In the Company of Strangers ... interview with Michelle Cruz Skinner
In the Company of Strangers, Michelle Cruz Skinner's new collection of short stories from Bamboo Ridge Press, is set to launch on Tuesday, November 17 (6:30 p.m. reception and book signing; 7:00 p.m. book launch and reading by Michelle; Luke Lecture Hall, Wo International Center, Punahou School; free and open to the public).
R. Zamora Linmark, author of Prime Time Apparitions and The Evolution of a Sigh, describes the book this way:
“Sixteen deceptively simple stories comprise Michelle Cruz Skinner’s much-anticipated follow-up to Balikbayan and Mango Seasons, many of them about Filipinos tongue-tied and alienated in the motherland, or scattered across the map of heartaches and homesickness in the company of strangers called countrymen, family, lovers. A book of quiet gems definitely worth the wait.”
Michelle Cruz Skinner teaches at Punahou School. She was born in Manila and raised primarily in Olongapo City, Philippines. A short story from her first collection was selected for the PEN Syndicated Fiction Project and her second book was nominated for the 1996 Philippine National Book Award. Her work has been adapted for stage and public radio and she has read extensively at universities and conferences, both in the Philippines and on the mainland.
I asked Michelle to share some thoughts about her writing.
Q. Could you talk a bit about the origin and inspiration for these stories? Do you have a favorite story from In the Company of Strangers?
Michelle: I didn't really think of the stories as a book. I just started writing stories. For several years prior, I'd been trying to write a novel, but that hadn't been going well. After a while, I felt that the novel was lacking some of the immediacy of short stories. So, I thought I should go back to writing stories. Then, after a few months of this, I just kept writing. Then I found myself writing some memoir pieces, some of which are also included in the book.
I couldn't pick one favorite. I've never liked picking favorite anythings. It leaves out so much else.
Q. I'm a big fan of the short story form, but I keep hearing from other writers that writing short stories is difficult. Do you have any insider tips to share?
Michelle: I don't think there are any tips. I just write. I pushed myself to do things I felt I wasn't doing enough of in my writing. So, I have some second person point of view stories, a lot more third person stories, and a diversity (I hope) in the narrative and character voices. But those aren't really tips. I suppose I've always tried to develop very clear characters and tried to get to know those characters well. This last part requires that I do a lot of thinking and rewriting.
Q. The element of romance in a story always seems to be a good way to reveal character. Could you talk about the romance in one, or some of these stories?
Michelle: I'd say that element is in about five of the stories, which I hadn't realized until you asked and I looked over my table of contents. In the story titled "Parenting," the couple has been married for several years and, while romance is not a big part of the story, it's there with many other things: raising children, taking care of one's own parents, taking care of oneself. In "Second Marriage" the romance is more apparent as it's about a couple getting married for the second time, the first time being only a few weeks prior. In the story "Beautiful" romance is more of an unattainable ideal or a commodity for the main character, who's a prostitute.
Q. Which writers have had the greatest influence on your own writing?
Michelle: Everything I've read has influenced me in some way. Even the news. Even signs. This sounds ridiculous, but I really do think about signs. There are a lot of writers whose work I read, reread, and admire, but I don't think I could fully explain how they have influenced me.
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Thank you, Michelle! I'm looking forward to your reading on the 17th.
Tags: Bamboo Ridge, In the Company of Strangers, Michelle Cruz Skinner, R. Zamora Linmark, Romance
