Aimee Phan: A Conversation about The Lost Queen Part 2 [S7 EP. 263]

Listen to the full episode below:

We are so excited to bring you part two of our chat with the amazing Aimee Phan, author of The Lost Queen. If you listened to part one, you already know how thoughtful, insightful, and just all-around lovely she is. We had such a rich conversation with her about storytelling, teaching, and reaching today’s teens through literature that we couldn’t possibly fit it all into one episode—so here we are with part two! If you haven’t listened to the first half yet, you can catch up here!

In this episode, we’re picking up right where we left off. We’re talking about how retellings like The Lost Queen can open students’ eyes to the idea that stories aren’t fixed. Aimee shares how this book, and the process of writing it, helps challenge the idea that there’s only one “right” way to tell a story. It’s such a powerful reminder for our students that their voices matter and that they have permission to take creative risks and make stories their own.

From her reflections on the evolution of Vietnamese American literature to the story of a teacher who changed her life with just a few kind words, Aimee’s insights are such a gift to educators. This conversation left us inspired, and we hope it does the same for you. Whether you’re here for new book recs, storytelling strategies, or just a little reminder of why your work matters—this episode is for you.

topics discussed:

  • Recommendations for pairing The Lost Queen with other books exploring Asian American literature, Vietnamese American voices, and myth retellings

  • Discussion of the evolving landscape of Vietnamese American and diasporic literature for young people

  • Insight into how myth and legend can be creatively retold and adapted, empowering students to see stories as flexible and dynamic

  • The core theme of The Lost Queen: believing in your own power and rebuilding confidence through challenges

  • The lasting impact of teachers’ supportive words and the value of encouragement for young writers

resources:

Meet aimee:

Aimee Phan was born and raised in Orange County, California. She received her BA in English from UCLA and her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She is the author of two books for adults, We Should Never Meet: Stories and the novel The Reeducation of Cherry Truong. 

She has received fellowships and residencies from the NEA, MacDowell Colony, the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center, Djerassi and Hedgebrook. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Time, USA Today and CNN.com among other publications.  Aimee teaches as an associate professor in writing and literature at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and resides in Berkeley, California with her family.

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More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

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