Melissa Hung
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melissahung.bsky.social
Melissa Hung
@melissahung.bsky.social
10K followers 810 following 950 posts
Writer & journalist. 📚Disability Intimacy, Body Language. Founding editor, Hyphen. Writing about immigrant communities, Asian America, culture, food, disability & more. melissahung.xyz
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melissahung.bsky.social
You never know how your art might influence someone else.

Reposted with alt text
Newspaper clipping: Saved by Stoppard Sir, In 1993 my wife and I went to see the first production of Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (obituary, Dec 1), and in the interval I experienced a Damascene conversion. As a clinical scientist I was trying to understand the enigma of the behaviour of breast cancer, the assumption being that it grew in a linear trajectory spitting off metastases on its way. In the first act of Arcadia, Thomasina asks her tutor, Septimus: "If there is an equation for a curve like a bell, there must be an equation for one like a bluebell, and if a bluebell, why not a rose?" With that Stoppard explains chaos theory, which better explains the behaviour of breast cancer. At the point of diagnosis, the cancer must have already scattered cancer cells into the circulation that nest latent in distant organs. The consequence of that hypothesis was the birth of "adjuvant systemic chemotherapy", and rapidly we saw a striking fall of the curve that illustrated patients' survival. Stoppard never learnt how many lives he saved by writing Arcadia. Michael Baum Professor emeritus of surgery; visiting professor of medical humanities, UCL
December 2, 2025 at 2:37 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Alice's last message. "Don't let the bastards grind you down. I love you all."
Yellow background with black text "This is Alice's friend Sandy Ho, posting. Per Alice's wishes, this message is being shared at the time of her passing. Hi everyone, it looks like I ran out of time. I have so many dreams that I wanted to fulfill and plans to create new stories for you. There are a few in progress that might come to fruition in a few years if things work out. I did not ever imagine I would live to this age and end up a writer, editor, activist, and more. As a kid riddled with insecurity and internalized ableism, I could not see a path forward. It was thanks to friendships and some great teachers who believed in me that I was able to fight my way out of miserable situations into a place where I finally felt comfortable in my skin. We need more stories about us and our culture. You all, we all, deserve the everything and more in such a hostile, ableist environment. Our wisdom is incisive and unflinching. I'm honored to be your ancestor and believe disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don't let the bastards grind you down. I love you all."
November 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
I woke up to the news that Alice Wong @sfdirewolf.bsky.social has joined the ancestors. Thank you, Alice, for your leadership, your fierce sense of justice, for including so many of us in your movement (our movement), for your sense of humor, for your friendship.
Melissa & Alice, both East Asian women, smile for a photo inside a food hall. Melissa is seated in a chair and wearing leopard print sneakers. Alice is seated in a power wheelchair and wearing a leopard print jacket.
November 15, 2025 at 4:32 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Polka dot dress lady was out here fighting ICE in Commes des Garçons. And now she’s donated her dress to raise funds for immigrants @thenyic.bsky.social. Bidding closes Nov 10.
A navy polka dot dress shift dress with gray short sleeves displayed on a wire hanger. A woman wearing a knee-length navy polka dot dress and blazer with a leather bag on her shoulder, standing in the street in front of an armored police vehicle giving it two middle fingers.
November 6, 2025 at 8:29 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
My early polling place was bustling! New Yorkers, polls are open til 5 today. Tomorrow is the last day of early voting (9-5). Also, I appreciate how proactive the interpreters were. Auntie was: she looks Chinese, & came right up to me to ask if I needed interpretation.
A hand holding up a “Brooklyn voted early” circular sticker with an illustration of the Brooklyn bridge. In the background are signs for NYC Votes in different languages .
November 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
A #BitOfJoy from last month. Ate at my friend’s new restaurant in Houston, Agnes & Sherman. I thoroughly enjoyed this playful Asian American take on diner food. Some things eaten: Savory scallion waffle with sambal honey butter & shrimp toast (like walnut honey prawns but on toast w/ candied pecans)
View from above of some dishes on a table, including a scallion waffle, a bowl of spicy cucumbers, and shrimp toast. There is also a pink drink.
October 16, 2025 at 8:48 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
I appreciate how much New Yorkers do not care for this sketchy AI necklace.
An ad in a subway station for a round pendant necklace called “Friend.” Someone has used a black sharpie to x it out and write “dangerous & wrong” and add the words “not your” in front of “friend.com” An ad in a subway station for a round pendant necklace called “Friend.” Someone has used a black sharpie to scribble over the text in the ad and write “AI slop” above the image of the necklace
October 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Recently, in #BitOfJoy: Transported heirloom tomatoes from the SF Bay Area back to NYC in my luggage, then made Eric Kim’s furikake tomato sandwich. cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024...
Thickly sliced slabs of heirloom tomato on a brioche burger bun in a white plate.
September 4, 2025 at 2:24 AM
melissahung.bsky.social
Peak Asian American headline

sports.yahoo.com/olympics/bre...
Screenshot from Yahoo Sports. Headline: Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen skipping 2026 Games to attend medical school. By Jack Baer, staff writer There is a photo of Nathan being interviewed
August 8, 2025 at 10:13 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Oh, it's the last day of Disability Pride Month, which takes place in July because that's when the ADA was signed. I don't feel pride about my disability since it gives me chronic pain. But I am proud of contributing an essay to this anthology edited by @sfdirewolf.bsky.social
A hand holding up a copy of the book Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire, edited by Alice Wong, in a bookstore. In the background are shelves full of books and the poetry and business sections.
July 31, 2025 at 7:47 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Last slide from @wawog.bsky.social
END THE SIEGE! ARMS EMBARGO NOW! REAL AID MUST ENTER GAZA! Gaza is being systematically starved by israel, the U.S, and their zionist allies. Their "humanitarian" efforts are tools of genocide. Until real aid enters Gaza, it is our duty to not allow Palestinians to die a cruel death of hunger. Donate now and donate often. FREE PALESTINE!
July 27, 2025 at 10:27 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Water for Khan Younis: tinyurl.com/khanyouniswater
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: Water for Khan Younis is an initiative to support clean drinking water for displaced Palestinians in Al-Mawasi, in southern Gaza. With the donations so far, they have been able to deliver two drinking water trucks on a daily basis (6000L or 7500L each day). tinyurl.com/khanyouniswater There are several photos of water trucks and plastic containers.
July 27, 2025 at 10:23 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Gaza Soup Kitchen: tinyurl.com/gazakitchn
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: Gaza Soup Kitchen is run by the Almadhoun family and their friends. Gaza Soup Kitchen sources ingredients from remaining farms, and buys supplies as soon as they hit the markets in order to provide hot meals for displaced families. Based in the north of Gaza, they feed around 3000 people daily. https://tinyurl.com/gazakitchn There is a photo of a crowd of people standing around three large pots of soup. one person is wearing a pot on their head like a hat.
July 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Amal for Palestine: givebutter.com/SevBF8
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: Amal for Palestine is an organization founded in 2021, providing financial help, services, and meals for families in Gaza. Since the escalation of the genocide, Amal for Palestine has continuously raised funds for food and other necessities for displaced Palestinians in the north of Gaza. givebutter.com/SevBF8 There is a photo of people standing, containers lined up before them on the ground, to get water from a truck
July 27, 2025 at 10:18 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
The Sameer Project: Refaat AlAreer Camp tinyurl.com/sameercamp
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: The Sameer Project: Refaat AlAreer Camp is an encampment in Central Gaza food and water, and medical care for displaced Palestinians. tinyurl.com/sameercamp There is a photo of two children in a tent waving.
July 27, 2025 at 10:15 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
The Sameer Project: Tents, Food, and Water for Southern Gaza: "Support initiatives to shelter Palestinians living in high-heat high-humidity conditions in the south." tinyurl.com/sameertents
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: The Sameer Project: Tents, Food, and Water for Southern Gaza The vast majority of Gaza Strip has been bombed and destroyed; many families have been displaced multiple times, and the Zionists continually target Palestinians sheltering in tents. Tents that are meant to be given for free end up on the black market for ~$700-$1000. Support initiatives to shelter Palestinians living in high-heat high-humidity conditions in the south. tinyurl.com/sameertents
July 27, 2025 at 10:14 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
The Sameer Project's Medical Campaign: tinyurl.com/sameermedicalaid
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: The Sameer Project's Medical Campaign supports medical initiatives in the north and south of Gaza; working directly with the hospitals, the Sameer Project invests these funds into beds, medical supplies, dental supplies, nutritional supplements, and other necessities to keeping people alive. tinyurl.com/sameermedicalaid There is a photo of a man helping a boy, who is seated in a chair, with wrapping his ankle.
July 27, 2025 at 10:11 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
The Sameer Project: linktr.ee/thesameerpro...
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: The Sameer Project is a donations-based aid initiative in Gaza led by Palestinians.Their multiple campaigns serve families across Gaza, with medical supplies, food, tents, and other necessities linktr.ee/thesameerproject There is a photo of several portions of rice on foil.
July 27, 2025 at 10:08 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
"Salah Shabat, brother of martyred journalist Hossam Shabat, is raising funds to provide displaced families in the north of Gaza
with clean drinking water." Northern Gaza Relief: tinyurl.com/northwateraid
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: Salah Shabat, brother of martyred journalist Hossam Shabat, is raising funds to provide displaced families in the north of Gaza with clean drinking water. Their goal of $2500/week ensures the project continues with building irrigation systems alongside the delivery of food and water. tinyurl.com/northwateraid
July 27, 2025 at 10:04 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Here are some more mutual aid efforts to support, as complied by Writers Against the War on Gaza @wawog.bsky.social. The original post is here: www.instagram.com/p/DMVpejexbin/
Screenshot from wawog_now’s instagram account: Israel is starving Gaza. Support Palestinians on the ground who keep each other alive. Eight initiatives to feed, clothe, and shelter Palestinians under siege. There is an illustration of a pair of skinny arms holding up an empty tray in the shape of the Gaza Strip.
July 27, 2025 at 9:55 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
There are actually 6 slides. Here's the last one: Who to give to? He recommends Gaza's Roots: chuffed.org/project/1266...
& Grassroots Gaza: linktr.ee/grassroots_g...
Screenshot from abdelrahman_elgendy95's instagram account: WHO TO GIVE? SUPPORT GAZA'9 ROOTS G GRASSROOTS GAZA @GAZASROOTS | @GRASSROOTS_GAZA - Led by Palestinians inside Gaza and diaspora - Food & clean water programs have fed hundreds of thousands since the genocide began - Transparent process with detailed documentation on their pages - Teams work tirelessly to keep families away from deadline US-Israeli aid lines (These are only two out of many others doing the same critical work.)
July 27, 2025 at 9:40 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Keep sending aid: "Waiting for 'perfect' operations and 'perfect' transparency amid genocide is irrational. It means leaving people to starve to death."
Screenshot from abdelrahman_elgendy95's instagram account: KEEP SENDING AID. MISINFORMATION MAGNIFIES RARE ABUSES TO DISCOURAGE GIVING. DON'T LET IT. WITHOUT GRASSROOTS AID, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MORE WOULD FACE STARVATION. Waiting for “perfect” operations and “perfect” transparency amid genocide is irrational. It means leaving people to starve to death. Every donation reaches someone with nothing to eat, and offers life. Severe taxation does not mean you should stop sending. It means you must send more.
July 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
How aid is distributed inside Gaza:
Screenshot from abdelrahman_elgendy95's instagram account: HOW AID IS DISTRIBUTED INSIDE GAZA 1. AID IS DELIVERED THROUCH GRASSROOTS EFFORTS: COMMUNITY KITCHENS (TAKYAT) AND INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS. 2. THESE GROUPS PROVIDE MEALS, FOOD PACKAGES, AND ESSENTIALS TO DISPLACED FAMILIES, REFUGEES IN TENTS, AND CHILDREN. 3. THERE'S NO CENTRAL SYSTEM. DISTRIBUTION RELIES ON PERSONAL NETWORKS AND IS UNEVEN—SOME AREAS RECEIVE LITTLE TO NO AID, WHILE OTHERS GET LIMITED SUPPORT. WHEN SOME GAZANS SAY "WE RECEIVE NOTHING" AND OTHERS SAY "AID SAVED US”—BOTH ARE TRUE. IT ALL DEPENDS ON LOCATION AND ACCESS. WHICH MEANS: KEEP SENDING AID
July 27, 2025 at 9:32 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
How donations DO reach Gaza:
Screenshot from abdelrahman_elgendy95's instagram account: HOW DONATIONS DO REACH GAZA 1. GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING: INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL GROUPS ABROAD COLLECT DONATIONS VIA PERSONAL NETWORKS AND SOCIAL MEDIA. 2. INFORMAL TRANSFER CHAINS: FUNDS ARE MOVED ACROSS COUNTRIES THROUGH TRUSTED INTERMEDIARIES, BYPASSING BLOCKED OFFICIAL BANKING CHANNELS. (THERE ARE WAYS.) 3. LOCAL DEPOSITS: MONEY REACHES CURRENCY EXCHANGE OFFICES OR LOCAL MERCHANTS IN GAZA. 4. EXORBITANT WITHDRAWAL FEES: CASHING OUT FUNDS INSIDE GAZA COMES WITH EXTREME FEES—NOW UP TO 50%—DUE TO THE FINANCIAL CHOKEHOLD. Bottom Line: Despite obstacles, donations do get through and help people survive—just in smaller, harder-earned amounts.
July 27, 2025 at 9:31 PM
melissahung.bsky.social
Official aid is severely restricted:
Screenshot from abdelrahman_elgendy95's instagram account: OFFICIAL AID IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED FEWER THAN 20 AD TRUCKS PER WEEK ARE ALLOWED INTO GAZA, ALL UNDER ISRAELI MILITARY CONTROL AID IS FUNNELED THROUGH THE "GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION". A U.S. AND ISRAELI-RUN OPERATION. THESE HUBS HAVE BECOME SITES OF DAILY MASSACRES, WITH OCCUPATION SOLDIERS MASSACRING AT LEAST 798 PALESTINIANS, INCLUDING 615 AT GHF LOCATIONS ALONE.
July 27, 2025 at 9:29 PM