Elaine Hsieh Chou’s latest release is the story collection “Where Are You Really From.” A Southern California native, the author spoke with Michael Schaub about the book and she takes the Book Pages Q&A here.
Q: How do you decide what to read next?
I typically have a stack of books (looking at me imploringly from my desk) that I want to read and when it comes time to select one, I tend to choose by mood: Do I want to read something contemplative or thrilling or humorous?
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Q: Do you remember the first book that made an impact on you?
“Little Women.” I first read it when I was in the fourth grade (I ordered it from the Scholastic catalogue). I’m not sure why it captivated me so much but I read it over and over and over. I think I loved how rich and detailed of a world it was, how it wasn’t like the shorter chapter books I was used to reading, so the characters change over a long period of time. And it is a fantastically dramatic book! I loved it so much that in the sixth grade, I adapted part of it into a play and asked three of my friends to act in it with me. I am appalled no adult videotaped my first foray into playwriting/directing.
Q: What’s something – a fact, a bit of dialogue or something else – that stayed with you from a recent reading?
I recently read the ARC of Larissa Pham’s forthcoming novel, “Discipline.” There is a moment at the end that quite frankly stole my breath away. I cried, which hasn’t happened from reading a book in a long time. I wish I could say more but it would spoil the entire novel. I texted Larissa afterwards, exclaiming how it was a perfect ending because it was inevitable and unexpected at the same time.
Q: Do you have any favorite book covers?
Oh, where to begin! “Pizza Girl” by Jean Kyoung Frazier, “A Touch of Jen” by Beth Morgan, “Butter” by Asako Yuzuki, “The Man With The Compound Eyes” by Wu Ming-Yi, “Valleyesque” by Fernando A. Flores, “The Hole” by Hiroko Oyamada, “My Baby First Birthday” by Jenny Zhang, “Winter in Sokcho” by Elisa Shua Dusapin, “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain” by George Saunders, “Nicotine” by Nell Zink.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or books?
I fear I would take up a whole page if I were to name all my favorite books, so having just released a short story collection, I will name some of my favorite story collections in no particular order: “Nice Big American Baby” by Judy Budnitz, “Yellow” by Don Lee, “Birds of America” by Lorrie Moore, “Toddler Hunting” by Taeko Kono, “Get in Trouble” by Kelly Link, “Fever Dogs” by Kim O’Neil, “Sour Heart” by Jenny Zhang, “Skinship” by Yoon Choi, “Bad Behavior” by Mary Gaitskill, “The Woman Who Cut Off Her Leg at the Maidstone Club” by Julia Slavin, “In the Heart of the Heart of the Country” by William H. Gass.”
Q: Which books do you plan, or hope, to read next?
On my current physical “to read” shelf are “Moderation” by Elaine Castillo, “Colored Television” by Danzy Senna, “Open Throat” by Henry Hoke, “Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise” by Lin Yi-Han and “The Centre” by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi, plus two ARCs: “Superfan” by Jenny Tinghui Zhang and “The Adjunct” by Maria Adelman.
Q: Is there a person who made an impact on your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian or someone else?
I would say the teachers I had as an undergraduate student studying creative writing at UC Irvine, particularly Kim O’Neil and Michelle Latiolais. These teachers introduced me to story collections that left a lasting impression on me to this day: “The Girl in the Flammable Skirt” by Aimee Bender, “Black Tickets” by Jayne Anne Phillips and “Night Work” by Christine Schutt. When I started writing fiction again after a long hiatus, I returned to these collections as both guidance and inspiration.
For more about the author, go to www.elainehsiehchou.com