And I do think there’s a grain of truth in that.

More than anything else, it was probably just growing up reading mostly mysteries and books with darker themes. I read somewhere once that if you’re going to be a writer, the kind of writer you’ll be is pretty much formed by the time you’re fifteen, and you’re this unique mash-up of all the books and movies and other kinds of art you’ve absorbed up until that point. What drew you to writing YA mystery and dystopian books? The Eight Immortals, because I’m going to cheat a bit and count them as a single entity! Which would mean eight times the power on my side, right? Which folktale/fairytale character would you take with you to escape a labyrinth? And there’s something really wrong about that, both the not questioning and the very real lack of available material.

Because as a kid, I absolutely loved Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology, as well as all the traditional fairy tales, but I never once questioned why there weren’t books like that in the library with Asian characters. So one of the most rewarding aspects of working on this project is knowing how many Asian kid readers will now get to have myths of their own to read. We knew we wanted to do an anthology together, but we also knew it had to be something extra special and meaningful. The ideas behind the anthology-having just Asian authors, then doing ownvoices retellings of Asian myths-just came together as Ellen and I brainstormed. How did the idea of the anthology begin to form? What has been the most rewarding part of co-editing this anthology so far? So I just wanted to play with that difference a bit. Which actually makes so much sense, given how familial duty is huge in Asian culture, particularly in comparison to that of the West. “Romeo and Juliet” is about rebelling against family in the name of love, while “The Butterfly Lovers” is about turning away love because of family. I thought it was really interesting how “The Butterfly Lovers” is largely perceived in the west as being the Chinese version of “Romeo and Juliet.” I used to think of it that way, too! But other than both tales being about star-crossed lovers, it turns out they’re actually very different, theme-wise. What sparked the inspiration behind your retelling of the Chinese tale, the Butterfly Lovers? Originally from Prince George, Canada, she currently resides in Tokyo, Japan. Welcome to our interview series with writers from A Thousand Beginnings and Endings! Learn more about the anthology inspired #IKBE reading challenge created by Aentee of Read at Midnight here.Įlsie Chapman is the author of Dualed, Divided, and Along the Indigo.

Divided elsie chapman