Michelle Lin April 20, 2021
Bestiary, published by One World / Random House, is K-Ming Chang’s debut novel. Chang’s writing style is a siren song it pulls readers into her stories of loss, survival, and multi-faceted love. A Kundiman fellow and Lambda Literary Award finalist, Chang’s work blends and breaks down genre. I first discovered Chang’s work as a poet, and reading
Bestiary feels simultaneously like coming home and a breath of fresh air. Here, we discuss intergenerational relationships, the idea of a homeland, and her writing inspirations.
Michelle Lin: Firstly, the concept of
Bestiary is magical realism and myths. Not all of it is “true”, at least literally. How do you see the role of truth and emotional truth in a novel with fantasy elements?