Contributors

Senior Contributors

Eli Bildner: Since moving to China after graduating from college, Eli Bildner has lived in Yunnan, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. You can read more of his essays and poetry at www.elibildner.com.

Liz Carter: Liz Carter is a DC-based China-watcher and the author and translator of a number of Chinese-English textbooks available on amazon.cn. She and her cat Desmond relocated to DC from Beijing, where she studied contemporary Chinese literature at Peking University, after learning that HBO was planning to adapt Game of Thrones for television. She writes at abigenoughforest.com and tweets from @withoutdoing. Liz is also the Managing Editor at Tea Leaf Nation.

Minami Funakoshi: After spending her childhood in India, Malaysia, and Japan, she moved to the US to attend Yale University. Currently, she is studying abroad in Beijing and Taipei to improve her Chinese. She will work as an editorial intern at the Wall Street Journal Hong Kong Office through the Robert L. Bartley Fellowship Program.

Yueran Zhang: Yueran Zhang is a student at Duke University, class of 2015, currently majoring in sociology and math. He spent all of his life before college in Beijing.

Contributors

Joel Ayau: Joel Ayau is a pianist, author, vocal coach, professor, translator, and Sunday school teacher. He holds a Masters Degree in Collaborative Piano from the Juilliard School, and a Doctorate in Collaborative Piano from the University of Michigan. He currently lives in Arlington, VA.

William Blythe: William Blythe read Chinese Studies at Cambridge University. He is currently enrolled in a masters program in Chinese Literature at National Taiwan University but is often found wandering, uninvited, through the corridors of the Japanese department of the same institution.

Amanda Bullington: Amanda is currently studying Mandarin at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. Before Taipei, she spent four years living in Washington DC, getting a degree in International Affairs and occasionally sneaking off onbackpacking trips or study abroad programs in various Asian countries. She likes writing, yoga, sipping tea, and exploring the great outdoors.

A Cappella: A Cappella was born in China, but she spent her formative years between China, Canada, and the U.S. As a recent graduate of Yale, A Cappella is excited to return to China to work upon graduation, and she looks forward to exploring the changing landscape of China’s society and economy.

Manqing Cang: Manqing is a rising senior in Smith College studying Philosophy. She enjoys singing and going out with friends.

Jan Cao: Jan Cao is a senior and a comparative literature concentrator at Brown. She loves watching Japanese TV dramas and cooking.

Vincent Capone: Living in Boston, Vincent is currently a graduate student concentrating in Chinese modern history. His research focuses on Chinese internet culture, making connections between Human Flesh Search and Mao-era practices.

David Caragliano: David Caragliano works on rule of law and governance programs focused on Asia. Prior to his foray into international development, David was a capital markets attorney in Hong Kong and an associate at a Chinese government affairs firm in Beijing. He is currently based in Washington, D.C. and tweets from @DCaragliano.

Rebecca Chao: Rebecca Chao is a freelance writer. She has written for the Atlantic, the Guardian, CNN, and the Christian Science Monitor, among others.

Han Chen: Han Chen is from Tampa, Florida and has lived in China since 2010. She earned a Masters in International Development from the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University, and a B.A. from American University.

Nan Chen: Nan Chen is an attorney and activist interested in issues of international development, rule of law and China. He is the co-chair of the International Development Exchange’s Young Professionals Group and provides pro bono services to the Accountability Counsel. He previously clerked for the Center on Wrongful Convictions during law school and worked with NGOs focused on building civil society and rule of law in China.

Yao Chong: Yao Chong is from Xiamen, Fujian, China. She received her B.A. in International Relations from American University, concentrating on Asian environmental politics. She currently lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Sara Costa: Sara has studied Oriental Studies at University of Minho and at Tianjin Foreign Languages University. She is a writer and currently Assistant Professor at Polytecnic Institute of Leiria in Portugal.

Deanna Dong: Deanna was born in Dalian, China, grew up in Florida, and studied Economics at Harvard University. She is currently exploring the culinary industry but has always had an insatiable appetite for all things relating to China. She enjoys yoga and is an unapologetic fan of “Who Can Pick One from A Hundred.”

Helen Gao: Helen hails from Beijing, where she spent the first 17 years of her life before heading to the US for high school and college. After a one-year stint at The Atlantic magazine, she is currently back to her home city and working as a freelancer. She constantly craves for hot pot while in the US, and for New Haven pizza while in China.

Lori Hammer: Lori is a graduate of Harvard University (AB ’07) and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (MA ’12). She has lived in Shanghai, and recently returned from Beijing where she was studying on a Critical Language Scholarship.

Hongxiang Huang: Hongxiang Huang, an MPA-Development-Practice student in Columbia University, is a freelance journalist focusing on development issues and China-related topics in South America and Africa. Mainly writing for Chinese media like Southern Weekly, he also wishes to enhance western understanding about China.

Ning Hui: Ning Hui, or Lulu, is a media enthusiast who has worked in development and currently enjoys exploring China’s emerging civil society. She is close to Beijing’s contemporary art scene. She holds a BA in politics from Dalian Maritime University and a MA in Journalism from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is based in Beijing.

Carolyn Jao: Carolyn Jao is a visual artist based in New York City, she currently works for SWOON NYC and her work can be seen on her website CarolynJao.com. She grew up in Taiwan, Los Angeles and New York City. She is most interested in the changing art and music scene in China.

Shelley Jiang: Beijing-born Shelley Jiang spent five years in China writing, traveling, working for an environmental organization, and eating delicious things. She was only lured back to the U.S. by UC Berkeley’s masters of public policy program, where she studies climate change, energy, and environmental issues.

En Liang Khong: En Liang Khong is currently pursuing an MPhil in Modern Chinese Studies at the University of Oxford. He holds a BA in Ancient and Modern History from Oxford. He has written for the Financial Times, the Daily Telegraph and the New Statesman.

Ehr Kwong: Ehr Kwong (pen name) is a career U.S. military officer.

James Leibold: James Leibold is a political historian of modern China at La Trobe University in Australia and co-editor of Critical Han Studies (University of California Press, 2012). He is currently based in Beijing where he is researching the politics of ethnicity and nationalism in Chinese society.

Jessica Levine: Jessica Levine is a Johns Hopkins University graduate student with an emphasis in digital communication. Based in Michigan, her research focuses on the social and political implications of China’s Internet.

Ellen Li: Born in Jinan, China, Ellen is now studying Economics and Political Science at Bryn Mawr College. She has a strong interest in journalism and law, and recently became passionate about microfinance and socio-economic development in developing countries. She also enjoys morning running, doing Chinese calligraphy and traveling.

Rebecca Liao: Rebecca is a China-watcher and attorney based in the Silicon Valley. In addition to China, she writes about the arts, politics and culture (and occasionally law!). An archive of her work can be found on her personal blog (http://thealephmag.com). A graduate of Stanford University, where she studied Economics, and Harvard Law School, she loves watching friends make music and will often join in after a sufficient amount of…food. She tweets at @beccaliao.

Whitney Light: Whitney Light is a writer and photographer in New York. She loves history, travel memoirs, documentary films and swimming pools. Currently, she is studying for an M.S. at Columbia Journalism School.

Denise Liu: Denise is a student at Duke University.

Yi Lu: Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Yi Lu (Louis) is a junior studying History and French at Amherst College. Though fluent in Chinese, English, and French, he never fully feels at home in any. With writing, however, he hopes to weave together dissonant languages and cultures, and create a unifying story of truth and meaning.

Christopher Magoon: Christopher Magoon moved to Yunnan in 2011 as a Luce Scholar working with Teach For China after graduating from Yale University. After his Luce year, he completed an oral history project in Lincang, Yunnan before returning to the United States. You can follow him at @cpdmagoon or email him at christopher.magoon@gmail.com.

Sascha Matuszak: Sascha is a Chengdu-based writer and journalist. He edits chengduliving.com and you can see more of his work on his personal blog, saschamatuszak.com.

Anzia Mayer: Anzia is a senior majoring in Asian Languages and Civilizations at Amherst College. She studies Chinese and Japanese, and has studied abroad in Beijing and Kyoto. She likes Chinese calligraphy, sailing, and writing poems.

Anxiao Mina: An Xiao Mina [www.anxiaostudio.com] is an American designer, researcher and artist. She focuses on the role of technology in building communities and empowering individuals. Her work has been featured in diverse venues like the Brooklyn Museum and Shanghai’s Xindanwei, and she has contributed writing to publications such as The Atlantic, Wired and Design Observer.

Trefor Moss: Trefor Moss is a Hong Kong-based journalist who covers politics, defence and security in the East Asian region. He was formerly Asia-Pacific Editor at Jane’s Defence Weekly. He tweets @Trefor1.

Alexander Nasr: Alexander Nasr studies International Relations with a focus on China. His interests include China-Central Asia relations, Chinese political discourse, and the effect that new media has on policy.

Liang Pan: Liang Pan is studying political communication at New York University. He is an Asia Foundation young diplomat fellow and a graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, with a major in international relations. He worked extensively in the field of international politics and has lived in China, the Middle East and the U.S.

Daniele Pestilli: Daniele is an Italian alum of the University of Toronto who majored in East Asian Studies. After furthering his Japanese language studies at Keio University and Korean at Seoul National University, he won several awards at The Korea Times and decided to dedicate himself more seriously to journalism. He is currently editor-in-chief of The East Asia Gazette (www.asia-gazette.com).

Wendy Qian: Wendy is a liberal arts college student living in Southern California. Originally from the East Coast, she has spent several years living in Haikou and Beijing. After reporting for China Daily and contributed for China Digital Times, she started her Chinese blog http://wendyqian.wordpress.com. She listens to music ranging from Bollywood to rap and hopes to travel to India again.

Tianshen Rong: Born in Beijing and growing up in London, Tianshen is fond of her current rural residence in western Massachusetts, where she goes to college. The one thing Tianshen carries wherever she goes is Puerh tea.

Carl Rubinstein: Carl Rubinstein recently earned an MA in East Asian Studies from Stanford University. He studies and writes about Chinese politics, law, and cyber policy. Currently, Carl serves as an associate editor at Good Governance International.

Sandra: Sandra finished her bachelor’s degree in Journalism in Guangzhou, China. She worked as an intern journalist at Nanfang Daily Group in her senior year.

Ben Sangree: Ben Sangree leads marketing efforts for FluentU.

Matt Sheehan: Matt is a journalist and translator living in Beijing. He’s spent over two years in China learning to speak the language and love the people. You can check out his writing www.chinambm.blogspot.com or follow him on twitter at @mattsheehan88.

Tom Snyder: Tom Snyder lived in northeast China for two years researching economic revitalization programs and teaching. He currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan.

Eddie Song: After living in Shanghai for more than two decades, Eddie left his hometown for City University of Hong Kong to do a master’s degree in translation. Recently he started out as a news translator, realizing his wish of making a living by doing what he loves. Now he hopes to play the drums well enough to join a band at a jazz club by his thirties.

Sijia Song: Sijia Song is a junior at Yale University. Though she has traveled extensively, she considers Beijing her home. She is an aspiring writer, an amateur seamstress, and an unrepentant sci-fi fan.

Tabitha Speelman: Tabitha is a graduate student in Chinese Studies at Leiden University.

Laura Speyer: Laura just completed her third year at Yale University. She studied abroad at Peking University (PKU) last spring, and took language classes at Harbin Institute of Technology during the summer of 2011. She is Tea Leaf Nation’s 2013 summer editorial intern.

Thomas Stevenson: Since receiving his MSc from Oxford in 2011, Thomas Stevenson has been published in number of anthologies and literary magazines. After a year in China with a British NGO, he was awarded the Shambala Foundation’s inaugural fellowship. You can read his work at http://veryunsuspicious.wordpress.com.

Monica Tan: Monica Tan is a Beijing-based writer. She has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Huffington Post, The Diplomat, Shanghaiist and Daily Life. Her work has been mentioned in the New York Times, Financial Times, Jezebel, Gawker and the Atlantic.

Natalie Thomas: Natalie Thomas is a Chinese studies graduate from the UK currently working as a multimedia producer in Beijing. When not out in the field filming, she is on weibo watching events unfold in China’s online sphere.

Alex Thorp: Alex is a graduate in International Relations from American University. He has also studied and worked on issues of urban sustainability at the London School of Economics. Alex is currently studying Mandarin in China.

Kim Wall: Kim Wall is a New York-based reporter and photographer with a long-standing fascination with Chinese politics and society. Before moving to the United States, Kim worked as a political reporter in India and Australia, as well as a freelancer in Beijing. Originally from Sweden, she graduated from London School of Economics in 2011 with a degree in International Relations and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School.

Gloria Wang: Gloria Wang is a masters’ graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. Having travelled around half of China in the past 20 years, she is enjoying her peace of mind in New York City. She is a web editor in daytime and a freelance writer at night, but sometimes she confuses them for one another. She is a digital media gal, enthusiastic about civic media and civil society.

Rachel Wang: Rachel Wang is currently based in Beijing and an editorial intern with Financial Times Chinese.

Tiffany Wang: Tiffany Wang is a freelance writer and blogger based in Beijing. She earned a B.A. in English Literature from Smith College and previously served as the style editor of the Beijinger. She continues to track the progress of China’s nascent fashion industry at tiffanywang.net.

Ethan Wilkes: Ethan Wilkes is the Director of Communications at Reboot, a social enterprise that works on issues of governance and international development.

Xiao Wu: Xiao Wu is a bilingual journalist based in Shanghai who lives life in the space between East and West. She is a congee lover, a TCM enthusiast, a passionate salsa dancer and a freedom pursuer.

Chieh-Ting Yeh: Chieh-Ting Yeh was born in Taiwan but grew up in New York and Boston. He was active in Taiwanese American student circles and was part of the Harvard Asia Law Society. When he is not thinking about the relationship between Taiwan and China, he cooks and watches epic Japanese dramas. He is currently based in Silicon Valley.

Holly Zhao: Holly Zhao is an American-born Chinese, proudly raised in New Mexico. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Davis and a MPA in International Development from Tsinghua University. She now works in Beijing where she continues to be irresistibly drawn to the perpetual opportunity and contradiction here.

Chris Zheng: Chris remembers vividly the overnight train rides of his childhood that took him across China. He lived in New Haven briefly as a kid, where he went Easter egg hunting on the Green. After graduating from high school in Shanghai, he returned to New Haven for college. He is currently a Yale junior.

Xiaoying Zhou: Xiaoying Zhou is a student at Yale University. She was Tea Leaf Nation’s 2012 summer editorial intern and is currently Tea Leaf Nation’s Weibo editor.

Brett Zhu: Serving as a regional manager with a Chinese company, Brett takes charge of business exploration in the Middle East and East Europe. He can be reached through LinkedIn.