Contemporary Authors

contemporary_authorsA week ago, I was contacted by Contemporary Authors.  They told me I’ll be included in the next edition of the reference and asked me if I wanted to answer some questions for the sidebar part of the entry.

I have fond memories of these reference volumes.  I used CA a number of times when I wrote term papers for my English classes, both in high school and college, so to be actually listed in one is quite an honor.  True, I’ll be one of 112,000 writers listed there, but hey, I’m thrilled to have joined the fray!

And now, the questions they asked and the answers I provided.

What first got you interested in writing?

Two words, one name: Stephen King.  Back when I was a sophomore in high school, I was introduced by a friend to The Dead Zone, the first book I read purely for pleasure, and after reading King’s first short story collection, Night Shift, I attempted to write my first short story.  I’m fairly certain it featured some supernatural storyline, and I’m absolutely certain it was terrible.  But we all have to start out somewhere.

Who or what particularly influences your work?

I met Stewart O’Nan at Cornell back in 1992, when he taught my first creative writing workshop.  His editorial eye is unparalleled, and his body of work inspires me to write truthfully, to stick close to my characters.  Stewart also introduced me to Richard Yates, another writer whose literary currency was brutal, beautiful honesty.

Describe your writing process.

I write an hour before work.  On the days I’m not at work, I write from nine to noon.  But of course, life gets in the way, and sometimes the hour becomes half an hour, but I still try to sit in front of the laptop every day.

What is the most surprising thing you have learned as a writer?

There always seems to be a part – it may be as small as a sentence or as large as an entire chapter of  a novel – that seems so good, so perfect, that I won’t want to change it, even if it isn’t quite working.  But then I finally do rewrite it, and it actually turns out better than what I had before.  There’s nothing so flawlessly written that it cannot be improved.

What kind of effect do you hope your books will have?

When fiction really works, it has the power to make you forget about everything else going on in your life.  For those hours you spend reading, you’re living the life of the people in that book, a completely immersive experience, and perhaps an enlightening one, too.  That’s what I want for my readers.

Alaska Surprises a Great Indoorsman

homer

I was recently interviewed for a travel Q&A by Tribune Media Services.  The piece should be making its rounds this Sunday in various newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, though the Hartford Courant gets a gold star for having it up faster than anyone:

With his critically acclaimed debut novel, “Everything Asian,” Sung J. Woo succinctly and poignantly captures a year in the life of a 12-year-old immigrant who tries to navigate life in the United States while trying to understand his estranged father. A resident of Washington, N.J., the 38-year-old author chats about his recent trip to Alaska and how he gets the best hotel deals.

[read more]

For the full text of the interview (parts that didn’t make the cut), check out the wonderful website of Jae-Ha Kim, the interviewer.

Alumni Profile at Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences

cornell_artsA few months ago, I gave an interview for the revamped website for Cornell’s Colleges of Arts & Sciences:

Sung Woo’s first novel, “Everything Asian,” has just been released. Yet Sung began at Cornell in the College of Engineering, “on a practical career path,” studying material science engineering. “I’ve always been decent in math,” he explains, “and I thought I could grin and bear it for four years.” He lasted one semester.

You can read the rest of it at the Alumni Profiles section.

A Pair of Interviews

fictionwritersreviewI was fortunate enough to be interviewed by two excellent publications recently.  The first one is in Fiction Writers Review, conducted by Jeremiah Chamberlin when I was in Ann Arbor for the book festival this past May.   We gabbed for a good hour and had a grand old time about my novel and writing in general.  If you haven’t visited Fiction Writers Review, do so immediately.  The number of wonderful writers who’ve contributed so many sharp analyses about the art of fiction is nothing short of staggering.

thebrowserThe second interview was with The Browser, and this one is a little different.  Anna Blundy asked me to name five books about the Asian American Experience, and although I was initially stumped (five is tough!), I managed to come up with a list that is representative of my very personal view at that specific point in time (i.e., totally, completely subjective).  Regardless, it was a great opportunity to discuss a quintet of very different Asian American works.

5/28: Drinks with Tony

pirate_cat_sungYesterday I drank with Tony — that is, I was at Pirate Cat Radio in the Mission District of San Francisco doing an interview.  Up first is Andy Raskin talking about his book The Ramen King and I, and then it’s me, and then we wrap up the show with Rebekah Anderson of Debut Lit, the great folks who put together my west coast launch.

Listen to the podcast (about two hours long, so sit back and enjoy!)

San Francisco Week

hiveLater this week I’ll be in San Francisco, for the west coast launch at The Hive.  The essentials:

Saturday, May 30
Doors open at 7 pm; reading at 7:30 pm
The Hive, San Francisco
Pacific Avenue at Hyde (21+)

I’ll be reading with Andy Raskin, author of The Ramen King and I.  Check out the quick entry in the Chronicle’s weekly Literary Guide.

In addition, we’ll be drinking with Tony on Thursday:

Thursday, May 28
4pm – 6pm
Pacific Time
87.9fm, San Francisco
Streamed at Pirate Cat Radio
Hosted by Tony DuShane

hyphen-logoHyphen Magazine, based in San Francisco, interviewed me via email a little while ago, and now it’s up: The WRITE Questions with Sung Woo.

One thing I’ll definitely do in this great city: stand in line with everybody else at Tartine Bakery.  We did it last time we were there, and I can’t wait to go back.

Google Alert and Korean Interview

google_alertIn preparation for the avalanche of media coverage that will be exploding like a volcano (talk about mixing some bad metaphors), I have set up a Google Alert with my name, and lo and behold, I actually got a hit.  The article is from my hometown newspaper, the Warren Reporter.  It all looks good, except they said my novel came out last month.  But hey, press is press, so I’m grateful.

koreadailyThe other bit of news I found today was that an email interview I did a little while ago got in The Korea Daily.  It’s been there for about two weeks, so if I hadn’t been so lazy setting up my Google Alert, maybe this would’ve been my first.  In any case, for those who want to read the interview in English that I’d originally done with the reporter, check out the exchange below.  The Korean version has been shifted around here and there, but it’s basically the same thing.


Continue reading