Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:52
#AuthorInterview | Talking about the cost of beauty with Natural Beauty author Ling Ling Huang
Ling Ling Huang is a violinist and writer. She's committed to expanding the concepts of tradition and is an active presence in the New York musical scene, appearing on stages from Carnegie Hall to national sawdust. Her debut novel, Natural Beauty, which we'll be discussing here on Swell in this interview was published just this month by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Very excitingly. Constance Wu and Drew Commons are producing a series adaptation as well
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 1:19
Ling Ling. I'd love to start out by talking about the evolution of this novel. I know that this story is deeply personal to you and that it was informed by many of your various experiences across differing identities that intersect, such as being a child of first generation immigrants, a retail salesperson in the natural beauty and wellness world, and also as a classical violinist. When did you decide to make the leap from conceptualizing and being deeply interested in your own experiences to transforming them into fiction?
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:40
We have a lot of writers and readers on swell from all over the world writing about and creating within many different cultural contexts. I'm curious, based on your experience in working on your debut, if, upon reflection, now that it's out in the world for readers to enjoy, if you have any writing advice that either helped you get through the writing of your first novel or that you now have based on experience that you would share with any writers who are working on their first books now
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 1:59
By choosing to fail, particular cultural values that lead to destructive things in our lives or disowning our heritage, or feeling pressured to assimilate can be really powerful. I'm curious if there are any other ways that failure has been a part of your journey in important or meaningful ways, not only as a violinist and someone making their way through the world as a creative, but also in the journey or story of the creation of this novel and getting it out into the world
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:44
And if there is anything you want to share in relation to that and celebrate with us here on Swell. Congratulations on having your debut out in the world, Lingling. I'm so grateful to be in conversation with you about it
Ling Ling Huang
@lingkachu · 0:54
Compared to them, I had every possible advantage and I was still struggling. I was also thinking of the two worlds I found myself straddling classical music and the Queen beauty and wellness world. I found a lot of parallels there. Eventually, this love letter to my parents and classical music and the false promises of the music and wellness industries became a novel. I think that writing it as a piece fiction gave me the distance and the space to process everything
Ling Ling Huang
@lingkachu · 1:10
You're. This is ling to sound like such a cliche, but write your debut for yourself. Write everything for yourself. It's easy, I think, especially if you haven't had your debut novel come out to try and predict what the market might be looking for, and to always think of it as something that's outside of your voice, for your own experiences. But what I've really found is that people resonate the most with words that are personal
Ling Ling Huang
@lingkachu · 2:06
So I tend to think that everyone else is right, but sometimes their criticism doesn't align with what I'm trying to do with my work. So I am currently trying to find a balance between being open to failure, but also being an advocate for myself and what I'm trying to do
Ling Ling Huang
@lingkachu · 1:45
I'm just so excited that I found the perfect partners for Natural Beauty. Another very recent obsession I have is the book by Ed Young in Immense World. I just started it a couple of days ago, so I haven't finished it. But it is so mind blowing and educational and fun
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 2:33
Thank you so much for these beautiful and generous replies. I smiled so much when you said that your book began as notes in your phone, because that is so in line with how many of my pieces and projects have started as well. And your advice about writing your debut for yourself, writing everything for yourself, is such wonderful advice and I think isn't said enough