2 Favorite Children's Books: The Little Red Caboose" and "The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover"

I’ve been querying literary agents for my fantasy novel People Without Names, and while most agents ask for just a query letter OR a query letter + the first 5 pages, one literary agent asked for several more things like naming a favorite book from my childhood.

Now, you would think I could recall this instantly if it was a favorite.

You would think, “This is easy! You’re a writer. You read books. You’ve been reading since you were kid. NOW WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK FROM CHILDHOOD?”

You would think.

via GIPHY

It took a few weeks to come up with an answer.

via GIPHY

At first, I thought I just had a hard time remembering my childhood. But I think I had a hard time wanting to remember my childhood. Thing is: it’s not like children’s books are traumatic for me. Maybe it’s more like I’ve practiced selectively remembering parts of my childhood that I feel are safe — and so there are other parts I haven’t practiced remembering that may or may not be traumatic. This is all a theory, and whether the theory is correct doesn’t actually matter to me. I just thought you should know.

So, getting back to how I answered the literary agent.

Favorite book of my childhood?

It’s an even split between

The Little Red Caboose (by Marian Potter and illustrated by Tibor Gergely)

and

The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover (by Jon Stone and illustrated by Michael Smollin)

The first book was read to me often as a bedtime story, because I asked my father a lot. When I think of it now, it makes me appreciate how my father read to me after working a long shift at the hospital. And those days, he definitely did. I remember not seeing him much.

And so I appreciate my mother for raising me and my brother and the endless tasks that go with maintaining a house and little human beings.

The story of The Little Red Caboose escapes me. I vaguely remember that he wasn’t viewed as powerful as the locomotive but that he does save the day — to the surprise of everybody and himself. I did some Internet searching and found that the protagonist contributes to the solution by being himself, not more, not less.

The second book — The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover — I remember reading by myself. Even back then, I was amazed by the high concept of this meta, self-referential book in which I, the reader, had an active role in determining whether Grover and I would face the monster at the end of the book.

Every mischievous turn of the page was delightful and funny. This book was really ahead of its time and demonstrated that children's books could innovate and disrupt established form — as we expect fine art to do.

No idea how my these 2 children’s books will impact my query to the literary agent.

I just know I told the truth to the best of my abilities.

That’s all anyone can do.

via GIPHY

Feel ANGER then ACCEPTANCE

On the other side of ANGER is ACCEPTANCE. They are parts of a whole. That was the concept of this typography I sketched in 2020.

It’s a sequence: ANGER then ACCEPTANCE. First, you have to know it’s okay to feel angry — that it’s not a negative emotion. It’s an emotion, period. No binary classification or judgment. Give ANGER a negative or positive meaning, and you give yourself the same thing: judgment.

via GIPHY

I was drawing a lot during the pandemic as a non-electronic night-time activity to soothe myself before bed. 

I felt angry about many things last year — racially motivated violence, murder, real estate zoning laws, voting laws; income inequality; people rolling their eyes at COVID-19 precautions and infecting friends, family, and community members, which in L.A. led to trucks parked outside hospitals to house the overflow of corpses. The list is longer but I don’t wish to feed it more attention. And this year, I feel angry about similar things with similar people. 

So, how do I feel ANGER but not condemn, criticize, and wish pain and suffering on those I feel angry with? It’s hard. Some days, I do feel like hurting other people. That doesn’t sound like a civilized thing to say but it’s an honest thing. 

via GIPHY

Where does ACCEPTANCE come into all this? It’s remembering that I am capable of feeling the range of emotions, some of which feel unpleasant. It’s remembering that just because I’m feeling vengeful and violent, it doesn’t mean I’m going to follow through and do those things. Acceptance is acceptance of the bigger picture: my emotions are temporary states. Once I allow them to pass, I can feel other things. 

One of the most natural ways for me to feel ANGER and allow it passage is really just to acknowledge it. It can be literal. I can say, “Hello, anger. We meet again. I hear you! Yeah, you want to do those things, because you’re feeling afraid of the ones you identify as threats.” 

That’s the beginning of the ACCEPTANCE process. But it can look and sound different for you. And it’s not a one-time thing where you remove ANGER and it never shows up again. It’s building a relationship with all the parts of yourself, so you have more kindness with yourself — which over time extends to the people around you.

via GIPHY

Need coffee to write? Maybe it's more than that

Let’s talk about coffee and writers. 

The association is a stereotype and yet the fetishization is based on some truth — or at least the preferences and experiences of some writers. Just scroll Twitter and see all the writers and authors tweeting about their morning Joe or the need for that fuel for their work day.

At the same time, many writers drink tea, juice, other non-caffeinated drinks, or just water (if you can believe that), so it’s reductionist to say that writers need coffee to function. Shakespeare didn’t have any. And his work turned out just fine.

But when the writers who love coffee do say they need coffee, my hypothesis is that it’s mainly two things: (1) their bodies are going through caffeine withdrawal and are craving it AND/OR (2) they’re declaring it on social media as a way to be part of the writing community — to be heard and understood, to share a desire that many of their colleagues have, to participate in a ritual they see intrinsic to the culture of writing.

The first bit is brain biology; the second is cultural anthropology and coffee culture. And either or both are acceptable. And if you don’t like coffee, that’s okay, too. Really embrace that. Don’t feel bad or shy if some coffee-crazed writer gives you a hard time. That’s really their problem, and not your cup of tea.

Be you. And be glad that you get to be you. If there’s only one thing you get from this post, that’s what I’d like it to be. Enjoy your next beverage — whatever it is!

11 Amazing Movies and Shows You Probably Missed in 2020

Look, I love The Mandalorian and The Queen’s Gambit but their viewership metrics are doing fine. They don’t need more publicity, and I have nothing new to say about them. What I’d rather share with you are movies and shows that you might have missed in 2020. I know I almost missed them because my friends didn’t rave about them on social media. They were streaming and hash tagging what was already trending — a natural inclination but not one that leads to new recommendations for me (or for you). 

Offline and off social platforms, Geri and Andrew told me and my partner about the Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso. And my brother texted me about streaming the Hulu movie Palm Springs. The rest of what I rave about below are shows and movies I streamed without being nudged by a peer, friend, or family member.

I made viewing choices based on RottenTomatoes.com, probably some Instagram ads, and what each platform suggested to me through its algorithm. I am an equal opportunity binge watcher and enjoy streaming across several platforms (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Disney+) that each offer unique shows. 

1. Mythic Quest 

(Apple TV+)

3 sentences

If you can imagine The Office set in the world of video game developers, you have begun your humorous mythic quest with distinctly crafted characters—each with their own brand of narcissism (except maybe a few who aren’t self-absorbed). I found the show delightfully funny without being cruel and cynical as some comedies can be. In fact, the characters become incredibly endearing in their quest to make more of themselves, especially my favorite: Poppy.

3 words

funny, silly, snackable

2. Ted Lasso

(Apple TV+)

3 sentences

Take the most earnest, optimistic, Dad-joking sports coach from the U.S. and transport him to Richmond, England to train a bitter football team (or “soccer team” to us Americans), and you have a charming comedy in which even the most stone-faced footballer softens when Lasso gradually reminds people why they play the game. Lighthearted, wholehearted, and skillfully scripted, Ted Lasso has characters of every temperament and motivation and the always appropriate philosophy of “be a goldfish.”

3 words

endearing, amusing, uplifting

3. Wolfwalkers

(Apple TV+)

3 sentences

With striking artwork and astounding 2D animation, Wolfwalkers stands out as a traditional folktale among many children’s movies that are zany and pop culture obsessed. Some eco-minded aspects of the plot bear similarities to Princess Mononoke, as well as the human protagonist who is initiated into the supernatural world. But our heroine has a journey that is richer and more emotional than the hero of Miyzaki’s film as she opens her heart to the wild unknown and comes to terms with why her father is so stern and fearful under the rule of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell in 1650 Ireland.

3 words

universally appealing, beautiful

4. Teenage Bounty Hunters

(Netflix)

3 sentences

This show has the grownup intelligence and humor that made someone like me who is well out of his teenage years laugh. The writers, directors, and actors allow the characters to be unlikeable in moments, redeemable in others, and ultimately human. What the two sisters truly hunt is their growing responsibility as teens, their celebration of sexuality, and their unconscious biases of race, class, and gender, which the show does a cultural dive into. 

3 words

smart, subversive, warm

5. Never Have I Ever

(Netflix)

3 sentences

Coming of age drama meets rom-com meets lighthearted but true-hearted tale of a first-generation South Asian American teenager. With one of the show creators being South Asian American herself (and my friend Aarti Mann having a guest role), Never Have I Ever feels inspired and reflective of how it is to grow up in the U.S. when your parents have immigrated from Asia (as mine have, so I could definitely relate). However your parents don’t need to be Asian in order for you to enjoy Never Have I Ever, as the story has universal themes.  

3 words

nuanced, relatable, sweet

6. Ragnarock

(Netflix)

3 sentences

A socially awkward teen who doesn’t know he’s Thor reincarnated in present-day Norway; a wealthy family whose lineage is from a supernatural enemy of Thor; and the murder of a high school student that invites our modern hero to rise. Ragnarock has teen romance and the unraveling of a mystery that feel familiar in Young Adult Fantasy, yet it also offers a European aesthetic—filmed in Norway, cast with Norwegian actors—that authenticate it. Immerse yourself in this modern Norse mythology / YA fantasy by turning on the original Norwegian audio.

3 words

understated, eerie, intriguing

7. Warrior Nun

(Netflix)

3 sentences

Although the first two episodes don’t build as much tension or reveal as much as I’d like, the episodes that follow had me hooked in this present-day fantasy set in Spain. The lead character is admirably authentic in resisting the heroine’s journey from the beginning, and by the end of season one, we’re rooting for her and her sisterhood of bad asses. It’s funny, sexy, and horrifying in all the right places—something only the best dark fantasy stories can pull off. 

3 words

suspenseful, dark, thrilling 

8. Picard

(CBS All Access)

3 sentences

When the former Captain Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation undergoes his next hero’s journey during retirement, I say, “Make it so!” This latest chapter involving AI asks us to consider how qualities we see as inherently human might be more universal across the cosmos. Cinematic art direction, action-packed episodes, and raising of tension and stakes in the storytelling make Picard a suspenseful science fiction treat. 

3 words

suspenseful, culturally intriguing

9. His Dark Materials

(HBO / HBO Max)

3 sentences

My favorite HBO series of the last couple years, His Dark Materials is a middle grade science fantasy (yes, “science fantasy” is a hybridized subgenre) book series adapted into cinematic satisfaction. The adjective in the title is very much the atmosphere of the show, and that’s not to say it’s a dismal story but rather one with ruthless type A antagonists willing to murder children, adults, and daemons (spirit animals) to keep entire worlds a secret. Our protagonists are courageous, fierce, and easy to champion, while the science fantasy world-building, plot-building, and web of relationships are magnificently complex and brought to life with first-rate performances and exquisite effects.     

3 words

moody, epic, enthralling

10. Palm Springs

(Hulu)

3 sentences

I am incredibly selective about what I deem a good romantic comedy, and this feature film fits that description. What Palm Springs has going for it are an inventive time-bending story structure and two characters who emotionally mature through that design. While the story offers romance and comedy, it’s the interplay of all elements—acting, writing, editing, etc.—that make it into an impressive film.

3 words

clever, humorous, amusing 

11. Taste of the Nation with Padma Lakshmi

(Hulu)

3 sentences

As a first-generation Thai-Chinese American with immigrant parents, I love literature, media, and works of art that develop a fruitful conversation about U.S. culture in all its colorful complexities. Padma Lakshmi pulls this off deliciously in her docuseries Taste of the Nation, uncovering the diverse people and flavors that inform what American food and society are. Watch this to better understand the relationship between craft, culture, race, history, and food sourcing.  

3 words

enriching, eye-opening, tasteful 

Octopus Fights Pirate

I might draw a few times a year, but I used to draw every day, several times a day. I loved drawing before I loved creative writing. Then that first love disappeared until a recent job application required a cover letter, résumé, writing portfolio, and a drawing of an octopus fighting a pirate.

My own challenge: I didn’t want to draw the most obvious thing, like an octopus wrestling the pirate while he tried to stab it with a sword. I wanted to interpret (or “concept” as they say in advertising) the assignment in a creative and unexpected way. I made some firm decisions: (1) the octopus would prevail and (2) the octopus would fight the pirate through resources and economics. You take away those things, and the pirate would be defeated. It’s how countries fight each other. They impose sanctions and make access harder to resources and supplies.

But how would I convey that in a drawing? I asked myself what was more valuable to a pirate than his treasures. And I realized his means of acquiring those treasures ⁠— the ship ⁠— was what his business depended on. That was enough creative direction for me to play with paper and ink. What you see is the result.

And what I learned is I still love to draw.

What have you learned about yourself lately? What did you used to love? What do you still love?

When you just know, you're not afraid to say it

A 3-mile Uber ride.

A 10-minute event of open heartedness.

It was just supposed to be transportation to a going-away lunch for Lindsay, a content producer I work with. But a lot of things we believe are just supposed to be what we expect them to be — not what they turn out to be. That’s the thing about beliefs. They can be true but not necessarily. They are you telling yourself an idea over and over until it hardwires a path through your brain. Mindfulness traditions often ask us to pay attention to our beliefs. Every day. Every moment.

My belief dissolved within 10 seconds of stepping into the Uber ride, when the driver, Mohammad, looked in the rearview mirror and said I was handsome; but it was what Mohammad said next that floored me: “You have a good soul.” He could just see my soul by looking at me — it was why he thought I was handsome, he said. The soul made it so.

When you just know, you are not afraid to say it.

And when you feel fellowship and open heartedness, like I did from this Uber driver, you know that everything is not only going to be all right — everything is already all right. It was just the reminder I needed, when I needed it, for I had just stepped out of the house and of my thoughts. I didn’t know what I was doing with my career. Those kind of thoughts. Lindsay knew what she was doing, I believed. She got a job at Apple!

And then bam! I crossed paths with someone who just knew I was good within a second. He did not doubt it. He did not ask a series of questions. He had faith and belief in me. Mystics believe there is no true separation between ourselves and the universe. They also believe there is no true separation between you and me. So, when we are seeing someone as beautiful, we are really seeing that quality we own.

image © 2019 Tommy Tung

During the remaining 9 minutes, we learned a bit about each other. Mohammad was from Bangladesh where his wife and children still lived. He was in Los Angeles to find work; then he would have them move here once he found it. He loved singing. I loved singing too. I told him I was working on a rendition of Jeff Buckley’s “Everybody Here Wants You,” so Mohammad told me to sing it and I did the first verse. Then he sang a song in Bengali and when he finished, we arrived at Rush Street, a bar and restaurant in Culver City where my advertising agency colleagues were celebrating Lindsay.

Mohammad said that God put us in each other’s paths that day. That was his belief. I believe something similar. I just use words other than God for the unfolding of my life.

image © 2019 Tommy Tung

What speaks to you is already next to you

Messages — for our career, our writing, our life, our everything — are everywhere. On concrete. On metal. On street corners. The choice we face every moment: am I willing to pay attention?

My mindfulness teacher, Deborah Eden Tull, says that giving ourselves the gift of our full attention is the subtlest form of self-love. Below are messages I stopped to pay attention to a few weeks ago in Mar Vista, West Los Angeles. I invite you to take the time to stop and notice what’s already around you — speaking to you.

"I didn't know bunnies made mac and cheese."

So said the supermarket cashier after I claimed my night was “all right.” She had just scanned five boxes of Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar, each with a rabbit poking out of the brand logo. I smiled genuinely — I did appreciate her joke — and writing this now, I appreciate her fresh perspective and her attempt to bring some light to me.

This cosmic playground offers up kindness and compassion to see and receive…when we’re ready to see and receive them. You and I have wireless connectivity to a source of lightness — even in the darkest moods. And yes, that WiFi signal can feel nonexistent during those times, but you can feel a hint of it in areas where it’s stronger. And when you’re ready (at your own pace, not anyone else’s), you can keep following it. You might just discover that rabbits make macaroni and cheese.

“And these are the winning game pieces” was the last thing “Suzy R.” (according to my receipt) said handing me the blue pieces for Monopoly, played every year by grocery store shoppers like myself. Walking out of Pavilions as a winner, I produced my second smile in an hour.

How I know novelist Aja Gabel

10 years ago, I visited newsstands every week, browsing literary journals, looking for emerging fiction writers since I was one myself. I was very discerning and I would stop reading if the story didn't move me in the first couple pages. Eventually I found a short story I really liked by Aja Gabel. It featured blind masseurs, and I knew she would continue to write amazing work. I stayed connected to her on social media, and we ended up in ad agencies for our day jobs.

Yesterday I met her for the first time when she read from her debut novel, The Ensemble, published by Riverhead Books. Since her novel is about four classical string players, the Kadima String Quartet played in between Aja reading at the Studio City - LA Public Library.

Whatever you are passionate about creating, keep sharing it. Your audience will find it and come along for the journey, just as I have with Aja's work and the work of many others. Visit
ajagabel.com for more about her novel, The Ensemble.