Anna May Wong: An Intimate Portrait
Shirley Jennifer Lim
Apr 2026 · Abrams
Ebook
320
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on April 28, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
An illustrated biography of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American Hollywood star, and her hardships, triumphs, successes, and scandals, by the leading Anna May Wong expert
Leading Anna May Wong expert Shirley Jennifer Lim reveals the triumphs, setbacks, fame, and scandal of the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood. Wong’s dazzling talent is not in question, yet what often goes unsaid was her feat of perseverance in the face of cinematic and theatrical rejection as well as daunting societal barriers such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and racialized housing segregation. Her legacy spans through her 50-plus films, pathbreaking television series, sumptuous fashion looks, Broadway and vaudeville shows, iconic photographs, groundbreaking journalism, and global fame, making her one of the only Asian American actors to become a household name. Wong’s lack of obedience to a heteronormative lifestyle in conjunction with her wild sexual encounters, debauched night life, and friendships with cultural figures such as Walter Benjamin, Marlene Dietrich, Ramón Novarro, Vincent Price, Rosa Rolanda Covarubbias, Philip Ahn, Hedda Hopper, Carl Van Vechten, Evelyn Waugh, Blanche Knopf, and Paul Robeson, shed light on what it meant to be a trailblazing actress almost a century ago.
Anna May Wong will use the actress’s own personal correspondences, never-before-seen archival photos, and creative endeavors such as her writings published in the New York Herald Tribune and her self-made film about China (broadcast on ABC) to tell the story of the "World’s Most Beautiful Chinese” American woman who rose past the boundaries of the silent and studio eras of white Hollywood. A story of tenacity and determination, Anna May Wong will show the real woman behind the actress’s facade and inspire a new generation of writers, image creators, fashionistas, and television and film enthusiasts in the 21st century.
Leading Anna May Wong expert Shirley Jennifer Lim reveals the triumphs, setbacks, fame, and scandal of the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood. Wong’s dazzling talent is not in question, yet what often goes unsaid was her feat of perseverance in the face of cinematic and theatrical rejection as well as daunting societal barriers such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and racialized housing segregation. Her legacy spans through her 50-plus films, pathbreaking television series, sumptuous fashion looks, Broadway and vaudeville shows, iconic photographs, groundbreaking journalism, and global fame, making her one of the only Asian American actors to become a household name. Wong’s lack of obedience to a heteronormative lifestyle in conjunction with her wild sexual encounters, debauched night life, and friendships with cultural figures such as Walter Benjamin, Marlene Dietrich, Ramón Novarro, Vincent Price, Rosa Rolanda Covarubbias, Philip Ahn, Hedda Hopper, Carl Van Vechten, Evelyn Waugh, Blanche Knopf, and Paul Robeson, shed light on what it meant to be a trailblazing actress almost a century ago.
Anna May Wong will use the actress’s own personal correspondences, never-before-seen archival photos, and creative endeavors such as her writings published in the New York Herald Tribune and her self-made film about China (broadcast on ABC) to tell the story of the "World’s Most Beautiful Chinese” American woman who rose past the boundaries of the silent and studio eras of white Hollywood. A story of tenacity and determination, Anna May Wong will show the real woman behind the actress’s facade and inspire a new generation of writers, image creators, fashionistas, and television and film enthusiasts in the 21st century.
About the author
Shirley Jennifer Lim is the go-to Anna May Wong expert and professor of history and affiliate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Asian and Asian American Studies, and Africana Studies at SUNY Stony Brook. She is the author of A Feeling of Belonging: Asian American Women’s Public Culture, 1930–1960 and Anna May Wong: Performing the Modern, which was a finalist for the Organization of American Historians’ Mary Nickliss Prize. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and NPR’s Morning Edition, and news programs such as C-NBC, Inside Edition, and CBS-2 News at 9 A.M. She has discussed Anna May Wong on Turner Classic Movies, two PBS documentaries (Asian Americans and Unladylike 2020), BBC 4 (Screenshots), and podcasts like History This Week (History Channel) and Mobituaries.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
