoy the conversation and go out and buy King of the Armadillos... you won’t regret it. It’s even on sale at Amazon right now at over $10 off. We also recommend purchasing her poetry collection Turn or her graphic novel American Terrorist… and be sure to explore all the work on A Wave Blue World, the graphic novel publishing company that Wendy co-founded with her husband Tyler. For previous episodes and information, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or social media links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [e-mail].