What does it mean for a country to exist—and be denied—at the same time?In this episode of The Interlocutor Podcast, journalist and author Chris Horton joins Tyrel Cameron Eskelson to discuss his book Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival. Horton explores Taiwan’s contested history, the roots of its democratic identity, and why the island’s future sits at the center of global geopolitics.The conversation ranges from Taiwan’s colonial past and Indigenous history to cross-Strait relations, U.S.–China tensions, and the everyday realities of living in a place many powerful countries pretend does not exist.This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in Taiwan, East Asian history, democracy, and the international order. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Chris Horton and His Journey07:06 First Impressions of Taiwan12:44 Indigenous Influence and Taiwanese Identity13:05 Humanizing Taiwan: The Importance of Indigenous Voices16:24 Taiwan's Political Landscape and Global Recognition19:03 Taiwan's Role in Global Economy and Security24:29 Understanding Taiwan's Internal Political Dynamics27:31 The Political Landscape of Taiwan36:07 Personal Encounters and Historical Perspectives43:43 The Art of Storytelling in Journalism48:16 Cycling Through Taiwan: A Journey of Discovery54:54 Taiwan's Global Significance and FutureTakeawaysChris Horton has been covering Taiwan for over a decade.Taiwan's identity is shaped by both Chinese and indigenous influences.The importance of humanizing Taiwan through local voices in journalism.Taiwan is recognized as the freest country in Asia.Taiwan's political dynamics are complex and often misunderstood.The global economy heavily relies on Taiwan's semiconductor industry.Taiwan's indigenous peoples play a crucial role in its identity.Cycling through Taiwan offers unique insights into its culture.Journalism in Taiwan faces challenges in accurately representing its identity.Taiwan's importance is increasingly recognized on the global stage.Keywords Ghost NationChris HortonTaiwan historyTaiwan China relationsCross-Strait relationsTaiwan politicsChina Taiwan conflictEast Asian historyTaiwan democracyIndigenous TaiwanJournalism TaiwanGeopolitics AsiaU.S. China TaiwanTaiwan identityThe Interlocutor Podcast#GhostNation#ChrisHorton#Taiwan#TaiwanHistory#ChinaTaiwan#Geopolitics#EastAsia#Journalism#Democracy#TheInterlocutor

Brian Hioe is a writer, activist, and founder of New Bloom Magazine. In this conversation, we explore his journey through Taiwan’s activist movements, his work as a journalist and cultural commentator, and his transition into writing fiction.We discuss the intersection of politics and art, how activism shapes identity, and the challenges and responsibilities of documenting social movements. Brian also reflects on Taiwan’s evolving sense of self, generational change, and the role of storytelling in shaping political consciousness.This conversation offers insight into Taiwan’s contemporary culture and the intellectual and emotional experiences of those working at the intersection of activism, literature, and history.Topics discussed include:• Taiwan’s activist movements and political culture• The relationship between art and activism• The founding and mission of New Bloom Magazine• Writing fiction as a political and personal act• Identity, generation, and Taiwan’s futureIf you’re interested in Taiwan, activism, writing, or contemporary political culture, this conversation offers a thoughtful and firsthand perspective.Subscribe for more long-form conversations with writers, historians, and thinkers.

Over a Dozen Taiwan Conversations: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1myyPDmPgIbR14nXwCHofvw-LtJ5IInOHashtags#BrianHioe#Taiwan#TaiwanPolitics#Activism#WritingLife#Journalism#PoliticalCulture#TaiwanIdentity#NewBloom#AuthorInterview#Podcast#LongformInterview#Taipei#SocialMovements#WritersOfYouTubeKeywords Brian HioeBrian Hioe interviewBrian Hioe TaiwanNew Bloom MagazineTaiwan activismTaiwan politics interviewTaiwan identityTaiwan writersTaiwan political cultureSunflower Movement TaiwanTaiwan journalist interviewactivist interviewwriter interview long formauthor interview podcastTaiwan intellectualsTaiwan culture discussionTaiwan democracyTaipei activistspolitical writingAsian politics interview

What shapes a writer’s voice—place, culture, or identity?In this in-depth conversation, novelist Ed Lin shares his upbringing in New York, how his family talked about Taiwan, and what it was like to finally experience Taiwan for himself.We also dive into his popular Taipei Night Market Mysteries series—exploring how culture, food, and setting shape his storytelling and crime fiction.This episode is perfect for fans of mystery novels, cultural storytelling, and anyone interested in Taiwan, identity, and the writing process.We talk about:How Taiwanese culture was described in his childhoodWhat surprised him most about visiting TaiwanThe energy and meaning of Taipei’s night marketsHow Taiwan shapes his Taipei Night Market Mysteries seriesIf you're curious about Taiwan, Taipei street life, or stories of identity and belonging, this episode offers a unique, personal lens.Hashtags#EdLin #Taiwan #Taipei #MysteryBooks #CrimeFiction #AuthorInterview #Podcast #WritingLife #TaipeiNightMarket #AsianAmerican #storytelling KeywordsEd Lin interview, Taipei Night Market Mysteries, Taiwan culture podcast, Taiwanese American author, New York upbringing immigrant story, mystery writer interview, crime fiction author, books about Taiwan, Taipei night markets, writing process author, Asian American identity podcast, novelist interview long form

In this episode of The Interlocutor Podcast, I speak with author TC Brown about his memoir Made in Taiwan: A Naive American's Chaotic Journey to Manhood in an Exotic Culture During Radical Times.We explore Brown’s journey from his early life in the United States to his decision to join the Air Force, and what happened when he arrived at Taiwan’s CCK Air Base in the late 1960s.Brown shares vivid stories of life on base, his role as a “sky cop,” and his encounters with fellow servicemen and local communities. Our conversation dives into the realities of military life abroad, including culture shock, relationships, the tropical environment, and the era’s undercurrents of drugs, alcohol, and personal transformation.Some stories come directly from the book, others emerge organically in this wide-ranging, candid discussion.If you're interested in memoir, military history, or cross-cultural experiences in East Asia, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.#Taiwan #USAirForce #MilitaryMemoir #VietnamEra #PodcastInterview #ExpatLife #HistoryPodcast #EastAsia #CulturalExperience #memoir TC Brown interview, Made in Taiwan memoir, US Air Force Taiwan, CCK Air Base history, 1960s Taiwan American military, sky cop Air Force, expat Taiwan history, Vietnam era Asia, military life abroad stories, Interlocutor Podcast, Taiwan cultural history, American in Taiwan memoir

What was it like to enter China just as it was opening to the world—and to build a life in Taiwan during one of its most pivotal eras?In this episode of The Interlocutor Podcast, I sit down with sociologist and China/Taiwan expert Thomas B. Gold to trace an extraordinary career shaped by timing, language, and immersion.We explore:His path into Chinese and Taiwanese StudiesBeing among the first Americans to study in China in the 1970sLife in Taiwan during the Vietnam War eraWorking under legendary scholar Ezra VogelServing as an interpreter for Henry Kissinger and Jet LiThe role of chance—and preparation—in shaping a careerGold shares vivid, often surprising stories from a moment when China and Taiwan were undergoing profound transformation. His core message is simple but powerful: opportunities come to those who are ready for them. Learn the language. Live the culture. Stay long enough for it to change you.If you’re interested in China, Taiwan, language learning, or how global careers actually unfold, this conversation is for you.🎙️ The Interlocutor Podcast explores ideas, lives, and the forces shaping our world through in-depth conversations.

What built modern Taiwan before semiconductors and global tech dominance?In this conversation, Dafydd Fell reflects on more than 30 years of researching, living in, and traveling across Taiwan. From politics and identity to infrastructure and industrial history, we explore the deeper forces that shaped Taiwan into what it is today.At the center of the discussion is his latest book, The Twilight Years of Taiwan's Sugar Railways, a fascinating account of one of the most unique industrial railway systems in the world, and why it is now disappearing.We discuss:The rise and decline of Taiwan’s sugar railway systemWhy this industry played a key role in Taiwan’s developmentHow Taiwan’s political system differs from EuropeWhat decades of fieldwork reveal about Taiwanese societyWhy documenting disappearing history mattersThis is a conversation about memory, transformation, and the hidden foundations of a modern nation.More Taiwan Conversations: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1myyPDmPgIbR14nXwCHofvw-LtJ5IInO#Taiwan #DafyddFell #TaiwanHistory #Railways #TSMC #AsiaPolitics #IndustrialHistory #Podcast #TaiwanCulture #Interviews Dafydd Fell interview, Taiwan history podcast, Taiwan sugar railways, Taiwan miracle economy, Taiwan industrial history, Taiwan politics explained, Taiwan development history, sugar industry Taiwan, Taiwan railway history, Taiwan documentary interview, Taiwan culture and politics, TSMC history Taiwan, Taiwan economic development

Writer and longtime Yunnan resident Colin Flahive joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about life, travel, and change in rural China through the lens of his book The Galaxy’s Last Ride: Shifting Gears in Rural China.We discuss Colin’s upbringing in Colorado, his early fascination with Asia, and how his first trip to China in 1998 became a formative turning point in his life. From studying the Three Gorges Dam to building a life in Dali, Yunnan, Colin reflects on more than two decades spent watching China transform at extraordinary speed.We also explore the motorcycle journey behind The Galaxy’s Last Ride, the cultural and geographic diversity of Yunnan, rural-to-urban migration, employing women from remote mountain villages, and the tension between preservation and modernity in China’s countryside.Along the way, Colin shares thoughts on friendship, love, storytelling, hospitality, and what he has learned from the people around him during his years living and working in China.Topics DiscussedGrowing up in ColoradoFirst arrival in China in 1998Eastern philosophy and travelThe Three Gorges DamDali and life in YunnanRural-to-urban migration in ChinaEmploying women from remote villagesMotorcycle travel across YunnanThe writing of The Galaxy’s Last RideMemory, change, and modernity in rural China#China #Yunnan #TravelWriting #ColinFlahive #RuralChina #TravelPodcast #MotorcycleTravel #Dali #ChineseCulture #AsiaTravel #TravelConversation #ThreeGorgesDam #TravelBooks #Podcast #ChinaTravelKeywordsColin Flahive, The Galaxy's Last Ride, Shifting Gears in Rural China, Yunnan, rural China, China travel, Dali China, travel writing, motorcycle travel China, China podcast, Yunnan travel, Three Gorges Dam, rural to urban migration China, life in China, travel interview, Chinese countryside, modern China, travel literature, Asia travel, China documentary, travel conversation, Yunnan villages, expat in China, China culture, travel storytelling

What makes Taiwan so unforgettable?In this episode of The Interlocutor Podcast, I sit down with travel writer and novelist Joshua Samuel Brown  @josambro  to explore his three-decade relationship with Taiwan.We talk about:Growing up in New York and first arriving in Taiwan in 1994How Taiwan became a long-term homeWriting for Lonely Planet and documenting the island’s cultureThe day-to-day reality of travel writingWhy Taiwan continues to surprise him after 30+ yearsHis latest project: a new travel book on TaiwanThis is a conversation about place, curiosity, and what it means to truly live somewhere, not just visit.If you're interested in Taiwan, travel writing, or long-term cultural immersion, this episode is for you.Check out over 20 MORE TAIWAN CONVERSATION: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1myyPDmPgIbR14nXwCHofvw-LtJ5IInO#Taiwan #TravelWriting #JoshuaSamuelBrown #LonelyPlanet #Podcast #TravelPodcast #Taipei #ExpatLife #WritersLife #AsiaTravel Joshua Samuel Brown, Taiwan travel, Taiwan podcast, Lonely Planet writer, travel writing process, living in Taiwan, expat Taiwan, Taipei life, Taiwan culture, travel author interview, writing travel books, Taiwan travel guide, Interlocutor Podcast, Asia travel writing, long term travel experience

Kerry Brown is one of the leading Western scholars of modern China, specializing in Chinese politics, history, and international relations. In this conversation, we discuss his early experiences traveling and teaching in China, the dramatic transformation of the country over the past several decades, and the complicated historical relationship between China and Taiwan.

We explore the roots of Chinese nationalism, the legacy of foreign intervention in China, and the development of Taiwan’s democratic identity since the late twentieth century. The conversation also examines “strategic ambiguity” in United States–Taiwan relations, the leadership of Xi Jinping, and why Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has become one of the most important strategic assets in the global economy.

Topics include Chinese history, geopolitics, democracy, nationalism, semiconductors, cross-strait relations, US foreign policy, and the future of East Asia.

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What draws someone to photograph the night, and stay with it for decades?In this full-length conversation, I sit down with Canadian photographer Greg Girard to explore a life shaped by cities, light, and long-term observation.We begin in Vancouver, where Greg first picked up a camera, and trace his early fascination with the urban night. From there, he recounts taking a freighter across the Pacific, arriving in Hong Kong in the 1970s and encountering, for the first time, a city defined by verticality, density, and neon.We talk about:Building a life as a photojournalist in Hong KongDocumenting the now-legendary Kowloon Walled CityHis time in Tokyo and later ShanghaiThe difference between shooting for magazines and for long-form book projectsAnd what it means to document change, not just over years, but over decadesThis is a conversation about persistence, atmosphere, and what photography can reveal about cities in transition.#GregGirard #StreetPhotography #HongKong #Tokyo #Shanghai #KowloonWalledCity #PhotographyPodcast #UrbanPhotography #NightPhotography #DocumentaryPhotography #Asia #VanishingAsia #Photojournalism #CityLife #VisualStorytelling Greg Girard, Greg Girard interview, Hong Kong photography, Kowloon Walled City photographer, Tokyo street photography 1970s, Shanghai photography documentary, night photography urban, Vancouver photography history, photojournalism vs fine art photography, documentary photography Asia, photographing cities at night, urban change photography, Vanishing Asia, Phantom Shanghai, HK PM Greg GirardGreg's Websiteshttps://www.greggirard.com/books/https://greggirard.bigcartel.com/Instagram @gregforaday PhotosIan Rees's father CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSteve Cadman London, U.K. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons