“To be perceived is an element of putting things out in the world.” – Kalehua Kim.
The saying, “it’s never too late,” has remained applicable in every aspect of an individual’s life. Its malleability has withstood the test of time, and has wiggled its way inside the writing world where authors often find themselves struggling with an internal timer of a pending debut. Last month, the WLT’s June Third Thursday focused on exploring this phenomenon. Program Director Sarah Renne Beach moderated a conversation between writers Jennifer Eli Bowen (The Book of Kin), Parul Kapur (Inside the Mirror), and Kalehua Kim (Mele) as they talked about the progression of their literary works and eventual debut.
Jennifer Eli Bowen has always needed writing. Her earliest memories of writing began in second grade when she entered a writing competition for Mother’s Day and lost. Prior to this competition, it appears that Bowen had fostered a connection with writing, but hadn’t fully developed her relationship due to experiencing a lack of legitimacy. In her mind, her feelings weren’t authentic unless there were visible signs, and losing that competition had halfway extinguished her desire to foster her relationship with writing. It wasn’t until high school when she decided to write a love poem that she experienced the “feeling of articulating her feelings in a vulnerable way,” reigniting her desire for writing. From then on, she had a need to create something and “have it be seen by the world,” and “taken seriously by the world.” She stated that both those moments felt like “moments where (she) needed to write, and wanted it.” Yet, despite her promising desire to develop her relationship with writing, she hadn’t felt she deserved the “writer” label unless she was a published author—a feeling experienced by many. However, that never stopped Bowen from nurturing her relationship with writing. For years, Bowen would wake up at five am to write, a daily segment where she would wake up before her children and write entirely for herself. Her dedication to her work paid off when she finished her 17-year project and published The Book of Kin, a beautiful collection of essays that explores themes of family and absence.
Parul Kapur’s devotion to writing brought her stability. Growing up, Kapur was constantly on the move, and writing was the only place where she “could write down her feelings.” It gave her a sense of empowerment among the instability of moving. Before leaving New Jersey, she leaned into the empowerment of writing and expressed autonomy by hiding an autobiography in her house in order to “leave a piece of herself behind.” That mindset created Inside the Mirror, a novel about twins in pursuit of following their artistic dreams while learning how to navigate societal and familial expectations in post-colonial India in 1950s Bombay. However, her debut wasn’t the product of a few years’ work. It was the product of over twenty-five years of dedication. Kapur had numerous ideas to make an ambitious story, but what she lacked was her inability to write anything less than factual. For years, Kapur was a journalist and during her employment, she reported on nothing but the truth. It was a habit she wanted to carry into her project, often relying on her father and outside sources to recount what it was like to live in the 1950s. She didn’t want a novel that explored surface level trends, she wanted a novel that encapsulated the feeling of being a starving artist whose ambitions were restrained by the world around them. In the end, it was her attention to detail that allowed her to create a beautiful cohesive novel that follows a set of ambitious twins wanting more than what was given to them.
Kalehua Kim loved the act of writing. She would copy down song lyrics because she “loved the idea of having a blank sheet of paper.” However, despite her fondness for writing, she kept her attachment private. This trajectory continued after consulting with her mother, who advised her to set writing aside and prioritize finding a job. Yet, her love for writing never diminished. She continued to write in her spare time, occasionally submitting pieces to competitions and celebrating in silence when she’d win. For years she fostered her relationship with writing in secret, prioritizing her job and the responsibilities attached to being a mother. However, it wasn’t until her entire family was under one roof that she allowed writing to materialize in a space other than her imagination. On January 21, 2020, the United States reported its first case of COVID-19, eventually forcing millions of Americans inside their homes, including Kalehua Kim and her family. During this time, Kim sought to understand her relationship with writing by joining a series of writing workshops, allowing her to build community and a space where she could freely express her thoughts. Over time, Kim “worked so much more” after all the classes she’d taken, eventually leading her to create Mele, a collection of poems that explores themes of ancestral inheritance and multicultural identity.
This Third Thursday was truly remarkable because of how relatable it was. I’ve been writing for years but never once have I labeled myself a writer, because like many others, I’ve associated the title with published authors. However, what people don’t understand is that publication does not earn you a title, it only warrants perception. Kelehua Kim said, “to be perceived is an element of putting things out in the world,” and while others may interpret that as validation, I believe that perception is not a power exclusively offered to the public. Perception can be your own. The time and energy that you put out into the world, allows you to judge yourself. It is a stream of contribution to humanity, because you’ve put something out into the world. Whether it be a published novel or an autobiography left hidden away, only you have claimed the right of your perception.
All of the wonderful authors featured in this webinar struggled with their identity as writers because they lacked publication. However, it was their practice and ambitions that embodied a title they’d already earned. The desire and discipline to write are, in themselves, the defining characters of a writer, and a publication doesn’t make a writer any less of a creator.
Continue to support our authors by purchasing their recent releases. You can check out Jennifer Eli Bowen‘s The Book of Kin, Parul Kapur’s Inside the Mirror, and Kalehua Kim’s Mele) here.
For more insight into writing and publishing, please join the Writers’ League of Texas today, July 16, for July Third Thursday: “Men and Monsters: Writing Compelling Villains”