I attended the 2007 Festival of Books at UCLA today. My only goal was to get my book, part Asian, 100% Hapa signed by Kip Fulbeck. I arrived early and waited at the Kinokuniya Books Stores of America booth for 40 minutes. I have to say that it was worth the wait.  I was very excited and those 40 minutes seemed more like 400 minutes.

When Kip arrived he was all smiles. I could not control myself, I waved like a little schoolgirl and said hello, I have been patiently waiting for you- Good grief, I sounded like a total geek to him I’m sure. He was very courteous and thanked me for waiting and handed me a sticker which was very cool.  It had his website, www. redsushi.com on it.  I thanked him and he asked me my name.  I said, Mickey and I added that I’m sure you receive hundreds of emails a day but I am the Mickey from Lucky Mango and he said, Oh, yes I remember, Lucky Mango.  I like your site. Very cool name.  Needless, to say I was pretty ecstatic at this point.  Kip asked for my book and he signed it.  I thanked him and asked if we could take a picture together.  He was very kind and gracious and I was very honored to have him sign my book.

Kip Fulbeck has been making art about Hapa identity since 1990. Known as the nations leading artist on the subject, he has spoken and exhibited his award-winning films, performance, and photography throughout the world, including PBS, the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial, Singapore International Film Festival, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Bonn Videonale, the National Conference On Race in Higher Education, and the Honolulu Contemporary Arts Museum.

The director of the landmark video Banana Split and author Paper Bullets: A Fictional Autobiography (University of Washington Press) and Part Asian, 100% Hapa (Chronicle Books), he speaks nationwide on identity, multiraciality, art and pop culture. His next book, Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck, will be published by Chronicle Books in 2008.

Fulbeck currently teaches as Professor of Art at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is a three-time recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Member Award and an affiliate faculty in Asian American Studies and Film & Media Studies. He is also a nationally-ranked Masters swimmer, avid surfer, guitar player, and ocean lifeguard.

If you would like to learn more about Kips past and present projects, please visit www.seaweedproductions.com