The Artist's Statement
By Davin Malasarn
The Artist's StatementDec 12, 2023
Justin Torres: Inheriting Ghosts
2023 National Book Award for Fiction winner Justin Torres joins us to discuss his novels We The Animals (2011, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and Blackouts (2023, Farrar, Straus and Giroux). We talk about what Torres considers success in his writing, the value of fiction that diverges from the realm of reality, and how he approached his award-winning new work.
Inspired in part by the book Sex Variants: A Study in Homosexual Patterns, Blackouts moves between fact and fiction as it explores the life of an unnamed narrator referred to as "nene," his older friend Juan Gay, and historical figure Jan Gay. Torres creates stories from what's missing, challenging readers to confront questions that have no answers.
Torres's bestselling debut, We the Animals, won the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, was translated into fifteen languages, and was adapted into a feature film. He was named a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35,” a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, and a Cullman Center Fellow at the New York Public Library. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Granta, Tin House, The Washington Post, LA Times Image Magazine, and Best American Essays.
Host: Davin Malasarn
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation.
K-Ming Chang: Language Denaturalized
Chang is a Kundiman fellow, a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, and an O. Henry Prize Winner.
In this conversation, we discuss her evolving view of books and the characters she gives agency to. We delve into her earliest writing experiences and how she keeps in touch with those childhood inspirations. We also explore her use of language as a driving force for her writing and how she is finding counter-narratives for the creative process.
Chang discusses her inspirations, including Maxine Hong Kingston, Dorothy Allison, and Justin Torres. She reads from Gods of Want and Organ Meats.
Host: Davin Malasarn
Denton Loving: Building Monuments
Season 3, Episode 1, features poet Denton Loving. He is the author of two poetry collections, Crimes Against Birds, published by Main Street Rag in 2014, and his new book, Tamp, published by Mercer University Press earlier this year. Set in Appalachia,Tamp's central theme focuses on the grief and sense of loss that followed the death of Loving’s father. He also explores ancestry, religion, and our interactions with both the natural and dream worlds.
Loving’s work has appeared in River Styx, Iron Horse Literary Review, The Chattahoochee Review among other journals. He earned his MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and has received scholarships and fellowships from organizations such as the Eckerd College Writers Conference and the Key West Literary Seminars.
For over a decade, he co-directed the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival at Lincoln Memorial University where he also co-edited drafthorse: the literary journal of work and no work. He’s also a co-founder and editor at EastOver Press and its literary journal Cutleaf.
Loving reads "The Fence Builder," "Genealogy," "A Love Poem about an Exploding Cow," "Hag Stone, Hex Stone, Holy Stone," and "There is a barn."
Host: Davin Malasarn. Music by Joe Rivers. Artwork by Ayumi Takahashi.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation.
Nicole Sealey: So Much To See
Season 2, Episode 3 brings you poet and inaugural Granum Foundation Prize winner, Nicole Sealey. We begin the discussion with Sealey's earlier works, The Animal After Whom Other Animals Are Named (Northwestern University Press, 2016) and Ordinary Beast
(Ecco, 2017). Sealey recounts her editorial decisions in her first publications, and how they sparked ideas for new work. We also explore her sources of inspiration, including a conversation with her mother, and the role of form in propelling her creations. In the second half of the episode, we discuss her award winning project, "The Ferguson Report: An Erasure," which she describes as "a lyric lamentation on police brutality." The book adapts the pages of the Department of Justice’s 2015 report, which details bias policing and court practices in Ferguson, Missouri, to create an evocative poem that strives to bring to life the stories of those who have suffered from them.
She reads "Candelabra with Heads," "In Defense of Candelabra with Heads," "The First Person Who Will Live to Be One Hundred and Fifty Years Old Has Already Been Born," and "Object Permanence." Sealey also provides a preview from "The Ferguson Report: An Erasure."
Julie Otsuka: Swimming Through Memories
Season 2, Episode 2 features Julie Otsuka, best-selling author of When the Emperor Was Divine, The Buddha in the Attic, and her latest novel, The Swimmers. We discuss the inspiration and evolution of The Swimmers, and some of the technical challenges associated with Otsuka's frequent use of the first person plural point of view. She discusses how she became a writer and her work routines, including how they have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explore how Otsuka relies on intuition and intellect to create her work.
In this interview, Otsuka reads excerpts from The Swimmers, including the opening pages and a selection from her chapter entitled "Belavista."
Host: Davin Malasarn. Music by Joe Rivers. Artwork by Ayumi Takahashi.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation. Visit us at granumfoundation.org.
Ben Ehrenreich: The Shape of Time
Season 2 of The Artist's Statement opens with journalist, essayist, and novelist, Ben Ehrenreich, winner of a 2021 American Book Award for his non-fiction work Desert Notebooks: A Roadmap for the End of Time. Ehrenreich discusses the inspiration for this poignant book that followed his time in Palestine and his return to American society under the presidency of Donald Trump. Beginning in the awe-inspiring landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park and moving to the alternative desert of Las Vegas, Ehrenreich reflects on our perceptions of time in the face of change and trauma. He draws on the ancient texts of Mayan, Greek, and Roman civilizations to argue against the myth of inevitable progress. Ehrenreich also talks about his own writing career and his hopes for the future.
In this interview, Ehrenreich reads an excerpt from Desert Notebooks.
Host: Davin Malasarn. Music by Joe Rivers. Artwork by Ayumi Takahashi.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation. Visit us at granumfoundation.org.
Claire Vaye Watkins: Novel Forms
In Episode 10 of The Artist's Statement, we chat with Claire Vaye Watkins, author of three works of fiction, including her latest novel, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (Riverhead, 2021). Watkins discusses the blurred boundaries between fiction and fact in her new work, and the story threads she brought together to complete it. We explore the impact of her viral essay "On Pandering" and her evolving relationship with writing, and how the influence of classical works can both help and hinder creativity. Watkins shares how she came to work with her agent, Nicole Aragi. She also offers her insights for students as they complete their first major projects.
In this interview, Watkins reads excerpts from I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness.
Host: Davin Malasarn
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation.
Marytza Rubio: Mystic Landscapes
Episode 9 of The Artist's Statement features Marytza K. Rubio, author of Maria, Maria, and Other Stories (Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2022). Rubio discusses the inspiration and evolution of her debut collection, and how she shared her vision with her agent and editor. We chat about the occult, the significance and power behind the name "Maria," and the details behind the mystic setting of her centerpiece novella. In the interview, we also talk about the considerations behind Rubio's multilingual writing, her role as the founder of the Makara Center for the Arts, and the impact of her changing life experiences on the revision process.
Rubio reads an excerpt from Maria, Maria.
Host: Davin Malasarn
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation.
Michael Emmerich: Writing Across Languages
What happens during the translation process of a literary work from Japanese to English? In Episode 8 of The Artist's Statement, we speak with Michael Emmerich, author of more than a dozen literary works in translation, including those by authors such as Nobel Laureate Yasunari Kawabata, Banana Yoshimoto, Genichiro Takahashi, and Hiromi Kawakami.
Emmerich discusses the role of Japanese literature in American culture, his translation process, and some considerations for authors who will have their work translated. He also details specific examples from Takahashi's novel, Sayonara, Gangsters, and Kawakami's novel, Manazuru.
The author of The Tale of Genji: Translation, Canonization, and World Literature, Emmerich shares his views of the impact of the classic Genji monogatari on the world, and the role of translation and replacement in the work's popularity.
Host: Davin Malasarn
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation.
Donika Kelly: Finding Center
In Episode 7 of The Artist's Statement, we're joined by Donika Kelly, poet and author of The Renunciations (2021) and Bestiary (2016), both published by Graywolf Press.
Kelly discusses the The Renunciations and the journey of self-exploration and therapy that led to its creation. She talks about the importance of having and nurturing a speaker and a safe space from which to create, along with the value of being protective of information, both for the writer and the reader. The conversation delves into the distinction between reality and artifice in artmaking, and how one can cultivate silence to help the creative process.
Kelly reads her poems "Sanctuary," "The Oracle Remembers the Future Cannot Be Avoided," and "The moon rose over the bay. I had a lot of feelings."
Host: Davin Malasarn.
Visit us at granumfoundation.org.
BONUS: Jenny Boully and Sak Yant
In this bonus episode of The Artist’s Statement, we speak to Jenny Boully about the ancient art of Sak Yant and the role of the Thai language and Buddhism in her writing life.
Boully reads her essay “On the Eve of My Eternal Marking,” which first appeared in The Paris Review on July 10, 2019.
Host: Davin Malasarn
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation. Learn more at granumfoundation.org.
Jenny Boully: Imagination and Its Consequences
Jenny Boully, 2020 Guggenheim Fellow and author of Betwixt and Between: Essays on the Writing Life, The Book of Beginnings and Endings, The Body, not merely because of the unknown that was stalking toward them, and other works joins us from Bennington, Vermont, for Episode 6 of The Artist's Statement Podcast.
Boully discusses the origins of her recent books and how her work bridges genres.
"I think when the mind is at odds with itself or wrestling with itself, which is what essays do, I find that if I can switch my approach, or switch my voice, or put on a different hat at times, then I can better get at something," says Boully.
She chats about astronomy as a source of inspiration and how her childhood experiences, and the stories of Peter Pan and Wendy Darling, led to her becoming a writer. She also reflects on how her writing has evolved from abstract to more accessible as a result of her growing older.
Boully reads her essay "On the Voyager Golden Records" from Betwixt and Between.
Host: Davin Malasarn.
Visit us at granumfoundation.org.
Nikki Giovanni: Speaking of Water
The Artist's Statement Episode 5 features legendary poet Nikki Giovanni. She discusses the importance of spirituals as inspiration for her work and how artist's from poets to novelists to dancers inhabit truth. Giovanni recounts her early days as an activist and writer along her path to success, including her time at Fisk University. The conversation touches on space travel, her experiences as an interviewer with the television series "Soul!", the Black Lives Matter movement, children's literature, and the importance of water. Giovanni reads poems "Baby West," "Atrocities, and "Make Me Rain."
Hosted by Davin Malasarn.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation. Visit us for more information and to learn about The Granum Foundation Fellowship Prize.
Craig Cotter: Memories, Inventions
Craig Cotter, the author of four collections of poetry, including After Lunch with Frank O’Hara, joins us from Pasadena, CA for Episode 4 of The Artist's Statement. He talks about his early writing career as a student at Michigan State University and the poetry editor of Red Cedar Review. He discusses his poems “The Drayton Plains Nature Center” and “For Alex,” which include a major recurring character in his work. He also reads “You Ever,” “People,” “Alex and Me at the Beach as Teenagers,” and “Ayaz Marhoni & Mahmoud Asgiri.” Other topics explored in this episode include the mistreatment and execution of gays in the 1970s versus now, the importance of humor in art, and the reliability of memory.
Hosted by Davin Malasarn. Music by Michael Markowski and Irma Seleman. Artwork by Ayumi Takahashi.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by the Granum Foundation. Visit us for more information.
Kuzhali Manickavel: Writing English in India
In this episode of The Artist's Statement, we feature short fiction writer Kuzhali Manickavel, whose work has been described as surreal, sci-fi, absurdist, and weird. Manickavel, who calls in from Bangalore, India, discusses how she characterizes her own work and how international perspectives can lead to alternative definitions. We examine her stories, "The Decline and Fall of Western Dance in a South Indian Women's College" from her collection Things We Found During the Autopsy, "Item Girls," and her chapbook The Lucy Temerlin Institute for Broken Shapeshifters Guide to Starving Boys: Their Salient Features, How to Find Them, How to Care for Them after They Die, and Four Considerations. Manickavel also explores how her experiences as an outsider inspire her work, and the influence of English writing in India.
Hosted by Davin Malasarn.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by The Granum Foundation. Visit us at granumfoundation.org to learn more.
BONUS: Kathy Fish reads "Tenderoni"
Kathy Fish reads her flash fiction story, "Tenderoni."
(Contains explicit language.)
Kathy Fish: Beauty in Brevity
Hosted by Davin Malasarn.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by the Granum Foundation. Visit us for more information.
Colm Toibin: Rhythm and Life
Irish author Colm Toibin joins us for the inaugural episode of The Artist's Statement. He discusses his early writing career and his evolution from poet to journalist to novelist, and his return to poetry. We examine Toibin's novella, A Long Winter, and short story "One Minus One" from his collection, The Empty Family. He reads from his latest novel, The Magician, which tells the story of writer Thomas Mann and is scheduled for publication by Viking Press in September, 2021. Toibin describes the importance of finding rhythm in sentences and how intuition and intellect work together to develop his narratives. He also discusses balancing plot and details that help to enhance the world of his stories.
Hosted by Davin Malasarn.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by the Granum Foundation. Visit us for more information.
Welcome to the Artist's Statement
Writing is a balance of forces, the pull of intellect versus emotion, technique versus intuition. I’m Davin Malasarn. In the Artist’s Statement, we talk to writers about how they navigate those dynamics to create their work. What happens between that initial inspiration and the final, published piece? And, how do you find that spark in the first place?
Join me as we talk with some of today’s most exciting writers. We’ll look across genres, identities, and cultures in search of those common threads at the heart of creativity, as well as what makes every artist unique.
The Artist's Statement is brought to you by the Granum Foundation. Visit us at www.granumfoundation.org.