This week on The Banh Mi Chronicles, I did a total kiki with the multi-talented writer, dancer, and creative benedict nguyễn (she/her).

Benedict joined me as we dived deep into the genesis of her debut novel, Hot Girls With Balls (Catapult 2025). We explore the nuances of writing trans stories that center joy and athleticism, the reality of navigating social media as a public-facing creative, and why finding the right publisher and community spaces are essential for queer and trans writers of color.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Genesis of the Novel: How Hot Girls With Balls went from an idea to a USA Today National Bestseller.

Trans Athletes & Representation: Crafting a story that honors the reality of trans athletes beyond the headlines.

The Dancer Life: Benedict’s background as a dancer and how movement informs her writing.

Social Media & Community: Navigating the digital landscape and finding genuine connection through promoting her book.

The Publishing Industry: The importance of working with publishers who advocate and support QTPOC voices.

About benedict:

benedict nguyễn (she/her) is a #freelanceflailing dancer, writer, and creative producer. A Publishers Weekly 2025 “Writer to Watch,” Benedict is the author of the debut novel Hot Girls With Balls, an ABA Indie Next Pick and USA Today National Bestseller.

She has danced in projects by Sally Silvers, Kris Seto, and Monstah Black, and appeared in the short film Don’t Fck with Bà* (2024). As a producer, she has supported projects at the New York Botanical Garden, Danspace Project, and the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance! Her writing on labor and culture has appeared in The Baffler, Vanity Fair, and BOMB Magazine.

Connect with Benedict

Buy "Hot Girls With Balls" Here

Website:

https://benedict-nguyen.com/

Instagram: xbennyboo

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(Trigger Warning: Mentions of S*xual Violence during this recording)

This episode is the last of 2025! It brings me great joy to invite former pin-up model and lead singer of Nylon Pink, who recently released her memoir, “Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,” to wrap up the final podcast episode of 2025.

Kaila recounts her experience as a former pin-up model in the early 2000s, within the import car world that was closely associated with the Asian American “AZN” culture. Think of Fast and the Furious, the souped-up 1998 Honda Civic.

Bio:

Kaila is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir, ‘Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,’ was published this past August with Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing.

She is also a luxury travel, food, and culture writer and on-camera correspondent based in Los Angeles, who has written for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and more. She’s a certified PADI scuba diver, freediver, and mermaid.

Her former band, Nylon Pink, has toured in Australia: Melbourne and Sydney, played in Shanghai at the launch party for Havaianas in China, Costa Rica, played at the Hard Rock in Tokyo, Japan, Macau, China, and Penang, Malaysia.

Follow:

Instagram: kailayu

TikTok: kaila.yu

Website: www.kailayu.com

In this deep-dive episode, I chat with 2x Emmy-award winning producer and director, Jon Hill, Director of Creative Video at Fox Sports Digital.

We kick off with some spirited discussion on Chicago and Philly sports, before switching gears for a profound conversation about Jon’s award-winning feature film, Above the Clouds.

Jon shares the introspective journey of making his debut film, explaining how the filmmaking process became a source of healing after the loss of his father. He discusses how the project helped him solidify his Thai American identity and provided a powerful avenue for navigating grief over the years.

Bio:

Jon Hill is a 2x Emmy-award-winning producer and director living in Los Angeles. You can find him working at Fox Sports Digital as their Director of Creative Video.

His award-winning feature film, Above the Clouds, can be seen on Tubi, YouTube, Amazon, among others.

IG: jhill_aka_da_streaming_king