Jaclyn
asked
Lisa See:
You're such an inspiring person, and writer! I'd love to know who inspires you? Especially regarding other authors.
Lisa See
Thank you for your lovely words Jaclyn! To answer your question, I adored my paternal grandmother. She probably was the greatest influence on my life. She loved to travel. She wasn’t very conventional. (She married a Chinese man when it was still against the law.) My mom , Carolyn See, who is a writer, has been a huge influence on my life as a woman and a writer. I can honestly say I wouldn’t he the writer I am if not for her. Bob Dylan has also been an influence, not that I know him or anything. I love how he can tell an entire story in just a few minutes, and I love how he plays with words. Lastly, I’d have to say Wallace Stegner. I used a line from Angle of Repose as the epigraph for my first book, On Gold Mountain: “Fooling around in the papers my grandparents, especially my grandmother, left behind, I get glimpses of lives close to mine, related to mine in ways I recognize but don’t comprehend. I’d like to live in their clothes a while.” I didn’t realize when I used those lines that the sentiment would continue to influence me and my writing to this day.
More Answered Questions
Mariella
asked
Lisa See:
As a lifelong student of Eastern spirituality, I relished the accuracy of your character's personalities in relation to their Chinese zodiac signs.(I'm fire rabbit and a painter, so Z.G. is very close to my heart!) I'm wondering if you value Chinese astrology primarily as a literary tool or if you find the zodiac to reflect authentically in your own life and relationships? Do you identify with your native animal?
Catherine Buhler
asked
Lisa See:
Lisa, you are my favorite author. I have become intrigued with historical fiction since reading your novels. I would stay up for hours just to finish them. We lived in Shanghai for 2.5 years and it was so fascinating to hear the back story of the culture. I can’t wait for hour new story to come out in March. If you ever want someone to review them i would love to. Which story is your favorite and why?
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