By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Kevin Kwan (Courtesy: Kevin Kwan)
Kevin Kwan’s books have been at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The movie based on his first set of books, “Crazy, Rich Asians,” was a Critics Choice and Golden Globes nominee, and won the 2018 “breakthrough” award from Hollywood Awards. The accolades keep coming. Kwan is writing another set of books, the second of which, “Lies and Weddings,” he will talk about in Seattle on May 29, as part of a Seattle Arts & Lectures “Meet Cute” series.
The Asian Weekly’s Kai Curry sat down with Kwan to discuss all things Kwan-related.
Q: “Lies and Weddings” is dedicated to “Tūtū Pele” [Grandmother Pele], “who told me to have trust and patience.” Why this dedication?
Kwan: When I went to Hawai’i back in [2022], I was feeling creatively blocked. I had been trying to write a new novel after “Sex and Vanity,” we had just come through a pandemic, and the idea that I had wasn’t working anymore. The story I was planning to tell was too sad. People don’t want a sad story right now. We need something that uplifts. My friend invited me to spend New Year’s on the Big Island (the island of Hawai’i)…I celebrated a lovely New Year’s Eve and the very next day, these ideas/visions started coming. I started writing, I was writing a chapter a day, which is unheard of, my weeklong stay turned out to be six weeks. The island was telling me its story, [and I was] getting to know more about Hawaiian culture, the Big Island, and the volcano, where, in the Hawaiian religion, the goddess Pele is based. She is the life force, the energy force, of everything. [She] helped channel the energy and creativity of the story.
Q: You include a lot of information in your novels. In “Lies and Weddings,” not only do you tell us about the rich and famous, but you also tell us about sea turtles, works of art, and more. Why?
Kwan: I’m a sponge of useless information (laughs). I take in a lot. I’m one of these tourists that actually reads the signs. The books I write are for entertainment, but part of entertainment is to enlighten, so there are always messages embedded on a variety of themes and it’s up to readers to have their own takeaway. Intrinsic to all my work is a deep respect for the earth and land. A place like Hawai’i has a complicated history, but also a symbiotic relationship with tourism. They depend on it, but at the same time, you want to safeguard sacred spaces, endangered species, you want to be as conscious as you can. I’ve been super fortunate in the sense that so many people use my books as travel guides…Because I have this opportunity, I have to be responsible.
Q: Are you an art aficionado?
Kwan: I was an artist myself. I went to Parsons School of Design. I’m always looking for opportunities to showcase great art. The art that appears [in my stories] is always reflective of who the characters are—it’s not necessarily my taste—I’m not trying to impose taste. Arabella (the mother in “Lies and Weddings”) is a design maven and big art collector who loves to collect amazing female artists, strong, powerful women. I don’t have a favorite artist, but I’m super excited about what’s happening with [young] Asian American artists right now.
Q: You were voted one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Constance Wu, star of “Crazy, Rich Asians,” wrote the article and highlighted your ability to create well-rounded Asian characters. It’s no exaggeration that, with “Crazy, Rich Asians,” you helped usher in increased representation for Asians in Hollywood. What would you like to be influential for?
Kwan: I don’t think about that. If I had to think about that, it would change what I do creatively. As a writer, number one, I aim to amuse and entertain. With that, you [can] inspire people to think, be purposeful, and be creative. That is the first step, [for people to] behave with intention.
Q: Speaking about representation, with the attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion across the country recently, are you concerned at all about the movie or publishing industries backpedaling?
Kwan: I am in such a bubble when I’m writing books and working on projects. So far, there’s been nothing but amazing support for my projects and what I see and hear in the community is that other people are also able to make amazing things happen. Hollywood has always, I feel, operated ahead of the curve. If you look at the number one movie in America right now, it’s “Sinners”—an amazing movie with an almost all Black cast and two amazing [not stereotyped] Asian characters who showcase the history of Asians in the Deep South in the early 1900s. It gives me so much hope to see that people want this. This is what Americans want.
When I go on a [book] tour, I’m not just in a room full of Asian readers. I see a whole rainbow of readers and so, I feel like we are a diverse, multicultural country, and we’re not going back. Everyone wants a richness of culture in their cultural experience…[On tour], I see the beauty of what happens when we share our cultures and I see that people are hungry for that connection.
Q: Your novels, including “Lies and Weddings,” usually include a Cinderella story. Why?
Kwan: It’s a “tale as old as time,” but what I like to do is to subvert these stories and turn them on their heads. In “Lies and Weddings,” it’s the boy (Rufus) who needs the girl (Eden). Normally, it’s Cinderella looking for her prince. In my book, the prince is broke (laughs). And you see all these strong women—strong Asian women—starting with [Rufus’] mother, who dominates him, then there’s Martha Dunn, this kickass Chinese venture capitalist…[but Rufus] wants this grounded woman, who is a doctor, a healer, he’s not interested in trying to save the family fortune by marrying some rich Chinese heiress. I upended that classic Cinderella tale.
The other thing, with this whole new series, beginning with “Sex and Vanity”…the first three [novels] were Asians in Asia. The next three are Asians outside of Asia, Asians in the West, and each book is inspired by a classic [Victorian or Edwardian] western piece of literature…[I’m] recolonizing them with Asians. That is my way of really reclaiming these stories.
Q: Your main characters are usually forced to make a decision between love and duty. Have you been in that situation yourself and/or if you were, which would you choose—love or duty?
Kwan: I have, thankfully, not been put into the situation of my characters. What all of my books try to explore is that generational struggle and cultural struggle between the new generation that wants to find personal satisfaction and fulfillment, but also has that sense of duty and commitment to their family, their community, their clan, whatever. There are always family obligations that one has to deal with when you grow up in a big Asian family [like I did]…and we all have to make choices, we all have to make compromises for the sake of family unity.
Q: Let’s talk about difficult moms. Arabella is a strong woman. She says some insulting things. At the same time, you help the reader understand that she has layers. In her case, she is the way she is because she wants to ensure a life for her children where they will never endure racism.
Kwan: I find difficult moms to be fascinating because behind the difficulties, there’s a lot of trauma. For me, it’s about understanding the motivations of my characters. Villains are more interesting…they’re so much more damaged, but with the damage comes these experiences. [Arabella] had to survive growing up in Hong Kong [when it was] a colony, being a second class citizen in her own country. Then she moves from there…to Mother England, and she has to be a Chinese woman in the upper reaches of the snotty English aristocracy. How did she survive that?
In her twisted way, she loves her children. She sees it as for the good of her family, trying to secure generations of security for her [children]…I see that not just in my characters, but over and over and again in so many families. Parents, for the most part, always want the best for their kids. Asians express it differently. They don’t say “I love you”; they say, “You must go to this school,” or “You must marry this person because your future happiness and security is at stake.”
Q: Have you visited Seattle before?
Kwan: I haven’t written Seattle into my books [yet], but I love Seattle. I have family there, so I’ve come to visit numerous times. I always love to go to the Elliot Bay Book Company…The food scene is constantly changing. Last time, I went to this amazing dumpling place…I’m looking forward to being in Seattle. Whenever I tour—which is so rare these days—it’s nice to meet the readers, sign books, and answer their questions. Writing is a solo thing. I’m mostly in a room staring at a laptop. So, I look forward to the exchange and the interaction.
Kwan is currently working on a TV series and a Broadway musical (with Jon Chu at the helm) based on “Crazy, Rich Asians.” Movies are also in development for both “Sex and Vanity” and “Lies and Weddings.” He is coming to Seattle to promote the new paperback version of “Lies and Weddings.” For more information, visit https://lectures.org/event/kevin-kwan.
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.