On Wednesday, September 7, DePauw welcomed writer Michael Wang to discuss his short story collection “Further News of Defeat” and his forthcoming novel “Lost in the Long March.”
Wang was born in China and immigrated to the United States at the age of six. He holds an MFA in fiction from Purdue University and a PhD in literature from Florida State University. DePauw Professor Joseph Heithaus, the coordinator of the Kelly Writers Series, described Wang as someone who “delivers stories of remarkable symmetry.”
At the event, Wang read a chapter called “The Fable of the Footless Man” from his novel. According to him, the chapter is based on ancient Chinese mythology when China was divided into many nations.
Following the reading, attendees were invited to participate in a Q&A session in which Wang talked about his writing process, answered questions about his short story collection, and gave advice on pursuing fiction.
“The most important piece of advice I can give [to young writers] is to try not to hate your work,” Wang said. “I think writing is about 80% persistence and 20% talent. If you stick with it, you're going to get published and find an audience. Go easy on yourself and persist.”
According to Wang, what helps his writing process is paying attention to small details from his day-to-day life and taking notes for his stories.
“Before the advent of cell phones, I would carry around a notepad and if I thought of something from real life that would make a great detail, I would jot it down,” Wang said.
Wang also touched on the process of submitting his work to literary magazines.
“When I think a story is done, it’s probably not done,” Wang said. “If I submit it [my work] to, say, 20 different places with no acceptance, I’ll set it aside for a couple of weeks and revise a little bit.”
Professor Heithaus reflected on Wang’s reading and said, “I thought the reading was great. I couldn't be happier about the turnout to hear Michael X. Wang's work that takes a primarily U.S. audience into a world of rural China he lived as a child and has been told about all his life.”
Senior English writing major Emma Gillam said it was nice to see that many people were interested in the Kelly Writers Series events after COVID.
“I enjoyed the passages Wang read and I also appreciated how he gave out so many of his craft secrets,” Gillam said.
The next Kelly Writers Series event will take place on October 5, featuring DePauw alum Siel Ju.