This afternoon’s read comes courtesy of Curtis Chin, whose debut memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, comes out in 3 weeks’ time! There’s still plenty of time to preorder, of course, but in the meantime, give this interview a quick read and find out why you should be.
But first, before we start, you can also follow Curtis on twitter!
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? How old were you when you wrote your first story?
As a kid, I always thought I would work at my family’s Chinese restaurant. It wasn’t until high school, after a family friend was murdered, that I started to take an interest in journalism and expressing myself through words.
What pieces of media would you say were formative for you? Do you see any of their features in your own writing?
I watched a lot of TV as a kid, mostly sitcoms on ABC. I like to think my pieces have a bit of family friendly humor.
When you close your eyes and imagine an apple, what do you see? An actual apple, a sketch of one, a blackness? Do you think that impacts your writing process?
I see a laptop.
When you’re building your world, what do you focus on? How do you try to make it come to life?
My book is a memoir, so I try to think back to my childhood. Speaking to my mom and my siblings helps bring me back to that time period.
What projects are you currently working on? Can you share any details yet?
I am working on projects for PBS and Warner Bros. That’s all I can say.
Three pictures that capture the aesthetic of your book?
Chinese food, Diana Ross, cars.
Three songs you would put on your book’s soundtrack?
Young Americans by David Bowie, Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper and Stop! In the Name of Love by the Supremes.
What would be your dream project?
A limited series.
Which of your characters would you most want to fight a zombie apocalypse with?
Hmm, I’m not a fighter.
You’re stuck on a desert island and you’re allowed only three (LGBT) books. What are you taking?
Edinburgh, Boys Come First, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
You can collaborate on anything with anyone in the LGBT community: who would it be and why?
Ryan Murphy. He makes great TV.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the non-profits’ first Executive Director. He went on to write for network and cable television before transitioning to social justice documentaries. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in twenty countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His memoir, “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant” will be published by Little, Brown in Fall 2023. His essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023.
Follow on Goodreads | Preorder Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant
