Jason ChenThe Plum Blossom BluesTodd Crane was a man who loved to give names to things. Movies, books, music albums, bars, restaurants, newly erected buildings — if you…Apr 6, 2019Apr 6, 2019
Jason ChenThe UsualI can distinctly remember being a young boy and constantly dreaming of having “the usual.”Feb 19, 2019Feb 19, 2019
Jason ChenA Brief Reflection on the Beauty of The AnalectsThroughout most of my life, my understanding of Confucianism was largely based on the teachings of my 6th grade history teacher, Mrs. Fort…Oct 25, 2018Oct 25, 2018
Jason ChenThe Shapelessness of YeTo be honest, I still have yet to listen to every single track on Kanye’s new album, Ye. Or, at least, I don’t think I have. I’m not even…Jul 31, 2018Jul 31, 2018
Jason ChenMeditations on Some Pots of PorridgeAt the start of 2018, while I was living in the Gulou area of Beijing, I went through a phase where I would eat millet porridge every…Mar 2, 2018Mar 2, 2018
Jason ChenThe EmpressIt was raining when Clarissa came back to L.A. It was the first and only day of rain in L.A., that year, but the rain had shocked everyone…Dec 23, 2017Dec 23, 2017
Jason ChenThe Notorious Difficulties of Just Being HumanI was talking to my friend Kelvin a few months ago in Shanghai, when he brought up a book that he’d been reading lately — No Longer Human…Oct 19, 20173Oct 19, 20173
Jason ChenMeditations on the Regional Identities of AmericaOne of the biggest differences I’ve noticed between Chinese culture and American culture: China has regional identities that are so much…Jun 25, 2017Jun 25, 2017
Jason ChenWhy Breathless is My Favorite Movie of All Time[Warning: This film essay contains spoilers. But, honestly, even if you did know the ending of Breathless, you would still be blown away by…Jan 15, 2017Jan 15, 2017
Jason ChenNah Nah Land, Or: Why Chazelle’s New Film Fails as a Hollywood MusicalHere’s what I love about the American musical: it’s a fantastic world in which every single actor — no matter how small their part — gets a…Jan 11, 2017Jan 11, 2017