Sandra Tsing Loh

{{Infobox person

| name = Sandra Tsing Loh

| image = Sandra Tsing Loh, 2013 (cropped).jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|02|11}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQI3FR5Elg0C&pg=PA212 |title=Asian American Playwrights: A Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook |date=2002 |pages=212–217 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=9780313314551 |first=Lynn M. |last=Itagaki |via=Google Books |editor-first=Miles Xian |editor-last=Liu}}

| othername =

| occupation = Actress, author, radio personality, professor

| education = {{ublist|California Institute of Technology|University of Southern California}}

| website = {{URL|sandratsingloh.com}}

}}

Sandra Tsing Loh ({{zh|t=陸賽靜|p=Lù Sàijìng}}, born February 11, 1962) is an American writer, actress, radio personality, and former professor of art at the University of California, Irvine.{{cite web |url=https://art.arts.uci.edu/former-faculty/ |title=Former Faculty, Department of Art, Claire Trevor School of the Arts |access-date=2021-09-01}}

Life and career

Loh is the younger daughter of a Chinese father{{cite web |url=http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/05/loh_speech.html |title=Sandra Tsing Loh's Commencement Speech to the Caltech Class of 2005 |publisher=California Institute of Technology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604054751/http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/05/loh_speech.html |archive-date=2010-06-04 |access-date=2013-06-04 |date=2005 |first=Sandra Tsing |last=Loh}} and a German mother. She was raised in Malibu, Southern California, and after attending Malibu Park Junior High School was bused South to Santa Monica High School, where she was active in the computer-and-engineering-related "Olive Starlight Orchestra" and founded the performance-arts group and civic volunteer organization "Young Bureaucrats, Of Course (YBOC)".{{cite web |url=http://marketplace.publicradio.org/about/commentators/loh |title=Sandra Tsing-Loh |work=Marketplace |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718121520/http://marketplace.publicradio.org/about/commentators/loh |archive-date=2008-07-18 |access-date=2013-06-04 |date= |author=}} She also played violin in the Samohi school orchestra.

Loh graduated from Caltech with a BS in Physics; she returned in 2005 to deliver its commencement speech. She is also a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. Her early career as a performance artist included a piano concert on a freeway overpass in Downtown Los Angeles, and one in which she distributed hundreds of one-dollar-bills. She went on to perform a number of well-received autobiographical one-woman shows, in which she developed a particular form of observational humor.

A writer for the publication Asian American Playwrights called Loh "a multifaceted artist'". Her piano recordings of her original compositions that were made during the late 1980s were labeled "a cross between Art Tatum and Francis Poulenc".{{cite web |url=http://k2b2.com/#/about |title=About |publisher=K2B2 Records}} A writer for The New York Times called Loh "perpetual darling of the ever-beleaguered Los Angeles intelligentsia and constant candidate for that publishers' holy grail, the female David Sedaris".

Loh gained some national notoriety when KCRW canceled her weekly radio commentary, The Loh Life, after an engineer neglected to bleep her on-air utterance of the word "fuck" during a segment on knitting that aired on 22 February 2004.{{cite news |last=Seipp |first=Catherine |title=WHAT THE F...K?! |newspaper=Los Angeles CityBeat |access-date=2009-06-18 |date=2004-03-04 |url=http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?id=717&IssueNum=39 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604082105/http://lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?id=717&IssueNum=39 |archive-date=2008-06-04}}{{cite news |last=Inoue |first=Todd |title=Sandra Tsing Loh: Nuts To You |newspaper=Metro |access-date=2009-06-18 |date=2004-11-24 |url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/11.24.04/tsing-loh-0448.html}} The Loh Life was soon after picked up by the other Los Angeles NPR affiliate, KPCC. She is also the host of The Loh Down on Science, a daily science oriented radio show, and was a regular commentator on NPR's Morning Edition, PRI's This American Life, American Public Media's Marketplace,{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-23-ca-43910-story.html |title='Marketplace' Covers Wall Street at a Distance: David Brancaccio presides over a financial news show that aims to be hard-hitting and whimsical. |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 23, 2000 |first=Marc |last=Weingarten}} and other public radio programs. She has some versatility as a radio personality in that many of her programs, some of which air at the same time, are aimed at a different radio audience. As an example, Loh would use humor to publicize a recent but serious scientific discovery on The Loh Down on Science series while she would make a humorous comment on a current business topic on her segment on Marketplace.

Loh is the author of several books, including the semi-autobiographical A Year in Van Nuys. She has also written reviews of books about parenting, feminism, and several other topics for The Atlantic, where she is a regular contributor. Loh appeared in yet another one-woman show, "Mother on Fire," at the 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles between October 2005 and March 2006.{{cite news |last=Martinez |first=Al |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-aug-22-et-martinez22-story.html |title=A heart worn upon her sleeve |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=2005-08-22 |access-date=2014-01-21 }} She made a brief cameo appearance in the 2006 film Unaccompanied Minors.{{cite web |author= |title=Full cast and crew for Unaccompanied Minors (2006) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488658/fullcredits#cast |publisher=Internet Movie Database |date= |access-date=2007-12-24}} She is featured in the book Part Asian, 100% Hapa by artist Kip Fulbeck.{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/ASIAN-POP-The-Pursuit-of-Hapa-ness-3300935.php#page-3 |title=ASIAN POP / The Pursuit of Hapa-ness |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=March 30, 2006 |first=Jeff |last=Yang}}

In reviewing Loh's 2008 book Mother on Fire for the New York Times Sunday Book Review, Pamela Paul wrote that she "was in awe of [Loh's] quippy brilliance" and that Loh's writing ability "is no less than a feat of genius".

{{cite news |last=Paul |first=Pamela |title=Sunday Book Review: The Art of Momoir |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/books/review/Paul-t.html |date=2008-08-22 |access-date=2013-10-31}}

Loh wrote about her divorce in a 2009 article for The Atlantic, where she has been a contributing writer for several years, focusing mostly on parenting and family issues. She explained at the time that, as a parent and full-time writer, "I did not have the strength to 'work on' falling in love again in our marriage."{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31452178?gt1=43001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701025817/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31452178?gt1=43001 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-07-01 |title=On marriage: Let's call the whole thing off |work=MSNBC |date=2009-06-22 |access-date=2013-01-26 |first=Sandra Tsing |last=Loh}} She also admitted to cheating on her husband.{{cite news |last=Rainey |first=James |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-17-et-onthemedia17-story.html |title=Sandra Tsing Loh reveals affair and anti-marriage stance |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=2009-06-17 |access-date=2013-01-26}}

Loh's essay, "The Bitch Is Back," which first appeared in The Atlantic, was selected a Best American Essay for the 2012 edition of the Best American Essays series.{{cite book |first1=Robert |last1=Atwan |first2=David |last2=Brooks |name-list-style=amp |title=The Best American Essays 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAI-t9Ot3vcC&pg=PA218 |date=2012 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |isbn=978-0-547-84054-3 |pages=218–}}

In 2014, Loh published The Madwoman in the Volvo: My Year of Raging Hormones, and was profiled in The New York Times.{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=Alexandra |title=For Sandra Tsing Loh, Change Is Good |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/fashion/for-sandra-tsing-loh-change-is-good.html |date=2014-05-18 |access-date=2014-05-18}} Loh adapted The Madwoman in the Volvo into a play for South Coast Repertory Theater.{{cite web |title=The Madwoman in the Volvo |url=http://www.scr.org/press-room/press-photos/press-15-16-season/press---the-madwoman-in-the-volvo |access-date=2016-01-28 |work=South Coast Repertory |date= |author=}}

She was the invited commencement speaker at Caltech in 2005,{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-20-oe-loh20-story.html |title=Father Knows Best, Except at Caltech: What's so wrong about graduates trying out for 'American Idol'? |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 20, 2005 |author=}} at UC Irvine in 2014,{{cite news |url=http://today.uci.edu/news/2012/05/ma_commencement_120531.php |title=UCI's 47th annual commencement includes campus firsts |publisher=UC Irvine |date= |author= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813131159/http://today.uci.edu/news/2012/05/ma_commencement_120531.php |archive-date=2012-08-13 |url-status=dead}} and the University of Michigan–Flint in 2015.{{cite press release |title=Speakers Selected for UM-Flint's 2015 Spring Commencement Ceremonies |url=https://news.umflint.edu/2015/04/16/speakers-selected-for-um-flints-2015-spring-commencement-ceremonies/ |date=April 16, 2015 |publisher=University of Michigan–Flint |author=}}

In 2013, Loh received an appointment as an Associate Adjunct Professor in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine, in which she teaches courses in drama and also science communication.{{cite news |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2013/08/30/science-bits-with-a-bite-radio-host-comes-to-uci/ |title=Science bits, with a bite: radio host comes to UCI |first=Pat |last=Brennan |newspaper=Orange County Register |date=August 30, 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://news.uci.edu/2013/08/22/uci-partners-with-sandra-tsing-loh-to-produce-popular-radio-show-the-loh-down-on-science/ |title=UCI partners with Sandra Tsing Loh to produce popular radio show “The Loh Down on Science” |date=August 22, 2013 |work=UC Irvine News}} She has since left UC Irvine at an unknown time prior to 2017.{{cite web |url=http://art.arts.uci.edu/former-faculty |title=Former Faculty |work=Claire Trevor School of the Arts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711033052/http://art.arts.uci.edu/former-faculty |archive-date=2017-07-11 |url-status=dead}}

Selected works

=Books=

Loh, Sandra Tsing (2020). The Madwoman and the Roomba. Norton. {{ISBN|978-0-393-24920-0}}
{{cite book |last=Loh |first=Sandra Tsing |title=The Madwoman in the Volvo |year=2014 |publisher=Norton |isbn=978-0-393-08868-7}}
{{cite book |last=Loh |first=Sandra Tsing |title=Mother on Fire |url=https://archive.org/details/motheronfiretrue00lohs |url-access=registration |year=2008 |publisher=Crown |isbn=978-0-609-60813-5}}
{{cite book |last=Loh |first=Sandra Tsing |title=A Year in Van Nuys |year=2001 |publisher=Crown |isbn=0-609-60812-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/yearinvannuys00lohs }}
{{cite book |last=Loh |first=Sandra Tsing |title=If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home By Now |year=1997 |publisher=Riverhead Hardcover |isbn=1-57322-068-X |url=https://archive.org/details/ifyoulivedhereyo00lohs }}
{{cite book |last=Loh |first=Sandra Tsing |title=Aliens in America |year=1997 |publisher=Riverhead Books |isbn=1-57322-627-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/aliensinamerica00lohs }}
{{cite book |last=Loh |first=Sandra Tsing |title=Depth Takes a Holiday: Essays From Lesser Los Angeles |year=1996 |publisher=Riverhead Hardcover |isbn=1-57322-031-0}}

=Plays=

The Madwoman in the Volvo (2016)
The Madwomen of the West (2023)https://playbill.com/article/reviews-what-do-the-critics-think-of-madwomen-of-the-west {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

=Interviews=

[http://www.thenation.com/article/179877/qa-sandra-tsing-loh-her-provocative-theory-about-menopause Sandra Tsing Loh Q&A] at The Nation magazine (2014)

=Book reviews=

class='wikitable sortable' width='90%'
\|Year !class='unsortable'\|Review article !class='unsortable'\|Work(s) reviewed
2009 \|{{cite magazine \|date=December 2009 \|title=On being a bad mother: true confessions \|journal=The Atlantic \|volume=304 \|issue=5 \|pages=86–101 \|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/12/on-being-a-bad-mother/307749/\|access-date=May 13, 2020}} \| {{cite book \| last=Waldman \| first=Ayelet \| title=Bad Mother\|author-link=Ayelet Waldman\| publisher=Doubleday Books \| date=2009 \| isbn=978-0-385-52793-4 \|location=New York, NY}} {{cite book \| last=Greer \| first=Germaine \| title=The Female Eunuch\|title-link=The Female Eunuch\|edition=8th English\|author-link=Germaine Greer\| publisher=Harper Collins \| date=October 6, 2009 \| isbn=978-0-06-197280-5 \| location=New York, NY}}
2014 \|{{cite news \| title='The Hybrid Tiger' and 'The Triple Package' \| work=The New York Times \| date=January 31, 2014 \| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/books/review/the-hybrid-tiger-and-the-triple-package.html\|location=New York, NY\| access-date=July 11, 2023}} \| {{cite book \| last1=Chua \| first1=Amy \|author-link=Amy Chua\|author-link2=Jed Rubenfeld \|last2=Rubenfeld \| first2=Jed \| title=The Triple Package\|title-link=The Triple Package\| date=February 4, 2014 \| isbn=978-1-59420-546-0 \|publisher=Penguin Press\| location=New York, NY}} {{cite book \| last=Huang \| first=Quanyu \| title=The Hybrid Tiger \| date=2014 \| isbn=978-1-61614-851-5 \|publisher=Prometheus\|location=Amherst, NY}}

class='wikitable sortable' width='90%'

|Year

!class='unsortable'|Review article

!class='unsortable'|Work(s) reviewed

2009

|{{cite magazine |date=December 2009 |title=On being a bad mother: true confessions |journal=The Atlantic |volume=304 |issue=5 |pages=86–101 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/12/on-being-a-bad-mother/307749/|access-date=May 13, 2020}}

{{cite book | last=Waldman | first=Ayelet | title=Bad Mother|author-link=Ayelet Waldman| publisher=Doubleday Books | date=2009 | isbn=978-0-385-52793-4 |location=New York, NY}}
{{cite book | last=Greer | first=Germaine | title=The Female Eunuch|title-link=The Female Eunuch|edition=8th English|author-link=Germaine Greer| publisher=Harper Collins | date=October 6, 2009 | isbn=978-0-06-197280-5 | location=New York, NY}}

2014

|{{cite news | title='The Hybrid Tiger' and 'The Triple Package' | work=The New York Times | date=January 31, 2014 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/books/review/the-hybrid-tiger-and-the-triple-package.html|location=New York, NY| access-date=July 11, 2023}}

{{cite book | last1=Chua | first1=Amy |author-link=Amy Chua|author-link2=Jed Rubenfeld |last2=Rubenfeld | first2=Jed | title=The Triple Package|title-link=The Triple Package| date=February 4, 2014 | isbn=978-1-59420-546-0 |publisher=Penguin Press| location=New York, NY}}
{{cite book | last=Huang | first=Quanyu | title=The Hybrid Tiger | date=2014 | isbn=978-1-61614-851-5 |publisher=Prometheus|location=Amherst, NY}}

Discography

Pianovision (1991) K²B₂ Records

Filmography

The Weekenders (2000–2003)
Weight Loss (The Office) (2008)
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022)

Other audio/visual work

;Radio programs

{{cite web |url=http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/loh_down/ |title=The Loh Down |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927141140/http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/loh_down/ |archive-date=2011-09-27 |access-date=2013-06-04}}, Audio archives of her business oriented radio commentaries on the public radio program, Marketplace (2004–2005)
[http://www.thisamericanlife.org/contributors/sandra-loh This American Life] Audio archive of her contributions to the public radio program This American Life (1995–1998)
{{cite web |url=http://www.scpr.org/programs/loh-life/ |title=The Loh Life |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510001836/http://www.scpr.org/programs/loh-life/ |archive-date=2021-05-10}}, Audio archive of her weekly radio commentaries on public radio
[https://www.npr.org/podcasts/381444663/the-loh-down-on-science The Loh Down On Science] Audio archive of her daily science show on public radio

;Public speeches

{{cite web |url=http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/05/loh_speech.html |title=2005 Caltech commencement speech |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604054751/http://pr.caltech.edu/commencement/05/loh_speech.html |archive-date=2010-06-04 |access-date=2013-06-04}}; An [https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/commencement/id422627477 audio], and [https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id422627441 video] versions are also available via iTunes

;Interviews

[http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2008/10/podcast-sandra-tsing-loh-author-of.html Audio interview with Sandra Tsing Loh] on public radio program The Sound of Young America
[http://martinperlichinterviews.com/archives/interviews/sandra-tsing-loh-2/ Audio interview with Sandra Tsing Loh] on KCSN Arts & Roots Forum by Martin Perlich

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.sandratsingloh.com}}
{{IMDb name|0517815|Sandra Tsing Loh}}
{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0001799200}}
[https://www.theatlantic.com/sandra-tsing-loh The Atlantic Monthly - archive of her articles]

Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American comedians

Category:Actresses from Los Angeles

Category:American actresses of Chinese descent

Category:American feminist writers

Category:American people of German descent

Category:American television actresses

Category:American women comedians

Category:American writers of Chinese descent

Category:The Atlantic (magazine) people

Category:California Institute of Technology alumni

Category:Comedians from Los Angeles

Category:People from Malibu, California

Category:Radio personalities from Los Angeles

Category:University of Southern California alumni

Category:Writers from Los Angeles

Category:21st-century American actresses