Celeste Chan is a writer and artist schooled by Do-It-Yourself culture and immigrant parents from Malaysia and the Bronx NY. She founded and directed Queer Rebels (a queer and trans people of color arts project), joined Foglifter Literary Journal as an editor and board member, and toured with feminist literary road show, Sister Spit. Now, as a Hugo Fellow, she’s focused on writing her hybrid memoir. We caught up with Celeste about her fellowship experience ahead of the 2023-24 Hugo Fellows Mid-Year Reading happening next week!
Interview with 2023-24 Hugo Fellow, Celeste Chan
Tell us about working with the other Fellows in your cohort. How has working within this group contributed to your craft and relationship with writing?
I’m inspired by seeing my fellow fellows’ work, from graphic novel excerpts to book arts to social critique and horror, along with poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. How can visual art help us see stories in new ways? What new stories emerge from bending or blurring genres?
Tell us about working with Hugo House Writers-In-Residence, Joyce and Ching-In. What have you learned from your mentors?
Ching-In and Joyce are both really thoughtful and empowering mentors. We’ve been using Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, and I’ve been thinking a lot about artistic vision, intentionality, and the value of questions. Workshopping can be vulnerable and energizing.
Thanks for sharing, Celeste! Join us next Thursday at 7 pm PT as the Hugo Fellows take to the main stage to share from their current projects.
