This A-Profiler we bring you author Jon Yang. Yang is the author of the book Exclusively Chloe. Find out more about who some of his favorite Asian American authors are, what his ideas for a "BFF" shoe are, and why he is known for for being vehemently anti-dim sum.

Your site URL:
www.jonyang.org

What book best resembles who you are?
I think I’d want the answer to be Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman. In a series of essays, Klosterman tackles stuff like Saved by the Bell, The Real World, the difference between Celtics versus Lakers fans, why John Cusack (as Lloyd Dobler) is to blame for our failed relationships, and the motivations of breakfast cereal mascots. The subjects can be seemingly irrelevant, but pop culture is important, and hilarious if looked at through the right lens. Just about everything in this book resonates with me, and since it was a best seller I guess that means I’m just like a lot of other people?

What’s the one thing people should know before they meet you?
People should know that I don’t wake up before noon (okay, 2pm) and if we’re scheduled to meet in the morning I’ll be there in body but probably not in spirit. I do have a twin sister, who is the responsible half of me since she can successfully get up in the mornings.

How would you describe your writing style?
My writing style is conversational, breezy, and I tend to use too many commas. I wish I could write beautiful lyrical sentences and hope to achieve this goal eventually. I admire writers who are great with descriptions and write passages that make you want to drink every word combination in.

Who are some of your favorite Asian American authors?
Lisa Yee and Justina Chen Headley are two big time young adult authors who are both hilarious and prolific. Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo were fellow debut authors with me this past year and their prose is exactly the type that I admire most. And Marjorie Liu writes fantasy, romance, and comic books for Marvel!

How many other Jon Yang’s do you know?
Quite a few actually. When I was looking around for my website, jonyang.com and jon-yang.com was taken by a Chinese construction company and a Chinese-American model/actor, respectively. Since I’m no model, nor can I even use power tools, I thought it would be best to avoid the confusion, thus I went with an .org instead. Since then I’ve seen many Jon Yang’s online, but only met one, an acquaintance from college. An annual goal of mine is to remain #1 for “Jon Yang” Google search results. I live for the little victories.

Do you consider your nationality to be Chinese or Taiwanese?
Despite being born in Taiwan, I call myself “Chinese” because my family went from China to Taiwan in 1949, on the heels of the Communist takeover. After attending multiple Taiwanese conferences in college, I became very careful which term I used to describe myself.

What does being Asian American mean to you?
To me, being Asian American means being aware of being an ethnic and racial minority in America, it means exploring how our traditions and cultures effect the way we’ve been raised, and of looking forward and working together to further the definition of what it means to be “Asian American.”

What’s the biggest misconception being a student at the University of Michigan? Is the Asian American population very big there?
I’m not sure what misconceptions about attending the University of Michigan exist. Most people know it has a beautiful campus, most people mention the cold, and most people know someone who’s connected to Michigan somehow -- apparently we have the biggest alumni network. All those I’ll agree with so I guess all (mis)conceptions of Michigan seem true to me?

The Asian American population at Michigan isn’t large by coastal standards but I think it represents roughly 10% of the student population. UMich has a very strong Asian American activism presence and a diverse range of AsAm organizations, for which I was very grateful. I was given the opportunity to attend tons of conferences and to be involved in a lot of cultural clubs.

What are you currently working on? Any plans writing an autobiography?
Currently I’m working on a semi-sequel to Exclusively Chloe, which will be set in the same celebrity high school but will feature different main characters. I’m in revision mode now and the book is slated to come out in the summer of 2011.

I tend to blog quite a bit, and have been for years, so for now that’ll serve as my autobiography. If demand rises in the near future, I’ll get working on that autobiography right away. In the meantime I’ll keep working on that semi-sequel I think.

Which city has better Chinese food New York or Los Angeles? While dining out do you prefer dinner or dim sum?
The Chinese food in Los Angeles is definitively much better. In fact, I’m struggling to count more than two or three places I’d go for Chinese food in New York on a regular basis. There’s so much good Chinese food in Los Angeles, in so many neighborhoods, that there’s really no competition.

I greatly prefer dinner to dim sum. In fact, I’m notorious among my friends for being vehemently anti-dim sum. A few years ago, I laid out my argument here: http://www.hyperwest.net/archives/anachronic/2005_12_01_anachronic_archive.html#113577515601224200. While I’ve curbed some of my anti-dim sum feelings in recent years, I still feel very passionately about the topic.

What’s the best food to eat after a night of clubbing?
Hands down it’s a carne asada burrito or fries, with a side of sweet and spicy horchata. If you’ve never been to San Diego, I’d highly recommend stopping by a late night Mexican drive through. The day-after cure for a night of clubbing is pho, which I believe is pretty universal, right?

What’s your one guilty pleasure?
Waking up at any hour of the day, usually very late. I’m a night owl and usually sleep at dawn and wake up with only a few hours of sunlight left. Trying to kick that habit has been difficult.

If you had your own clothing line what would you call it and why? What would you call your signature shoe?
I think I’d name the clothing line “Vowel” but just make all the tags and branding say “a-e-i-o-u,” and occasionally add a “y” in there somewhere.

The signature shoe for the line would be called the “BFF” and have your best friend’s signature emblazoned on the side (or the tongue). It’s important to tell the world who your best friend forever is, so this is one way everyone could do it. The shoe would also come with the signature on the heel of the sole plus an ink pad. You could then swipe the ink pad on your sole and ink your friend’s name everywhere you walk.

And of course the shoe would be aesthetically amazing since everyone will be looking at it trying to figure out what the best friend’s name is.

What’s your most favorite and least favorite book?
My favorite book is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. My least favorite is a tie between Tuesdays with Morrie and The Secret. If one of these latter books is your favorite book of all time, our potential for friendship might be seriously hampered.

This Christmas what are you asking Santa for and is a snuggy an ideal stocking stuffer?
(Sorry this is past Xmas). I traditionally don’t get many presents on Xmas, and we don’t give presents regularly too. But I did participate in a white elephant thing over the holidays and out of ten or so people, there were four Snuggies. So yeah, it’s not only an appropriate stocking stuffer, people will steal and fight for one.

What are you giving thanks for this holiday season?
This holiday season I was glad for high definition television and DVR. I’ve never had it before at home and it’s completely tanked my social life. On the other hand, I’m entirely caught up on the Jersey Shore and can now arm pump like a champ. It’s a new life skill and I intend to use it every chance I get.

Most interesting thing you wrote at your book signing?
One girl asked me to write something that made fun of her brother. I happily obliged because I could imagine my (twin) sister asking the same thing. I think I wrote something like “Chloe-Grace <3’s you (but not your brother)!”

Where are some other places you still like to go and visit?
I’d like to go live in Barcelona for at least six months. I love the architecture and the city and have only visited briefly. Other places I’d like to visit would be South Asia in general, Japan of course, and then take a detour somewhere in there to see the terracotta soliders of China. It would probably be a long detour actually so that may require a separate trip.

What activities do you enjoy doing on your down time?
Generally speaking I’m most often found in front of my TV watching Netflix while laptopping and trying to catch up on emails, blogging, and writing. I enjoy basketball, dancing, and ramen. My favorite hobby is probably movie hopping actually, if that can be considered a hobby.

Thanks for taking the time out to answer all these questions; you got anything you like to leave us with?
I just wanted to say “thank you” for the experience and thanks to AArising for the work they’ve continually done for the community.

Oh also, I’m in the launch stages for a website I’m starting to highlight Asian American authors and am looking for contributors, and of course, readers. It’s called the Lonely Comma and the site will be at: http://lonelycomma.blogspot.com. It should be fully operational by February. Thank you!

Would you like to be featured on this site? Click here for more info.

This issue of A-Profiler is brought to you by Ray Lam.
Special thanks to Jon Yang.

Photos used with permission.
Copyright retained by original copyright holder(s).