Happy February, friends! It might be the gloomiest month of the year (at least here in the northeast US), but today is bright and full of life because I get to share with you a brand new interview in the Debut-to-Debut series!
If you’re joining us for the first time, here’s what this series is all about: as a debut young adult author myself, (See All the Stars is coming August 14, 2018!), I found myself eager to start a conversation with a variety of authors in the debut year before, during, and after my own about their books, YA and the writing life more generally, and the experience of putting a first novel out into the world. I wanted their wisdom, and I wanted to share it with other authors, emerging writers, and readers. So each month, I chat with a fellow young adult debut novelist, and then I share our conversation with you. You can find all the interviews in the series collected right here.
I recently corresponded with Gloria Chao about her debut young adult novel American Panda (S&S/Simon Pulse, February 2018).
From the jacket:
At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.
With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.
But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?
KIT FRICK: American Panda is filled with laugh-out-loud humor. I fell immediately in love with Mei’s voice, which as I oh-so-eloquently said on Twitter immediately after reading, will make readers “laugh and probably pee a little.” (Hashtag adulting.) So: from where do you draw your comedic inspiration? What sources of comedy or humor growing up, or into adulthood, contributed to your flair for making readers laugh?
GLORIA CHAO: Thank you so much, Kit—what an amazing compliment! Hashtag goals: making my readers pee a little.
A large chunk of my writing and revising time is spent on the humor. I end up needing to cut some jokes that are too forced, and a lot of work is put into trying to get the right timing and best phrasing. I draw my comedic inspiration from TV shows (I’m a huge fan of The Office, the early Modern Family seasons, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine), stand-up comedians (Ali Wong, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer are a few of my favorites), and my husband. I never thought of myself as “funny” and I didn’t exactly set out to write a funny book—I just relayed some of the wacky things my mom and her friends say 😉
KIT: Alongside its humor, American Panda also delves deep into serious family tension and strife. There was a particular chapter (hint: 19) that I literally had to put down four or five times while reading because the anxiety was so palpable and I felt so deeply for Mei. What do you hope readers—teens and hopefully also adults such as librarians, teachers, and even parents—might take away from Mei’s difficult position torn between cultures: the Taiwanese culture of her heritage and parents; the American culture of her childhood and teen experience; and the unique university culture of MIT?
GLORIA: I hope readers, especially teens, can take away that if they feel as though they don’t belong, they are not alone. I struggled a lot growing up feeling not Chinese enough in some situations and not American enough in others, and just overall feeling not enough. Some days it felt like there were two of me—an American one at school who tried desperately to fit in despite my strict parents and my physical appearance, and a Chinese one who tried (and often failed) to obey my parents despite disagreeing with them. It’s an extremely challenging position to be in, one that I hoped to capture in the book to either 1) help teens see themselves, or 2) help teens see another experience they may not be familiar with. I had such a difficult time explaining my parents to my friends that I stopped trying—maybe this book can help others understand.
With the unique MIT culture, I wanted to show everyone what a wonderful place it is, full of students who want to learn more about the world, who want to have fun, and who are nerdy in the best way. MIT was the first place I truly felt like I belonged, and it made the most sense for Mei to find herself there as well. There are so many wonderfully weird things MIT students like to do, and since we’re not written about very often (I only know four of us who went there and decided to write for a living), I wanted to show the world a window into the weirdness.
KIT: Tell us something about American Panda that isn’t apparent from the book cover or flap copy. We want the inside scoop!
GLORIA: It’s not mentioned in the flap copy or represented on the book cover, but Mei loves to dance! She enjoys all styles (contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, traditional Chinese dance), and she likes to mix styles and music, which is a reflection of her struggle with her identity. You can look forward to learning more about Chinese ribbons, as well as the Dunhuang and Dai tribe styles! I chose to write these into the book because dance was my passion for over twenty years.
KIT: What gives you the most joy about your life as a YA writer right now? What’s bringing you satisfaction at this moment in time?
GLORIA: I am still happiest when I am writing just for me, before I let the outside world in my head, when I can play around and see where the characters take me. My favorite part of the process is when the characters come into their own and the dialogue writes itself because it’s obvious to me how they would react to certain situations. For American Panda, the mother had such a strong voice that her words just flowed out without much effort, and she was so much fun to write. For my second book, Misaligned, which I’m drafting right now (out fall 2019!), I’m finding the most joy in writing my main character’s voice and her banter with her love interest.
KIT: The publishing journey is unique for every author, but it’s safe to say that the road to book publication is filled with surprises, twists, and turns for all of us. What has surprised you most about the process of putting a first book into the world?
GLORIA: I was pleasantly surprised by how a story so unapologetically about one culture turned out to be relatable to readers from many different cultures. Thank you to everyone who has shown love for American Panda and Mei—I truly cannot express just how much it means to me. There are definitely a lot of ups and downs in publishing (which is another surprise I wasn’t prepared for), and it’s your support that helps me through the tougher days.
KIT: Drawing from your own unique experience, what advice would you to give to future young adult debut authors, or debut novelists in general?
GLORIA: Go for it because you never know what can happen! Even if you start out without official training or connections to the publishing industry (like me), as long as you have passion, it’s worth giving it a shot. And something I strive to remind myself every day: writing is a privilege, an honor, and regardless of everything else, it’s what I love to do most.
Gloria Chao is an MIT grad turned dentist turned writer. She currently lives in Chicago with her ever-supportive husband, for whom she became a nine-hole golfer (sometimes seven). She is always up for cooperative board games, Dance Dance Revolution, or soup dumplings. She was also once a black belt in kung-fu and a competitive dancer, but that side of her was drilled and suctioned out. American Panda is her debut novel, and Misaligned is forthcoming fall 2019.
Visit her tea-and-book-filled world at gloriachao.wordpress.com.
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Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press, edits for private clients, and mentors emerging writers through Pitch Wars. Her debut young adult novel is See All the Stars (Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books, August 14, 2018), and her debut full-length poetry collection is A Small Rising Up in the Lungs (New American Press, fall 2018).
American Panda is out now! Allow me to recommend your local indie, in addition to Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Stop back soon for future posts in the Debut-to-Debut Interview Series. I’ll be chatting with more fantastic authors throughout the year!