A way of thinking
“When I write in Japanese, I think completely in Japanese.” Fascinated as a young teen by Japanese manga and anime, Li began studying Japanese on her own at age 15. This led eventually to formal coursework and reading of Japanese literature. In just over a decade, she developed a subtle understanding of the language. “Every language is unique in some way.” Publishing in a non-native language has indeed been a challenge.
After she won the Gunzo Award for New Writers in 2017 for Solo Dance, Li went on to publish her book in Chinese at the invitation of Unitas Publishing. She then translated Count to Five and the Crescent Moon into Chinese, and now a Chinese version of An Island Where the Equinox Flowers Bloom is expected to come out eventually.
“When I translate my own works, needless to say I understand the author’s intent.” It is a natural and fun task for her. “After all, Chinese was the language of my education in Taiwan, and I majored in Chinese at university.”
“My first exposure to the classics of Chinese and Western literature was through children’s versions.” Growing up in a remote rural area, Li had parents who believed strongly in the value of education and made sure she had lots of books to read. As a junior-high student facing the intense pressure of upcoming senior-high entrance exams, reading was her only outlet.
“But I wasn’t exposed to serious literature until I was in senior high school.” Eileen Chang, Kenneth Pai, Chien Chen... one after another, Li soaked up their writings like a sponge. “For me, Chien Chen’s Water Questions was a real eye-opener.” The rigorous logic of it awakened Li to the delving and sifting that can take place within dialogue. “Extensive reading is the only way to make progress.” Li acknowledges that her narrative style in Solo Dance was influenced by Qiu Miaojin. “When I wrote Solo Dance, I had just finished rereading Qiu’s Notes of a Crocodile.” But it was Afterwards, a novel by Lai Hsiang-yin, that taught Li what true healing is all about and prompted the writing of Solo Dance. Also, a series of lesbian novels by Kaho Nakayama trained Li to appreciate gay and lesbian literature from a different perspective.
“The locations in my novels—the US, China, Sydney—are all places I’ve been to myself.” Experiences and observations acquired on the road are sources of inspiration for her writing. Fact checkers would find that the details of fictitious scenes match up with reality. The multiplicity of languages spoken in An Island Where the Equinox Flowers Bloom, which sparked strong interest on the Japanese literary scene, originated in Li’s own formidable gift and enthusiasm for languages. “I’m very interested in phonology.” Li is thankful that learning has fed into her creativity.
“Besides double-majoring in Chinese and Japanese literature, I was also very interested in sociology.” After enrolling at National Taiwan University, Li plunged into exploration of ideas on gender identity, feminism, and sociology, all of which have informed her subsequent work as an author and translator.