What do you want your readers to know about All These Little Stars?
All These Little Stars is a collection of stories that connect to me in some way. Some are abstract (stories and poems that highlight my views of love, loss, and everything in between) while others are more concrete (stories about my family and my interests). This collection is, essentially, just me boiled down to what I feel are my essential parts.
What inspired you to write All These Little Stars?
My inspiration came from the adage “write what you know”. When I got the opportunity to publish with Read Furiously, I gathered the writings that I had done over the years and looked for something to connect them as well as a way to integrate new works without it becoming disjointed. What I ultimately realized is that the works that I wanted to showcase focused on what I knew, when I wrote about myself, whether directly or indirectly. So, those ultimately became the many little stars that made me up in this collection.
The poetry and stories in this book are an eclectic blend of mixed form with each one having their own distinct "personalities." Is there a particular story or poem in the collection that you feel speaks directly to you and your experiences? Or, dare we say it, do you have a favorite?
I love all of my works equally (said every author ever) but if I had to pick it would be a tie between 9,100 km and Pocket-Sized Gods. The first speaks to a story that I hold close to my heart: how my family came to America and all of the trials and tribulations that come with it. It’s deeply personal and is a story that reminds me how I got here and how much those I love most have done to get us to this point. The second is my analysis of the many gods I’ve learned and read about, how I reconcile with their stories and just my musings on how amazing it is that such contradictory ideas can fall under the same umbrella term “god”. These are some of the first stories and yet we still find new ways to tell them; that, to me, is one of the many reasons I love storytelling.What is your favorite quote from All These Little Stars?
It’s another tie sadly. This one between “Writers can be cruel gods some days” as that line always makes me giggle for how true it is, and “Cheers to these pocket-sized gods that I carry with me,” since it seems only polite to raise a glass to such powerful stories.
What are the top 5 books that everyone needs to read?
The Night Circus and The Starless Sea, both by Erin Morgenstern (the world-building is phenomenal), Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett (the jokes had me actually rolling on the floor laughing) and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (it’s a fascinating look at a man as he rediscovers himself).
What are you reading right now?
Right now, I am finishing the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. A friend of mine recommended it to me and it is everything I love about the fantasy genre: compelling characters, consistent world-building, and a strong plot to hold it all together.
What are your reading goals for 2023?
To read what I can whenever I can. Life can and continues to be crazy, so when I get a moment to sit and dive into a good book, I endeavor to take it.
Anything else that you want our readers to know?
Thank you. Truly, for all the support you have given me. I hope this book reminds you that, despite the darkness, there is a little bit of light out there. You just have to look up.
All These Little Stars is available wherever books are sold.
All These Little Stars is available wherever books are sold.