Jamie Ford

Jamie Ford
Born	July 9, 1968 Eureka, CA
Occupation	Author
Language	English
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Chinese American
Genre	Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Speculative Fiction
Notable works	Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Songs of Willow Frost
Website
www.jamieford.com

Jamie Ford (born July 9, 1968) is an American author, who has written two best selling books. Ford is best known for his debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The book received positive reviews after its release, and was also awarded best “Adult Fiction” book at the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature. The book was also named the #1 Book Club Pick for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 by the American Booksellers Association.

In 2013, he released his second book, Songs of Willow Frost.

His stories have also been included in Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, and The End is Nigh, part of the The Apocalypse Triptych, a series of three anthologies of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, edited by John Joseph Adams and Hugh Howey.

Early life

Jamie Ford was born on July 9, 1968, in Eureka, CA, but grew up in Ashland, Oregon, and Port Orchard and Seattle, Washington. His father, a Seattle native, was of Chinese ancestry while Ford’s mother was of European descent.

The Western name Ford comes from his great grandfather, Min Chung (1850-1922),^[1] who immigrated to Tonopah, Nevada in 1865 and later changed his name to William Ford. Ford's great grandmother, Loy Lee Ford,^[2] was the first Chinese woman to own property in Nevada.

Ford earned a degree in Design from the Art Institute of Seattle and also attended Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts.

Career

Ford is best known for his debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The book received positive reviews after its release, and was also awarded best “Adult Fiction” book at the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature.

In 2013, he released his second book, Songs of Willow Frost.

Books

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Ford’s first book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, was published on 1 February 2009.^[3] The novel received numerous awards after its publication. The most notable awards came in 2010, when the book was the winner in the “Adult Fiction” category at the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature,^[4] and was a runner-up for the 2009 Langum Prize for historical fiction. It was also named the #1 Book Club Pick for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 by the American Booksellers Association.^[5]

The book is set during the height of Nihonmachi district area of Seattle, Washington. The novel covers two eras, 1986 and also 1942. The novel is based on Henry Lee an intelligent 12-year-old Chinese American, who has to quickly grow up during World War II struggles. His strained relationships with his father mirror Henry’s life as a grown man in his fifties as Henry also struggles to connect with his grown son, Marty.^[6][7]

The book was part of various selections and picks in the media which included, IndieBound NEXT List Selection, a Borders Original Voices Selection, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection, Pennie’s Pick at Costco, a Target Bookmarked Club Pick, and a National Bestseller.^[8]

The novel received positive reviews from a number of media sources, including the New York Times and the author Lisa See. Seattle author Garth Stein commented, “A tender and satisfying novel set in a time and a place lost forever, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet gives us a glimpse of the damage that is caused by war--not the sweeping damage of the battlefield, but the cold, cruel damage to the hearts and humanity of individual people. Especially relevant in today's world, this is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more importantly, it will make you feel.” Lisa See said the novel explores “old conflicts between father and son”, while the book was “an impressive, bitter, and sweet debut.”^[9] Goodreads rated the novel with 4 out of 5 stars, with over 100,000 votes.^[10] The book also received positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews.^[11]

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet has been translated into 34 languages.

Songs of Willow Frost

On the 10th September 2013, Ford released his second novel, Songs of Willow Frost which debuted at #11 on the New York Times bestseller list. After the books release it received mainly positive reviews, with Barnes & Noble readers rating the book 4.5 out of 5 in November 2013.^[12]

The book is the story of a twelve-year-old orphaned Chinese American boy named William. It is set in Seattle’s Chinatown in the 1920s and '30s and is alternately told from his mother's perspective and from William's. The book is also laced with details about life in Seattle in the 1920s and 1930s. There are mentions of figures such as “Rum King” Roy Olmstead and pioneering filmmaker Nell Shipman. There are also a host of references to gone-but-not-quite-forgotten places including the Meadows Race Track, Frederick & Nelson and Seattle’s Film Row.^[13] Shortly after release, the book made it through to the second round of the 2013 Goodreads Choice Awards in the category of historical fiction.^[14]

Personal

Ford married Leesha Procopio on 8/8/08 at 8:08 PM in Ashland, Oregon (the number eight is a Chinese lucky number). Together they have a blended family of six teenagers.

Ford is a friend and fan of Harlan Ellison and in 2012, bought Ellison's first typewriter, a 1938 Remington Wireless Portable.

References