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Larry Feign

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Larry Feign

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https://www.goodreads.com/larryfeign

Larry Feign is an award-winning artist and writer who has worked in Honolulu, Hollywood, London, and currently in Hong Kong. Feign’s work has appeared in Time, The Economist, the New York Times, The Atlantic, and other publications around the world. He also directed animated cartoons for Disney Television and Cartoon Network. He is a MacDowell Fellow and three-time recipient of Amnesty International Human Rights Press Awards. He has published numerous books of humor, cartoons, and serious historical fiction, as well as a best-selling children’s book series under under the pen name MD Whalen.

He lives walking distance from notorious pirate haunts in a small island village with his wife, their two dogs, and the occasional uninvited python.

Larry Feign Scarlett and Rhett. Need I really explain?

First runners-up are Liang Shanbo (梁山伯) and Zhu Yingtai (祝英台), the star-crossed Butterfly Lovers.…more

Scarlett and Rhett. Need I really explain?

First runners-up are Liang Shanbo (梁山伯) and Zhu Yingtai (祝英台), the star-crossed Butterfly Lovers.(less)

Larry Feign Actually, I've lived more than half of my life in Hong Kong. My wife is Chinese, I speak Cantonese and some Mandarin (though, sadly, my reading is not…moreActually, I've lived more than half of my life in Hong Kong. My wife is Chinese, I speak Cantonese and some Mandarin (though, sadly, my reading is not good enough to read Chinese literature in the original), and eat mostly Chinese as well. I suppose that my culture is a hybrid of where I was born and that of Hong Kong and southern China. So, of course I am interested in Chinese literature and music. I love Cantonese opera!

But even still, there are cultural subtleties in the literature which I often consult my wife to explain. After 5000 years, Chinese people have sayings and proverbs for everything!

Therefore, for me, reading Chinese literature provides more than just the pleasure of reading, but it has the additional thrill of being part of my continual learning about all things Chinese(less)

Larry’s Recent Updates

**Larry**rated a book really liked it James by Percival Everett James by Percival Everett Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
James is a good story, told well, and is the commercial success Everett has long deserved. But as a great fan of Percival Everett who has read many of his books, I thought this novel lacked the same fierce energy and depth of purpose of many of his o James is a good story, told well, and is the commercial success Everett has long deserved. But as a great fan of Percival Everett who has read many of his books, I thought this novel lacked the same fierce energy and depth of purpose of many of his other works. ...more
Nov 08, 2024 08:59AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofJames by Percival Everett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — James by Percival Everett
**Larry**rated a book it was ok Upstream by Mary Oliver Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
As much as I enjoy Mary Oliver's poetry, I can't say the same for her prose, if this book is meant to represent the best of it. Most of these pieces are not essays at all, but meandering thoughts without form or narrative, without a thesis, light on As much as I enjoy Mary Oliver's poetry, I can't say the same for her prose, if this book is meant to represent the best of it. Most of these pieces are not essays at all, but meandering thoughts without form or narrative, without a thesis, light on substance, tapestries of pretty phrases. Perhaps she might have called them prose poems, but if so, they'd have been better served by structuring them like poems, with lines and stanzas, allowing the language to breathe, the reader to pause and take them in. Instead, the nature pieces, which account for most of the collection, come across as dense cascades of metaphors and long lists of flower names that rush past in a blur like a speeding train.Only three pieces stood out to me. Her introduction to Emerson inspired me to revisit his work. The one about Poe had the opposite effect (but at least it had an effect). And the story of the spider was witty and warm, filled with personality, and light on flowery language. If only the rest of these pieces had the same substance.As an aside, the turtle story also sticks in my mind, but for a different reason. After describing the majesty and grace of a turtle laying her eggs in the sand and going to great lengths to deter predators, she, the rapturous nature-loving poet, then robs the nest of half the eggs, with a lamely worded throwaway excuse that she, Mary Oliver, also must eat to survive. I'm afraid that this selfish and loveless act has forever tarnished her image for me. Never mind what she did to her cat. I wish I could un-read both those essays. ...more
Oct 27, 2024 09:40AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofUpstream by Mary Oliver. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Upstream by Mary Oliver
**Larry**rated a book it was amazing Rules of the Wild by Francesca Marciano Rules of the Wild: A Novel by Francesca Marciano (Goodreads Author) Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
I've fallen head over heels in love with this author, both for her subject matter and the sizzling passionate voice she uses to write about them. This is the second novel of hers I've read.Rules of the Wild is set among Caucasian society in Kenya, pe I've fallen head over heels in love with this author, both for her subject matter and the sizzling passionate voice she uses to write about them. This is the second novel of hers I've read.Rules of the Wild is set among Caucasian society in Kenya, people of many nationalities, including several born and raised in Africa, who live, love, bicker and work within their own separate little world. Marciano's narrator repeatedly calls them the "white baboon tribe," depicting them with equal parts admiration, contempt, affection, and anthropology. I've lived among expat societies in Asia and Europe half my life, and recognize many of the truths she expresses with such tenderness and hilarity.Beyond the setting, Marciano's most vibrant characters are mostly women in search of a place in which to belong. Esmé shows up in Nairobi without a plan, and feels instantly drawn to life among the white baboons--a self-declared outcast among other self-made outcasts. Of course, men and relationships figure heavily--and become perhaps a bit grating towards the end--but the novel isn't so much about seizing love as finding an extended family and a place to belong. It takes Esmé quite a while to reach that point, to feel at home in an unlikely place and to feel at peace with her longing to do just that. Therein lies the veracity and the drama of this fine literary novel.Marciano is absolutely brilliant with dialogue, each character so well defined that I could hear the voices speaking out loud as I read.The only slight problems I felt with this novel were, first, that the author seems to have tried to shoehorn in every event and issue that occurred in Africa at the time of writing--Rwandan genocide, wildlife poaching, overpopulation, and so on, which came out in one too many extended speeches.Second, if this book is to be believed, every Caucasian woman who lives in Kenya is drop-dead fashion-model gorgeous, even if they hunt wildebeest for a living. Maybe I need to check out Kenya for a while. ...more
Oct 14, 2024 11:58AM · 10 likes · like · see review
**Larry**rated a book really liked it Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
An outrageously funny memoir of growing up in an American Orthodox Jewish community. Blunt and profane, Auslander takes blasphemy to new heights. Yet I was let down by the fact that, as much as he curses and rejects the rules and rituals and rigidity An outrageously funny memoir of growing up in an American Orthodox Jewish community. Blunt and profane, Auslander takes blasphemy to new heights. Yet I was let down by the fact that, as much as he curses and rejects the rules and rituals and rigidity of Orthodox Judaism, and God, from an early age, he never really gets past that stage, even into his thirties. This isn't really a plot spoiler, since (I speak from experience) any American Jewish male, Orthodox or not, fights a lifetime losing battle against the smothering influence of his parents, especially his mother. I was rooting for Shalom to be the Breakout Jew, the one who smashes the mold. But alas, the adult Shalom Auslander spews nearly the same rants as the teenage and child Shaloms. This makes for somewhat repetitive, though still uproarious reading. ...more
Sep 30, 2024 11:12AM · like · see review
**Larry**rated a book it was ok The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (Goodreads Author) Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow, a witty, sophisticated study of character. Rules of Civility was a similarly thought-provoking read. But this one started out light as fluff and melted into treacle. I felt empty while reading it, waiting for its charac I loved A Gentleman in Moscow, a witty, sophisticated study of character. Rules of Civility was a similarly thought-provoking read. But this one started out light as fluff and melted into treacle. I felt empty while reading it, waiting for its characters to acquire more than a single dimension, but persevered until page 190, when the story went out the window to become mired in the insufferable Woolly's saccharine memories of his grandpa's Fourth of July parties. It's extremely rare that I don't finish a book, but I couldn't imagine another nearly 400 pages of this. ...more
Sep 06, 2024 02:43PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofThe Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
**Larry**and 24 other people likedSofia's reviewofPessoa: A Biography: Pessoa by Richard Zenith "Durante algumas semanas, o meu mundo foi Lisboa no primeiro quarto de século e Pessoa. Pessoa, sempre. Creio ser impossível não gostar deste último trabalho de Richard Zenith (ouso arriscar classificá-lo como "O" trabalho de uma vida) e as 1200 págin"Read more of this review »
Aug 30, 2024 03:05PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofPessoa by Richard Zenith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pessoa by Richard Zenith
**Larry**rated a book really liked it The Salt Path by Raynor Winn The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (Goodreads Author) Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
I was surprised at what a page-turner this memoir is. It's a beautiful blend of travel writing, nature writing, and of course, self-discovery.Some reviewers here inexplicably complain that it's repetitive; I found it hypnotic. A middle-aged couple lo I was surprised at what a page-turner this memoir is. It's a beautiful blend of travel writing, nature writing, and of course, self-discovery.Some reviewers here inexplicably complain that it's repetitive; I found it hypnotic. A middle-aged couple loses everything, and possibly more, and set out on a long walk because they have nowhere else to go. The writing deftly describes their daily struggle to find food, money, a place to pitch a tent, and most of all, to keep walking, all of which take on such a rhythm--which strengthens and accelerates as the book progresses in a masterful display of writing--that I felt I was right there wih them, tagging along on a spirit-testing, damp and slippery, and ultimately life-changing, journey. ...more
Aug 30, 2024 01:46PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofThe Salt Path by Raynor Winn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
**Larry**rated a book it was ok Ignorance by milan-kundera Ignorance by milan-kundera Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
I had high hopes that this book would speak to me, being about the experiences of emigrants visiting their long-departed homeland. And indeed, I recognized many interactions and disappointments I've experienced when visiting the country I left forty I had high hopes that this book would speak to me, being about the experiences of emigrants visiting their long-departed homeland. And indeed, I recognized many interactions and disappointments I've experienced when visiting the country I left forty years ago. But from an author of Kundera's reputation I expected more than a few familiar scenarios, lying in wait for deeper insights and ah-ha moments about memory and relationships to people and country. But most of all, I expected a story.Instead, this book reads like an author's hasty notes for a to-be-written story: a series of monotone chapter-by-chapter synopses filled with dry explanation-explanation-explanation rather than fleshed-out characters, telling dialogue, or dramatic interactions. As it was, I couldn't distinguish one depressed, taciturn character from another, man or woman.The bits about language and Odysseus were interesting, but the rest left me as cold and gray as a Prague winter. ...more
Aug 19, 2024 10:21AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofIgnorance by milan-kundera. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ignorance by milan-kundera
**Larry**rated a book really liked it Outline by Rachel Cusk Outline by Rachel Cusk Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
No story to speak of, just a series of encounters told in a detached, almost emotionless voice by a narrator who remains an enigma, in which people she meets for the first time, after the briefest of introductions, launch--absolutely unrealistically, No story to speak of, just a series of encounters told in a detached, almost emotionless voice by a narrator who remains an enigma, in which people she meets for the first time, after the briefest of introductions, launch--absolutely unrealistically, without any transition of smalltalk--into deeply philosophical revelations with all the details of their most private of feelings about relationships, marriage, children, parents, loneliness, identity, and regret, reported mostly with summaries of what has been spoken rather than direct dialogue.Sounds tedious beyond endurance, doesn't it? But it isn't. Cusk's characters are strangely majestic, many of the insights and commentaries offer a punch in the gut. For reasons I can't explain to myself--perhaps it was the hypnotic cadence of the narration--I felt more compelled to continue reading this book than most of the more conventional fiction I've read recently. I'll certainly pick up the next book in this series. ...more
Aug 18, 2024 03:27AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofOutline by Rachel Cusk. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Outline by Rachel Cusk
**Larry**rated a book it was amazing Three Rocks by Bill Griffith Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller: The Man Who Created Nancy by Bill Griffith Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
I grew up reading "Nancy" in the daily newspaper and became mesmerized by the comic strip from an early age--its campy gags that were as slick as the finicky neatness of its composition, perfect ink lines and its minimalist world, stubbornly yet weir I grew up reading "Nancy" in the daily newspaper and became mesmerized by the comic strip from an early age--its campy gags that were as slick as the finicky neatness of its composition, perfect ink lines and its minimalist world, stubbornly yet weirdly anchored in 1940s era fashions, cars, hairdos, and mustaches, even while occasionally poking fun at beatniks and hippies. As a whole it was surreal. Bushmiller must have been either a hop-head or a genius, or both.I count Nancy, along with Pogo, Li'l Abner, and The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, as my formative influences as a cartoonist. A Nancy plush doll kept watch over my drawing table for over 30 years.So, you bet that this book blew me away! I don't think, though, that you need to be as obsessive as me to appreciate the sheer wonder of this cartoon biography of one of the greats of the golden era of comic strips. Bill Griffith delves into the details of Bushmiller's life and career, amazing insights into his work methods and views of humor, and occasionally goes into flights of fancy entering Bushmiller's mind. But above all, the work Bill Griffith put into this project shows his deep admiration and love for Ernie Bushmiller and his characters that bursts through in every panel. It left me with a lump in my throat. I wish all artist biographies were this wonderful. ...more
Aug 01, 2024 10:34AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview ofThree Rocks by Bill Griffith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Three Rocks by Bill Griffith

More of Larry's books…

“Sadly, no one named Victor has written a definitive history of Hong Kong. So we’re left with three versions to choose from. The British version: Provoked into war by Chinese duplicity toward honest European traders, Britain—reluctantly, mind you—took, as a wee little concession, an uninhabited “barren rock with hardly a house upon it”, where they kindly implanted civilization, rule of law, and the most successful, freewheeling capitalist economy the world has ever known. 156 years later they magnanimously gave it back, and everyone lived happily ever after. The Chinese version: Hong Kong was a modern, thriving coastal commercial centre, seized by devilish foreigners during the greatest humiliation ever perpetrated upon China, a heinous act never to be forgotten for the next ten billion years. Thanks to the omniscient leadership of the Communist Party, China’s pride and joy was at last restored to the benevolent embrace of the Motherland, for which all Chinese around the world feel avenged. And by the way, Taiwan’s next.
Finally, the most commonly-held version of Hong Kong history: I dunno. You mean I should care?”
― Larry Feign, A Politically Incorrect History of Hong Kong: Cartoon Stories and the Tale of a Bootleg T-shirt

“the kindest thing you can do is make another person’s life worth living.”
― Larry Feign, The Flower Boat Girl

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64477 Pacific U MFA — 77 members — last activity Jun 23, 2013 03:37AM
A place for faculty, students, and alumni to post their own books as well as books they've read. The purpose is to help fellow and future students fil A place for faculty, students, and alumni to post their own books as well as books they've read. The purpose is to help fellow and future students fill their reading lists with stellar works. ...more

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