Ryka Aoki

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Ryka Aoki
OccupationWriter, teacher and composer[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCornell University
Website
rykaryka.com Edit this at Wikidata

Ryka Aoki is an American[2] author and poet. She teaches English at Santa Monica College and gender studies at Antioch University.[3]

Her poetry collection Seasonal Velocities and her novel He Mele a Hilo.[4][5] Seasonal Velocities was a finalist for the award for transgender nonfiction in the 25th Lambda Literary Awards in 2013.[6] Her book Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul was a finalist for the 28th Lambda Literary Awards in 2016.[7]

Biography[]

Aoki earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Cornell University, and won the Academy of American Poets' University Award.[8] She was honored by the California State Senate for her work with , a Los Angeles performance series for trans and genderqueer individuals.[9]

Aoki, a trans woman, has said that she strives not to write just for other trans readers, but for their family, and other people in general. Her book He Mele a Hilo was meant to chronicle the common Hawaiʻian experience. In addition to her book, Aoki also wrote a piece for Publishers Weekly.[5] She hopes that through writing for a general audience instead of only trans people, that she can help others see transgender people as human, she wrote: "If a trans musician can make the audience cry by playing Chopin, how else, but as a human, can she be regarded? And if a book written by a queer trans Asian American can make you think of your own beaches, your own sunsets, or the dear departed grandmother you loved so much and even now find yourself speaking to, then what more powerful statement of our common humanity can there be?"[5]

An interview with Aoki was featured in the 2014 book Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives, by Nia King, which was named one of The Advocate's Best Transgender Non-Fiction Books of 2014.[10]

In 2021, she released Light From Uncommon Stars. She has described the book as being in part influenced by the story of Ted Ngoy, the Cambodian American entrepreneur known as the "Donut King," stating that she wanted "to open my own literary donut shop."[11] Kirkus Reviews described the book as "filled with mouthwatering descriptions of food and heart-swelling meditations on music."[12]

Personal life[]

She holds a black belt and has been head judo coach at both Cornell University and UCLA.[9]

Bibliography[]

  • Seasonal Velocities, Ryka Aoki, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9851105-0-5
  • He Mele a Hilo, Topside Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1-62729-007-4
  • Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul, biyuti publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-0-9919008-5-5

References[]

  1. ^ "Bio". Ryka Aoki. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Lee, Elizabeth (April 23, 2012). "Front Row: Ryka Aoki". ALINE Magazine (2012–04–23).
  3. ^ Reyes, Gabrielle (November 11, 2014). "Ryka Aoki speaks as part of Trans Week". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  4. ^ Jax, TT (January 6, 2013). "The Fruits of Winter: Ryka Aoki's Seasonal Velocities". Lambda Literary Foundation. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Aoki, Ryka (May 22, 2015). "Why I Write: Ryka Aoki". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  6. ^ Griffith, Nicola (March 6, 2013). "25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Shortlist". Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  7. ^ "28th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists". Lambda Literary. April 11, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  8. ^ "Ryka Aoki". Topside Press. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ryka Aoki". Trans-Genre. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  10. ^ Kellaway, Mitch (November 5, 2014). "The Years 10 Best Transgender Non-Fiction Books". The Advocate. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  11. ^ https://www.themarysue.com/lessons-from-the-donut-king-and-science-fictions-golden-age/
  12. ^ https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ryka-aoki/light-from-uncommon-stars/

Further reading[]

External links[]

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