Kirstin Chen

thumb|Kirstin Chen in 2022 Kirstin Chen is a Singaporean-American writer. She is the author of the novels Soy Sauce for Beginners and Bury What We Cannot Take. Quotes My experience of Singapore has always been the duality of it. On the surface, it’s so Westernized and cosmopolitan… but underneath it, there are all these layers of deep-rooted conservatism that highly influence life in Singapore. I wanted to show that [duality]. As quoted in "Kirstin Chen Ventures Out Of Singapore With Novel Set In 1950s Maoist China" in Forbes (27 April 2018) When I see all the immigration policies that are happening and the way this country [United States] is treating refugees, for me to say, ‘I’m an expat, not an immigrant, and therefore I can turn a blind eye,’ that’s not a moral and ethical way to live. As quoted in "Kirstin Chen Ventures Out Of Singapore With Novel Set In 1950s Maoist China" in Forbes (27 April 2018) My favorite part of my job is never having to doubt that I’m doing something of value. And I don’t mean this in the global sense; there are more practical ways to help people. But I do think that--and this may be selfish--I am working at something that’s making me a better human. As quoted in "Kirstin Chen Ventures Out Of Singapore With Novel Set In 1950s Maoist China" in Forbes (27 April 2018) I’m Singaporean and I’m Chinese, so, yes, food is a big part of my life and of my writing. Because I write mainly Asian characters and settings for a predominantly American audience, food is just one more way to explore my characters’ cultures and customs in a manner that (I hope) never feels forced. As quoted in "Asian Contemporary Voices: Interview with Kirstin Chen, author of Bury What We Cannot Take" in Asian Books Blog (9 April 2018) I tried as much as possible not to view my characters through a modern lens. Obviously it’s very difficult to put aside my personal biases and experiences, but I tried not to psychoanalyze my characters from the vantage point of 2018. I tried not to impose my own beliefs onto them, and I tried not to let whatever was happening around me color the way that I was telling the story. As quoted in "#KOLLABSFGETSLIT With Kirstin Chen, Author of Bury What We Cannot Take" in Kollaboration San Francisco (6 November 2018) Essay writing is very difficult for me. Part of it may be that I grew up in a very private family. You know how in Asian families you don't air your dirty laundry? Additionally, I think I've always been drawn to writing because I love to imagine, so fiction seems the natural fit. I love imagining settings and characters and situations, and I guess essay writing doesn't fulfill me in the same way. As quoted in "#KOLLABSFGETSLIT With Kirstin Chen, Author of Bury What We Cannot Take" in Kollaboration San Francisco (6 November 2018) I really love that slogan “Empowerment through Entertainment”. Literature is really the only art form that lets readers access the deepest thoughts and emotions of a character. It's so powerful to be able to understand and empathize with a character who on the surface may seem completely different from you. As quoted in "#KOLLABSFGETSLIT With Kirstin Chen, Author of Bury What We Cannot Take" in Kollaboration San Francisco (6 November 2018) External links Category:Novelists from Singapore Category:Living people Category:Women authors from Singapore Category:Stanford University alumni