Looking Out From Another World is a collection of five short stories that revolves around Charlotte. It features characters who are experiencing dramatic crises, both from within and without. They try to make sense and meaning out of these crises, and so in another sense they’re all on a personal quest of sorts. The collection tries to frame many of these questions through the lens of contemporary issues in the U.S. I did this by writing about identity, place, culture, and migration. I think contemporary writers of all backgrounds should imagine as boldly and experimentally as possible, and this represents my effort to do some of this. I will continue asking myself what my motives are for this cross-cultural writing as I move forward. Other themes in the collection include violence, gender, sexuality, and digital technology. The search for human connection especially, across both real and imaginary divides and sometimes in the face of violence, plays an important role in the collection and relates to how each story unfolds. Finally, one of the things I tried to do was write in a way that was interesting, engaging, and thought-provoking. In this way, I tried to dramatize consequential real-world issues while maintaining a belief in the transformative power of art, hope, possibility, and connection.
