Outer Alliance Spotlight #2: Malinda Lo September 25, 2009
Posted by juliarios in : interviews, publications , trackbackWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #2. Each Friday the Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction. Our guest this week is Malinda Lo, author of the YA novel, Ash.
Malinda is a Chinese American lesbian, who is active in LGBTQI and POC (People of Color) awareness efforts. She was managing editor of the lesbian entertainment news site, AfterEllen.com until September of 2008, when she began writing fiction full time.
In addition to keeping a personal journal, Malinda is a member of the 2009 Debutantes LiveJournal community for new YA authors, and a maintainer for The Enchanted Inkpot YA and Middle Grade fantasy community. She lives in Northern California with her partner.
You realized that Ash was a gay character only after you’d written a first draft with her falling for the male prince. Will you actively try to include more queer content in future stories since it’s worked out so well for this one?
Yes. And actually, the first draft of any novel is so different from the final version. I don’t want it to sound like Ash was accidentally queer — I put a lot of thought into the queerness of the retelling. Also, much of Ash was already queer; I just didn’t realize it at first.
Ash’s evolution from straight to gay sort of echoed your own coming out process. Are there other ways in which Ash is like you? Or ways in which she is very different?
I actually don’t think that my coming-out process was like Ash’s at all. Ash did not evolve from straight to gay; she simply fell in love with a woman. I wish my coming-out process had been like that! Mine was much, much more convoluted and involved a lot of therapy and dealing with homophobia. Ash’s experience is truly a fantasy — I hope that more people can simply fall in love with someone, and the gender doesn’t matter at all.
In terms of other similarities or differences … obviously I identify with Ash as a character, but I also identify with her stepmother, and Kaisa, and Sidhean, and her stepsisters. I haven’t lost my parents as Ash did, but I have experienced depression. I’m not trying to marry off a daughter, but I understand the stepmother’s reasons for doing so. So I’m both similar to and different from all the characters in the book.
How long have you known your Lo-Down vlog partner, Sarah Pecora, and how did you meet?
I’ve known Sarah since 2002, I think. We met through mutual friends.
During you career as an entertainment journalist, you’ve met a lot of famous people. Have you ever had a very fannish moment around any of them, or have you always managed to keep your cool?
My most fannish moment occurred when I met Anthony Stewart Head, who played Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had no idea I would become such a speechless idiot around him! He is totally charismatic and has that “I’m super cool” vibe that turned me into a total fangirl.
You make no secret of your love for Robin McKinley‘s fairy tale retellings. Can you recommend any other YA authors?
Sure! Kristin Cashore has written two novels that are fantastic: Graceling, about a girl who is gifted with the ability to kill, and Fire (out in October), about an incredibly beautiful woman known as a monster. Cindy Pon has written a really intriguing Asian fantasy called Silver Phoenix, which is full of adventure and based in Chinese myths and legends. Diana Peterfreund’s Rampant, which just came out, is about killer unicorns (seriously awesome) and the virgin hunters who are tasked with killing them.
***
Thanks, Malinda! Look for another Outer Alliance Spotlight post next Friday, and in the meantime, check out Ash:
Comments»
no comments yet - be the first?