Jade Chang

(Illustration by Ronald Kurniawan)

The Phantom Jasmine

Jade Chang
First the old, reliable route: south through Laurel Canyon, windows rolled down, heading in from the Valley. It’s not there. But maybe that’s just the time, the tides, the sun, the heat, the wonky growing cycle of island plants brought to desert climes. So, onward. West along Mulholland Drive to......
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The Geat Divide

Jade Chang
The chapter headings of Arab-Israeli Sayed Kashua’s first novel sound like the titles of children’s books written for adults: “On Days When There Are Terrorist Attacks,” “There’s No Beer in Saudi Arabia,” “The Day I Saw Jews Up Close for the First Time.” This deadpan innocence makes Dancing Arabs —......
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The Accidental Cultist

Jade Chang
Photo by Bob Glanville British journalist and comedy writer Danny Wallace has approached unsuspecting strangers with cups of coffee, packets of peanuts, pints of beer and the odd cow or two. He has been worshipped by Belgians, stalked by a man named Whitby and commended by both Prince Charles and......
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The Great Divide

Jade Chang
The chapter headings of Arab-Israeli Sayed Kashua’s first novel sound like the titles of children’s books written for adults: “On Days When There Are Terrorist Attacks,” “There’s No Beer in Saudi Arabia,” “The Day I Saw Jews Up Close for the First Time.” This deadpan innocence makes Dancing Arabs —......
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Shanghai Nights

Jade Chang
Photo by Giada Rdipa Di Meana Banned by the Chinese government when it was first published four years ago, Candy is difficult to like — and difficult to let go. Novelist Mian Mian writes of sly Shanghai prostitutes, beautifully tragic musicians and lost girls trying to find themselves in love,......

Outdoor drinking in L.A.

Jade Chang
The mere thought of Los Angeles in hell-baked summer is enough to drive a girl to drink. But to do your summertime, easy-livin' drinking the right way, you've got to wallow a bit in the heat - steer clear of those dark, air-conditioned dens of iniquity and bring your bottles......

Ebonics Flunks a Test

Jade Chang
The L. A. Unified school district's controversial "Ebonics" curriculum for black students has fared poorly in a preliminary evaluation, according to data obtained by the Weekly. Results of the evaluation, which were initially suppressed by Ebonics proponents within the district, indicate that a sample of students actually regressed in language......