Kevin Chong
Kevin Chong (born 1975) is a Canadian author. Born in Hong Kong, Chong studied at the University of British Columbia and Columbia University, where he received an MFA in fiction writing.
His first novel, Baroque-a-Nova, was published in Canada by Penguin in 2001, in the United States by Putnam in 2002, and in France by Ballard in 2002. The New York Times Book Review describes the book as "a readable, if slightly gray, coming-of-age novel."[1] The Quill and Quire described the book as "compact, clear-sighted, and nervy. Chong's grasp of suburban tackiness is laugh-out-loud awesome, right down to the ubiquitous copies of Maclean's magazine on parental coffee tables and trick or treaters dressed as Orville Redenbacher."[2]
His second book Neil Young Nation (2005), a non-fiction work, traces the steps of Neil Young's 1970 trip across Canada and the United States. New York Times Book Review of compared the book to "watching an endless home movie in which a not very close friend visits all the houses he grew up in."[3] The Georgia Straight suggested that "Still looking for happiness, community, and fulfillment, Chong is a genuine seeker-and his journey is a ride worth taking."[4]
Chong works extensively as a freelance journalist. He is a practitioner of the martial art-like aerobic exercise form Tae Bo, and had a minor role in the film Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite[5] He is also active in Vancouver's underground music scene, performing jazz under his stage name, "Butterscotch Panda."
Chong lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an accomplished show dog handler[6][unreliable source] as well as an editor for Joyland: A hub for short fiction.
Bibliography[]
Novels[]
- Baroque-a-Nova, 2001
- Beauty Plus Pity, 2011
Non-fiction[]
- Neil Young Nation: a quest, an obsession, and a true story, 2005 (Crisscrossing the continent, Chong follows the route that led Neil Young to become a musical legend.)
- My Year of The Race Horse, 2012
- Northern Dancer: The Legendary Horse that Inspired a Nation, 2014
References[]
- ^ Kaufman, King. "Meet the Parents", New York Times Book Review, 28 April 2002. (URL accessed 24 May 2006).
- ^ The Quill and Quire
- ^ Kamiya, Gary. " 'Neil Young Nation': On the Road", New York Times Book Review, 13 November 2005. (URL accessed 24 May 2006)
- ^ The Georgia Straight
- ^ Kevin Chong at IMDb
- ^ Kevin Chong at Goodreads
External links[]
- Official website
- Kevin Chong, profile from the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival.
- Neil Young Nation page on Greystone Books website
- Works by or about Kevin Chong in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Canadian male novelists
- Columbia University School of the Arts alumni
- Hong Kong emigrants to Canada
- University of British Columbia alumni
- Writers from Vancouver
- 21st-century Canadian novelists
- 21st-century Canadian male writers