So many writers say they write to figure out what they believe or make sense of a situation. Ly Tran says she writes to overcome self-doubt and to celebrate her voice. More than that, she says her words connect her to others, and the best part of putting a book in the world is the feedback she gets from readers who say that her story touched them in a deep and meaningful way.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Ly Tran about her memoir, House of Sticks, which took six years to write after landing a contract simply by the strength of her pages as presented to a professor. Ly came to America at the age of 3, a Vietnamese refugee who was a sweatshop worker as a child and spent a decade failing school as her vision deteriorated. Literature was her only refuge, holding books close to her face to commune with characters. With the gift of a pair of contacts at high school graduation, she eventually made it to Columbia University, where instructors saw her gifts and encouraged her to write her incredible story.
In this episode, Lynne and Ly discuss:
Links and Resources:
Find Ly Tran:
Coming up next on the Make Meaning Podcast: Lynne interviews Becky Robinson, founder of Weaving Influence and author of Reach: Create the biggest possible audience for your message, book, or cause.
Episode 165 - Brenda Meller - Capturing a Piece of the Publishing Pie
Episode 164 - Patrick Hicks - Writing Hard Stories Beautifully
Episode 163 - Qin Sun Stubis - Writing Inspired by Long-Held Family Lore
Episode 162 - Elizabeth Conte - Doing Well as an Indie Author
Episode 161 - Ana Veciana-Suarez - Historical Literary Fiction
Episode 160 - Jonathan Whitelaw - Cozy Crime & Escaping into Writing
Episode 159 – April Davila - Meditation & Writing
Episode 158 - Suzanne Nugent - On Character Development
Episode 157 - Blake Kimzey - Creating a Writing Community
Episode 156 - Blair Fell - Original Storylines & Unique Characters
Episode 155 - Martha Anne Toll - Finely Crafted, Award-Winning Fiction
Episode 154 - Dawn Chalker - Writing What You Know
Episode 153 – Jewish Books, Jewish Authors
Episode 152 - Ami Irmen - Character-Driven Narratives
Episode 151 - Rochelle Weinstein - Writing Best-Selling Novels
Episode 150 - Lisa Peers - First Novels & Writing Friendships
Episode 149 – Anne-Marie Oomen - Writing through Family
Episode 148 – Woman of Valor - Katie Scott interviews Lynne about her debut novel!
Episode 147 – Diane Gottlieb - Writing Short & Writing Well
Episode 146 – Barbara Stark-Nemon - Tracing the Path of Historical Fiction
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
A Tale of Two Cities
Anne of Green Gables
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends