Quotes for All
I do find that people are incredibly naive about what it is to be a writer. Like you would pay an incredible amount of money for an MFA program and still not have the slightest idea of how one goes about becoming a writer. So, I’m always flabbergasted when people say, \”Oh, I was invited … Read more
I see a lot of people who have amazing stories but have been told that their work, their lives, and their stories and not the stuff of literature. Or they’re first-generation college student, first-generation American, and their family just doesn’t understand the art world. They have a lot of guilt. \”We came all the way … Read more
I you’re writing memoir, but it even comes up in fiction. People just assume that you’re writing thinly veiled autobiography. And particularly, I think, for people of color, our work is always seen as kind of anthropological artifact regardless. So, there’s always going to be that assumption, but even more so in a memoir because … Read more
When I say my work is travel, that’s what I’m doing. And part of being biracial and multicultural is I’m always playing with genre and genre expectations. So even if I say I’m doing straight memoir, you’ll see that I’m doing weird stuff with the structure. I’ve got images, I’ve got lyrics, and I’ve got … Read more
I have a theory that, for people of color or others who have been cut out of the master narrative, just telling your personal survival tale, your story, is civic engagement. It is a kind of political performance and is really crucial in that storytelling is how the writers connect with people and change. It’s … Read more