Shawn Wong is a professor in the Departments of English and Cinema & Media Studies where he teaches Asian American literature, beginning and advanced screenwriting, and the literature of social difference. He the author of two prize-winning novels, Homebase and American Knees, and editor/co-editor of six Asian American and American multicultural literary anthologies including the pioneering anthology Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian American Writers. His second novel, American Knees was made into a film titled “Americanese” and won several film festival awards. Wong was featured in the Bill Moyers’ PBS documentary, “Becoming American: The Chinese Experience.” Wong is also one of the founding instructors of The Red Badge Project (theredbadgetproject.com), an organization not only dedicated to teaching storytelling workshops for active duty soldiers and veterans struggling to heal the invisible wounds of PTSD, anxiety and depression, but also committed to the belief that their stories have value and that these stories find ways to communicate it to family, friends and community. This project combined with over two decades of teaching UW study abroad classes supports the central theme of journey in this year’s Humanities First series of courses.
