Photo courtesy of Zhihui Zou
“Nonfiction, ultimately, is an account of the results and consequences of how we choose to interact with ‘space.'”
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and what do you do when you’re not reading for NER?
I grew up in both Shanghai and Southern California, and I’m currently based in North Carolina. Besides reading for NER, I love reading about 19th-century US history, especially the history of the American West Coast. I primarily write short stories, particularly historical fiction, and I also regularly write book reviews (of mostly history books) for journals. When I need some relaxation, I usually find it in cooking, going on walks, or reading Kafka.
What made you decide to be a reader for NER, and how long have you been on staff?
I’ve been on staff since April 2023 as a nonfiction reader. Originally, I wanted to be a submission reader because I began to realize that the contemporary literature we see in publications is only a small fraction of what is being produced. I was curious about the narratives that never reach the publication stage. A big reason why I wanted to join New England Review is that I very much enjoy NER‘s wide definition of “nonfiction.” Nonfiction is a fluid genre, and I like how NER tries to be as encompassing as possible to nonfiction’s various forms. Nonfiction includes more than just memoir or personal narrative. Nonfiction is a reflection of how we got to where we are today and how we build our attitude to face an uncertain future. As a book review editor at World History Encyclopedia, I get to see a lot of discourse around how people perceive history, and that experience has greatly influenced how I approach nonfiction.
What is your reading process like? What do you look for in a submission?
When I approach a submission, among many other factors, I focus significantly on the author’s sense of space. I have a very broad definition of what “space” means. It could be physical, metaphorical, spiritual, social, etc. I believe that all of us are the products of our living environment; the process of turning a physical, mental, or metaphorical location into something that has spiritual and personal connections to us is more about the location transforming us rather than us transforming it. Nonfiction, ultimately, is an account of the results and consequences of how we choose to interact with “space.” An outstanding piece of writing can, for example, remind us that we are part of a larger “space,” and that we need to learn to coexist with and within it.
Of the pieces you’ve read in NER, which have been most memorable to you personally?
A piece that made a great impact on me was one about a person’s childhood, where the author focused on neighbor relationships. I felt like the neighbor relationship is something that many of us mention in our work but rarely flush out in full or dedicate one piece of writing just for it. What made the piece stand out was how the author crafted a sense of two colliding spaces (the author’s house and the neighbor’s) and how, when two spaces collide, even though the “space” was transformed from a “place” by humans, the collision shows that certain human experiences can become independent of ourselves. Instead of “our experience,” it becomes “an experience,” something that metaphorically has its own entity and agency.
How has reading for NER influenced your own writing/creative pursuits?
The greatest influence I’ve felt as a reader for NER is that I have learned about so many different perspectives and experiences. It opened my eyes to what is possible with literature. This eye-opening experience leads to empathy and an understanding that the imperfections in literature are precisely what makes it beautiful.
What do you read for pleasure? Is there something you’re reading at the moment that you would recommend?
I’m a big fan of Jose Saramago’s work, especially his novel Blindness. I would also recommend any books by Timothy Morton.
Our staff readers, all volunteers, play an essential role in our editorial process and in our mission to discover new voices in contemporary literature. A full list of staff readers is available on our masthead.