----------Interview by Renee Roberson
WOW: Hana, congratulations again and thank you for being here today! "What They Call Me" features a series of vignettes involving your mother's experience after moving to the United States from Japan. How did you decide which scenes to include in this essay? Were there any in the first draft that you decided to edit out?
Hana: I interviewed my mother to decide which scenes to include. When the opportunity to write about her life presented itself, I went to her with an open mind and no parameters, then took extensive notes on everything she described. I remember one specific question I asked: what feeling do you want readers to be left with at the end of this piece? Initially I thought she’d say something like, “An inkling of hope for a better future,” but it was the opposite. She wanted to convey the bitter hopelessness in realizing that she couldn’t return home. That she’d been torn from her family and trapped in 1960s Kansas City, surrounded by hostile strangers, including her own mother. She rarely talked about her past while I was growing up, and after I became an adult, I finally understood it was because of the pain she carried.
I didn’t edit out any scenes. They all came together naturally, I had no idea what they’d become. I only knew that portraying the emotional nuances would be the most important aspect. I’m grateful to Cleaver Magazine for giving me the chance to tell my mother’s story, and now to WOW! Women on Writing for spreading it farther.
WOW: What do you think makes a compelling piece of creative nonfiction?
Hana: I hesitate to tell a reader—and especially a writer—what I think compelling creative nonfiction is. There are so many experiences that can be portrayed in so many different ways, along with narrative techniques that are easy to get tangled up in. I suppose my answer is this: truth in the story, and trust in the voice. Even the most mundane topics become fascinating when the author isn't afraid to be mundane.
WOW: What is your process like for finding markets for your writing?
Hana: Because I’m a writer who does a little bit of everything, I tend not to fit into one market or another. Sometimes I lean toward literary fiction, sometimes toward speculative—it depends on my mood! Readers who prefer cross-genre work may enjoy this multifaceted niche I call home. I love connecting with them and trust that they’ll find me of their own volition.
WOW: It can be difficult writing a piece on such a personal topic such as family history and trauma. Do you have any tips on how to best get started?
Hana: I’d say to set aside rules, techniques, and thoughts about craft during the first drafting process. Editing and refinement can come later, follow your spiritual pull. Some writers may want to approach their stories from a more emotional perspective while others remain at a distance. Allowing yourself to tell it in whatever way feels right, is right. In my case, the first step was to just sit down and listen.
WOW: Are you working on anything new? We'd love to hear about it!
Hana: I’d love to write a prequel to “What They Call Me” that takes place back in Japan and features a strange event my mother went through. But the latest short story I just finished writing is reminiscent of Mrs. Caliban, a novel about a neglected housewife who has an affair with an amphibious humanoid man. I also finished a flash fiction piece that’s based on a memory of mine as a dancer, where I was gifted something I haven’t forgotten to this day. And whichever route I choose to go for a debut novel, I’ll likely put my heritage on full display. I have a particular interest in Japanese mythology, so we’ll see where that ends up taking me in the future.
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