How would you say these experiences shaped your career?

You went to college at 13, majoring in political science, and went to law school at 17. And then asking, “What happens when people deem your voice to be too loud? What does it mean to be penalized for speaking out?” My work also centers family and friendship I’m interested in exploring what it means to be a good friend, and I enjoy writing characters who find how much we have in common as women-the amazing extent to which we can band together and speak out. I’d say exploring identity, female empowerment, and struggling to find your voice and be heard. What would you consider the central themes of your work? I was a scholarship student and experienced poverty much like Dani, trying to claw my way into these Ivy League, ivory tower schools while wondering, “How much can you speak up about things?” All that is very much part of my personal experience I also identify with Claire because of her experiences with sexual assault. The next few years were incredibly draining, and trying to navigate that as a first-generation immigrant, as a woman of color-it made me realize that so many people in even the highest institutions are complicit. While I was in law school, I found myself dealing with the aftermath of this traumatic incident while fighting for justice in a school that just wanted to protect its brand. Yes, elements of Front Desk are inspired by my childhood, while Parachutes mirrors my own experience with sexual assault in school.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang