Andy

Amy Tan is a widely celebrated novelist; she’s lived enough for several lives (see her bio); and she’s a member of the Rock Bottom Remainders, a garage band made up of writers. Her most recent novel, The Valley of Amazement was published in 2013. Here are some gems from her 2013 Q&A:

on themes:

“My stories have often centered on repeating questions that have to do with our sense of self. How much is ingrained by society — or mothers? If few choices are available, how does this affect our attitude and beliefs?”

on lying:

“I’ve always taken issue with the idea that fiction writers are telling lies. Lies are meant to deceive, often with ill intent or to keep away so-called harmful truth. Whereas writers and readers are in collusion knowing that the book is fiction, one created from imagination and words, and that the writer intends for the reader to believe the story for as long as you are in it. The reader expects no less, and, in fact, if it is less than believable, the reader judges it flawed.“

on writing:

“I write because I know that one day I will die and thus I should experience as many deliberate observations, careful thoughts, wild ideas, and deep emotions as I can before that day occurs. I also have this notion — possibly a strange one — that each day is like the cessation of part of my existence. The day is gone, and the experiences have been experienced. But my writing is proof that I was alive 30, 20, 10 years ago, last week, yesterday.”

“When I go back and read my journals or fiction, I am always surprised. I may not remember having those thoughts, but they still exist and I know they are mine, and it’s all part of making sense of who I am.”

on dogs:

“A dog is happy to listen to you and disperse the particles with his wagging tail. You don’t even have to say a word. He understands implicitly.” 

Amy Tan is a widely celebrated novelist; she’s lived enough for several lives (see her bio); and she’s a member of the Rock Bottom Remainders, a garage band made up of writers. Her most recent novel, The Valley of Amazement was published in 2013. Here are some gems from her 2013 Q&A:

on themes:

“My stories have often centered on repeating questions that have to do with our sense of self. How much is ingrained by society — or mothers? If few choices are available, how does this affect our attitude and beliefs?”

on lying:

“I’ve always taken issue with the idea that fiction writers are telling lies. Lies are meant to deceive, often with ill intent or to keep away so-called harmful truth. Whereas writers and readers are in collusion knowing that the book is fiction, one created from imagination and words, and that the writer intends for the reader to believe the story for as long as you are in it. The reader expects no less, and, in fact, if it is less than believable, the reader judges it flawed.“

on writing:

“I write because I know that one day I will die and thus I should experience as many deliberate observations, careful thoughts, wild ideas, and deep emotions as I can before that day occurs. I also have this notion — possibly a strange one — that each day is like the cessation of part of my existence. The day is gone, and the experiences have been experienced. But my writing is proof that I was alive 30, 20, 10 years ago, last week, yesterday.”

“When I go back and read my journals or fiction, I am always surprised. I may not remember having those thoughts, but they still exist and I know they are mine, and it’s all part of making sense of who I am.”

on dogs:

“A dog is happy to listen to you and disperse the particles with his wagging tail. You don’t even have to say a word. He understands implicitly.” 

SOSSUSVLEI, NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA

The sand dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert are thought of as the highest sand dunes in the world; many of them are above 200 metres. The highest sand dune is nicknamed Big Daddy and is about 380 metres high. The Sossusvlei cover nearly 500 square kilometres of the Namib Desert in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia, the largest conservation area in Africa. The name has different meanings depending on who is doing the translating: it is known as “dead end marsh” as well as ‘the gathering place of water’.

Ferns.

Photo by Joanna.