SQ21 responses

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Post your responses here!

Seriously, we'd love to know what you think about this book. Besides leaving comments, you can write to the author at ng.yisheng@gmail.com.

posted by Ng Yi-Sheng @ 2:46 PM  

9 Comments:

  • At 8/27/2006 01:53:00 PM, Blogger Ng Yi-Sheng said…

    To start off, I'll mention the many reviews we've been receiving online.

    http://cynikeel.blogspot.com/2006/08/queer-books.html
    http://thinkhappiness.blogspot.com/2006/08/book-review-singapore-queers-in-21st.html
    http://omegasworld.blogspot.com/2006/08/coming-out-in-singapore-today-i-read.html
    http://mousez72.livejournal.com/165761.html
    http://nicky-bitchy.livejournal.com/12314.html
    http://www.blurty.com/talkread.bml?journal=jasonwee&itemid=24612
    http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2006/08/24/book_launch_sq21_-_singapore_que.html

     

  • At 8/27/2006 01:53:00 PM, Blogger Ng Yi-Sheng said…

    Not to mention Alex Au's review from Yawning Bread...

    "The first-hand accounts are not just deeply touching, but for anyone who is not gay, probably mind-blowing. In the stories, you'll get to walk a little way in their shoes, negotiating space and relationships with family, friends, colleagues, even strangers."

    http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2006/yax-641.htm

     

  • At 8/27/2006 01:55:00 PM, Blogger Ng Yi-Sheng said…

    Plus a link to a scan of the Sunday Times review, which in its aim to be objective, makes no pithy statements about the book at all (to be fair, it lets the interviewees speak for themselves).

    http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2140/3434/1024/Sunday%20Times.jpg

     

  • At 9/07/2006 04:22:00 AM, Blogger Ng Yi-Sheng said…

    Here's a comment made by Eirin Ai.

    hi yi sheng

    i am lester, a student who jus bought the book yesterday and is already 3/4 thru it. i really like it very much. it provides such a wonderful accounts of all the ppl featured and what touched me the most is that of Dr Khoo.

    i manage to find Dr Khoo's NUS email, as i am a student there. i have corresponded with her, and i really shared with her my views and how respect is very important to not only show respect to our children, but to everybody. love is not enough to sustain the shock, respect is. this is because respect to every life comes deep from within our heart, our lives. she is very nice too, having sent to me a whole list of infor on supports groups and etc for GLBT in sg.

    i am a buddhist, and well, i really hope that if there is another book, u can feature buddhists too. i have my own buddhist support group. we belong to this japanese buddhism school, which has a huge GLBT following in the west. it is quite famous in fact. anyway, from what i have seen, i am very happy to tell u that, in my religion, there are GLBT groups, be it small group sessions (like the christian cells) or national wide group for my religion in both america and UK. i belong to their international group, where i have know GLBTS from all corners around the world, and we are all practising Buddhism together. in fact, a fren from london has put together a book on accounts on those who struggled with their sexuality and eventually lead happy lives thru their practise and not trying to change themselves. in fact, a fundamental aspect of Buddhism is to respect all lives, and that everyone of us are unique, all have our own potential, and that we are all equal. that is the reason why i am attracted to Buddhism in the first place, and that my faith has help me in my coming out to myself (which is the first step) and also to some others.

    over here in singapore, because of the government's clamp on gays, we are not able to publicly form our group, but we have such a wonderful discussion everytime we meet. our group is also growing larger, and i dare say, thru our practise, and also support, we are able to lead happy and value creative lives.

    sorry if i talked so much about my religion but i wanna share about my happiness with many people. my coming out process was hard too, but then now i am so at ease with my sexuality that i dun care if ppl find out. it doesnt matter, as what matters most is my life. how am i going to live my life. we are all part of this society, not apart. :)

    thanks so much for the book. i am reading it on the bus, and everywhere. on the way to school, at home, on the train etc. haha. i wanna let the whole world know that finally, there are individuals who are not afraid of discrimination, and willing to stand up to fight for what's right and for human rights. this is what society should be. if society lose the will to fight, it will only mean the decline of the human spirit.

    thanks so much once again. :)

    cheers
    lester lam

    oh ya, do u have another autograph session again? :) thanks

     

  • At 9/09/2006 11:23:00 PM, Blogger Ng Yi-Sheng said…

    Awww. Someone else sent me this mail a couple days ago.

    Dear Yi Sheng

    I bought this book recently and was overjoyed by your immense effort in 'voicing' out for the queer community. So many of the real life stories in this book are so relevant to me and it has in some way inspired or rather gave me courage to approach my family members (one at a time) through stepping out of my "ownself-seclusion mode".

    Sincerely applaud your spirit, time and hardwork that you had put into writing and getting this book published in this conservative island (or should I call it city?).

    [Dear T, it's both. And it's not as conservative as you think]

     

  • At 10/02/2006 11:21:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    well done for your new book !

    I featured it as well on my LJ, check it out:

    http://iamyy.livejournal.com/358091.html

     

  • At 10/05/2006 12:45:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi Yi-Sheng,

    I took the liberty to edit this. Hope it'll help you promote the book :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WOJ7ED-_wM

    I hope to screen it at Short Circuit, if that's ok with you.

     

  • At 7/27/2007 08:43:00 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    I've never read a book so profoundly touching and compelling in its frank narration of what our fellow Singaporeans go through in coming out of their closets.I hope this book goes a long way in highlighting to our fellow Singaporeans that the GLBT community consists of real people:friends,family,relatives,colleagues,the person reading the newspaper sitting next to you in the mrt,the old lady crossing the road with her little trolley of groceries,the uncle behind the NTUC cash register, basically anybody leading real lives who shed real tears, laugh real laughter, and love their friends and relatives as much as any other str8 pple do. Thank you so much for giving us this book and all your stories.
    KokWei

     

  • At 1/06/2008 09:00:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I was so happy when I found the book in the public library in Amsterdam at the IHLIA "square".
    When I was in Singapore each time I met with many gays and learned about their situation there. I came to love Singaporean gays in many ways, as much as I love Singapore.
    It has been a long time since, (2001), and reading this book makes me want to go back, and see how much has changed, and what has not changed at all. This book is a profound monument for Singaporean gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trans/travo's. WONDERFUL !

     

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