Biography

Yellowface

Author	R. F. Kuang
Language	English
Genre	Fiction
Published	May 2023

Yellowface is a 2023 novel written by R. F. Kuang. The book was described as a satire of racial diversity in the publishing industry as well as a metafiction about social media, particularly Twitter.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Yellowface is Kuang's first venture into literary fiction.^[1]

Writing and development

Kuang first began conceptualizing Yellowface in 2021, amidst conversations regarding diversity and representation in the publishing industry.^[6] She wrote the first draft over the course of a few months, taking inspiration from her own experiences as an Asian American author, such as being told her appeal is largely or entirely due to her being a "token" author.^[1][7]

Upon reading parts of the first draft, Kuang's literary agent was at first hesitant about the project and attempted to dissuade Kuang from pursuing it further due to its content being seen as an attack on the publishing industry. At Kuang's insistence, they continued the project; it was ultimately published by HarperCollins.^[1][8]

Synopsis

June Hayward, an unsuccessful young author, finds herself the only witness to the death of her former classmate and casual friend, Athena Liu, a Chinese-American author who is an industry darling. She decides to position herself as best friend of the author and begins to edit and re-write Athena's manuscript, a novel about Chinese laborers in World War I. As she changes more and more of the draft, June begins to feel ownership over the novel and decides to publish it as her original work. June submits the manuscript and is immediately welcomed by publishers and offered a large advance. To avoid controversy, she publishes the book under an Asian-sounding name (Juniper Song, her full first name and middle name) and takes author photos where she appears racially ambiguous. Despite efforts to present herself as Asian, controversy surrounds the success of the novel, and June repeatedly fends off accusation of cultural appropriation and plagiarism on Twitter.

Critical reception

Kirkus Reviews called the book "a quick, biting critique of the publishing industry" but commented that it sometimes lacked nuance.^[9] The Guardian wrote "Kuang delivers a hugely entertaining account of a brazen literary heist."^[10] The New York Times gave the book a positive but reserved review, calling it "viciously satisfying" but "on-the-nose" and overly blunt.^[2] NPR reviewed Yellowface positively, called it a "well-executed, gripping, fast-paced novel."^[11] The Chicago Review of Books wrote "where [Yellowface] shines is Kuang’s darkly witty tone, critiques of publishing and cultural exploitation, and the all-consuming nature of internet personas." The Washington Post gave a critical review of the novel, saying that June's character was inconsistent and lacked depth, while the novel's depictions of the publishing industry were perfunctory and relied too heavily on replicating Twitter arguments in text.^[5]

References