Anna Sophie Loewenberg | Speaking of China

Anna Sophie Loewenberg Interview + Exclusive Interview Extras Here

My Anna Sophie Loewenberg interview just hit the presses yesterday in Asian Jewish Life. It’s called Loewenberg: On Screen, Off Screen & Behind the Scenes. My special thanks to Erica Lyons for doing a fantastic job with the editing, and also giving me a huge helping hand with the photographs for the piece. Thanks also to Susan Blumberg-Kason, who contacted me about doing the interview.

Additionally, since the entire interview didn’t make it into Asian Jewish Life, Erica gave me the go-ahead to share those unpublished excerpts with you — exclusive interview extras that you’ll only find here on Speaking of China, which cover more of Anna Sophie’s latest documentary about a gay papercut artist. So without further ado, here they are: Continue reading “Anna Sophie Loewenberg Interview + Exclusive Interview Extras Here”

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Yangxifu Pride: 5 Creative Women Who Should Be Honorary Yangxifu

Pearl Buck — Pearl S. Buck (from wikimedia.org)

Some of the best creative works about Chinese men and Western women in love came from Western women who never once had a Chinese husband. I’d like to salute five of these women, who in my opinion will always be honorary yangxifu (foreign wives of Chinese men).

Pearl S. Buck

Pearl Buck didn’t just make her mark in the literary world with her novels about life in China — she also was one of the first to write about love between Chinese men and Western women in East Wind: West Wind. Pearl married twice, both white American men, but some allege she was a secret lover of the famous Chinese poet Xu Chimo. Maybe her supposed affair inspired some of those on-the-page Chinese man-Western woman romances? Who knows, but she’ll always be the ultimate honorary yangxifu in my book. Continue reading “Yangxifu Pride: 5 Creative Women Who Should Be Honorary Yangxifu”

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What Would You Like Me To Ask Anna Sophie Loewenberg of Sexy Beijing?

Anna Sophie Loewenberg, who most of you know from Sexy Beijing, agreed to do an interview with me for Asian Jewish Life. We plan to discuss her current project — a documentary on gay themes — and anything else she’s working on with Goldmines Film. I’d also like to ask about her upcoming marriage to a man from Venezuela, as well as some questions related to being Jewish and living in China.

I know a number of you are fans of her work. So before I interview her (I plan to set something up for the following week), I thought I’d put this question to you — what would you like me to ask Anna Sophie Loewenberg?

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Jewish Women & Chinese Men in Love: Article Pub’d in Asian Jewish Life

Star of David in a stain-glass window — Asian Jewish Life published my article "Chosen Women and Chinese men: a Tradition of Love?" (photo by Simon Cataudo)

I thought I’d share with you an article that was published a few weeks ago in Asian Jewish Life called Chosen Women Choosing Chinese Men: A tradition of love?

Back in February of this year, I wondered if Jewish women really were more likely to marry Chinese men. That got the attention of Asian Jewish Life, who agreed to let me explore the connection in depth through a longer article (thank you, Erica!). The piece also includes the voices of several prominent Jewish women who have loved Chinese men — Anna Sophie Loewenberg of Sexy Beijing, Rachel DeWoskin, and Susan Blumberg-Kason.

I delayed sharing this article to first request a few minor corrections in the online version, but became so busy this month that posting it here on the blog just slipped my mind. Actually, it’s probably a lucky omission since I am currently knee-deep in helping with last-minute checks on my husband’s psychology internship applications and had NO idea what I was going to put on the blog today. (Whew!)

Here’s the crux of the piece: Continue reading “Jewish Women & Chinese Men in Love: Article Pub’d in Asian Jewish Life”

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Are Jewish Women More Likely to Marry Chinese Men?

Star of David in the stained glass windows of a temple — Is Chinese and chosen the norm? Are Jewish women more likely to marry Chinese men? (photo by Simon Cataudo)

(NOTE: I turned this short post into a fascinating full article published in Asian Jewish Life. Read it here.)

I had only met Arnold a few times, but I felt he was as familiar as the soy cafe au lait I held in my hands. He and I bonded over China one evening at the gym, and pretty soon we went from lifting weights to lifting coffee cups over at the Starbucks just down the street from me. I liked Arnold because he was this huge espresso shot of an African-American, the kind of guy who wasn’t afraid to say — or ask — anything.

“Are you Jewish?” he asked me, after I sat down.

“No, I’m not, actually. I was raised Catholic. Why do you ask?”

“Because you have a Chinese husband. You usually see Jewish women married to Chinese men.”

“Really? How would you know?”

I was so stunned, I still I can’t remember what he said. Maybe it was because he had lived in this city (which I like to think of as Jewish as Woody Allen) his whole life. Or maybe he heard it growing up.

But later, when I left Starbucks, I wondered if I really was out of the mainstream, as a shiksa with a Chinese husband, Was it true? Were Jewish women more likely to marry Chinese men?

Continue reading “Are Jewish Women More Likely to Marry Chinese Men?”

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