On a Bed of Rice (Paperback)

by Geraldine Kudaka (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Okinawan American Kudaka, herself an author and contributor to this work, assembles both well-known and emerging writers of Asian and Pacific ancestry to present a view of eroticism and love from the Asian American perspective. The more than 80 short stories and poems as well as one play in this anthology include prize winners by the likes of David Henry Hwang. Eight sections represent works ranging from innocently romantic to bawdy and explicit as they explore themes as divergent as first love and living and dying with AIDS both in the United States and around the world. While some of the pieces in this unique collection appear here for the first time, many are reprinted from other collections and magazines. Many of the contributors teach creative writing at American universities; there are biographical sketches of each. For general readers.
D.E. Perushek, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
An anthology of contemporary erotic prose and poetry by established and up-and-coming writers of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian descent explores the themes of sexual awakening, marriage, and interracial love.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 1st edition (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038547640X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385476409
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,356,905 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, January 12, 1998

By A Customer

I give this book a nine, because it's an anthology and two of the stories were, frankly, terrible. But the rest of the stories were some of the most penetrating fiction I've read. One hilarious story deals with the myth that Asian American men have smaller penises; the author goes to great lengths to research and disprove that myth. Other stories deal with the way race and sex are intertwined in America. David Mura's story in particular, about a white woman who was once his girlfriend writes to him after seeing "The Lover," is particularly poignant. Asian American men, especially, will enjoy the book, since we are always absent from and desexualized in the white media. This book gives amore real view of who we are, who we are screwing...and why.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A subtle erotic feast, pleasing to the palate!!, July 17, 1998

By A Customer

On a Bed of Rice is an excellent anthology. The subtlety of the sexuality left the reader with images that remain for a long time. Read the poem "Handbook of Sex of a Plain Girl" it is beautiful. My copy was lost and I miss it terribly. If this book pleases you, read "Pleasure in the Word" Erotic Writings from Latin American Women similiar to this but the imagery is different based on the difference in culture. I plan on buying a new copy of On a Bed of Rice because I feel lost without it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Widely varied, totally beautiful...I love this anthology., August 14, 2000

By	Satie's Belle Excentrique "vanessa" (CA) - See all my reviews

Growing up asian and female, everything was made to seem taboo, that sex and eroticism were dirty things. But this anthology is proof that they need not be. There is something about the state of nakedness that makes you feel both liberated and vulnerable. And when these qualities are infused and woven into words and images, everything together is just that much more powerful. The stories ranged from haunting to humourous to just plain honest. I come back to the book again and again as some stories really hit home and others take on new meaning when read again with new eyes. There is something here for everyone with an open mind regardless of race.